Let's go back to the 1948 Universal Declaration that is so important
and it is a very moving document which I hope will continue to be honored,
respected, read embraced and improved upon in the 21st century.
So in 1948 the governments of the world agreed to the following.
They said the General Assembly, Proclaims this
Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common
standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations, to the end that every individual and
every organ of society, keeping this
declaration constantly in mind, shall strive
by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and
by progressive measures, the progressive realization
of the rights, national and international,
to secure their universal and effective
recognition and observance, both among the peoples
of Member States themselves and among the peoples
of territories under their jurisdiction. So that
is the preamble more or less to the Universal Declaration.
Saying that all of the Member States should strive to teach, advocate
and honour and progressively achieve all of the rights
of the Declaration itself.
Well there are many rights and it's a a document that bears study.
But I wanted to highlight just a few of them.
Article 22 calls for the right to social security.
In other words, to a guaranteed base so that human
dignity and the most basic needs of water, shelter, clothing and
so forth can be met.
Article 23 of the Universal Declaration calls for the right to work, to
a livelihood, to be able for individuals to support themselves and their families.
Article 24 calls for the right to rest and leisure so that
one can't demand work of around
the clock and in burdensome and crushing ways.
Article 25 says that there is universal right
to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being
of the individual himself and of his family, including
food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services,
and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widow,
widowhood, old age or other lack
of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
What a remarkable bold statement.
How unmet that remains today we know with more than one billion people still
living in extreme poverty. These goals even
according to the founders of the Universal Declaration