UN and EU to Commemorate Human Rights Day with Inaugural Virtual Lecture

Kingston, Jamaica: December 9, 2020: The United Nations Jamaica and the European Union Delegation to Jamaica with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will host a virtual lecture and panel discussion on Thursday, December 10 to mark Human Rights Day 2020 and the 72^nd anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.

This year’s theme is Recover Better: Stand Up for Human Rights and Senator Dr Floyd Morris will deliver the inaugural Human Rights Day Lecture, on the heels of his election as the first English-speaking Caribbean national to sit on the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last week. Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will bring special remarks. A panel discussion, featuring a mix of experts will follow.

“The UN is pleased to be partnering with the EU and Government of Jamaica to stage this inaugural lecture. The event will provide a unique opportunity to unpack why efforts to build back better from Covid-19 should embrace the protection of human rights and how we can all move the needle forward — individually, collectively and institutionally to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Dr Garry Conille, United Nations Resident Coordinator.

Ambassador Marianne Van Steen, EU Delegation to Jamaica stated, “This significant event provides the opportunity to think through what it means to stand up for human rights at a time when they are under stress due to Covid-19. The EU stands in solidarity with like-minded governments and people everywhere, recognising that collective action is needed to defend human rights and democracy in these challenging times.”

The panel discussion moderated by Cliff Hughes, Nationwide News Network, will examine the legal, social and economic challenges and opportunities related to human rights protection in Jamaica. The experts include Margaret May McCauley, Jamaican Commissioner – Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Nora Blake, Manager – Jamaica Social Stock Exchange; Monique Long, Human Rights Attorney and Advocate and Carla Gullota, Executive Director – Stand Up for Jamaica. Human Rights Day brings to a close 16 Days of Activism, which began on November 25, with the observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The event will be broadcast live on Nationwide 90 FM from 10 am to noon and streamed on the United Nations Jamaica YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw16eI6AyA9dz_zFoI8P0LA) and Facebook (@unjamca) pages.