At least 253 million people live in extreme situations of injustice, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, calling to provide access to justice for all.
In a statement issued Monday marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, OHCHR said that the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all is the foundation for freedom, justice and peace in the world, noting that this is the promise set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Yet at least 253 million people live in extreme situations of injustice and 4.5 billion people are excluded from the opportunities the law provides, the statement said.
Moreover, like so many of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 16's call to provide access to justice for all is off track, OHCHR said. "In spite of many advances, we have not achieved justice that is accessible and available to all. Many rule of law and justice institutions face a crisis of capacity as well as a crisis of public trust," it added.
The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives States an impetus to take steps to reinvigorate access to justice at the national level and to finance and support SDG 16 globally, the statement concluded.
"Moving forward, it is important to center justice on people and their rights, understanding their justice needs and responding accordingly. This means involving people in justice decisions and providing them with the means to do so," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Aug. 4 at a briefing held in Geneva on the UN Secretary General's new Vision for the Rule of Law.
Source: Qatar News Agency
