Yesterday was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Adopted out of the scars of World War II, the UDHR outlined thirty inalienable rights and freedoms that belong to us all, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, creed, language, religion, or background. Rights to life, liberty, and privacy. Freedom of expression, assembly, and movement. Freedom from torture, arbitrary arrest, or exile. Rights to social security, education, equal pay, and a decent standard of living, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care. The right to seek asylum.

The magnitude of this achievement should not be underestimated. This document, for the first time, enshrined the fundamental human rights of individuals everywhere. Since then, it has served as a foundation for human rights campaigners to defend the dignity and equality of people across the globe. Today, however, is not a time for celebration. It is a time for reflection.

Seventy-five years on from this landmark document, millions of people are still denied the fundamental rights and freedoms it was meant to enshrine. Right now, seven hundred million people are living in extreme poverty, subsisting on less than $2.15 a day. Two-thirds are children. In 2022, more than 238,000 people were killed in conflict — that’s the highest death toll since the beginning of the century. Refugees — fleeing war, persecution, human rights abuses, and climate catastrophe — are drowning at sea.