"Democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights are bedrocks of resilient, inclusive, and peaceful societies. They underwrite freedom, advance sustainable development, and protect the dignity and rights of every person." — António Guterres

The Human Rights 75 campaign is celebrating the anniversary by calling on all of us to stand up for human rights and commit to making the principles of the Universal Declaration a reality in our daily lives.

Hate speech incites violence and undermines social cohesion and tolerance. Because fighting hate, discrimination, racism and inequality is at the core of United Nations principles and work, the Organization is working to confront hate speech at every turn. 

The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Václav Bálek (Czechia), has appointed Vrinda Grover of India as a member of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which was created by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022.

"As we mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we face a stark fact. In every corner of the world, LGBTQI+ people continue to face violence, persecution, hate speech, injustice and even outright murder." — António Guterres

The International Film Festival on Human Rights this human world (thw) will hold the Short Film Competition on Human Rights 2023 under the auspices of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Austria and the Chief Executive Office of the City of Vienna for European and International Affairs in cooperation with schools in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye.

The UN in Vienna and the Essl Foundation celebrate a decade of partnership for disability inclusion. The Zero Project conference showcases innovative solutions for people with disabilities.

Interactive workshops were offered by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna in cooperation with Austrian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) ZARA Training to teach teachers more about on how to sensitize and engage young people to help stop the spread of false information in the digital world and tackle discrimination and hate speech.

With the film ‘Freedom Fields’ and the inspiring story of three women and their football team in post-revolution Libya, Ciné-ONU Vienna dedicated its monthly film screening in December to Human Rights Day and the empowerment of women and girls through sports.

“Nine out of ten homicide cases committed against journalists are never investigated,” said Martin Nesirky, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, in his opening remarks at the Ciné-ONU Vienna screening of “CAMILLE” to mark International Day to Fight Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

Volker Türk from Austria took up the role in October 2022. He previously worked as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and has held key positions in the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Slovenia is a global leader in recognising the right to a healthy environment, but faces challenges in protecting this right, such as toxic pollution hotspots, lack of access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations and poor air quality. More urgent action on climate change is also needed, a UN expert said today.

This month’s Ciné-ONU Vienna screened “I Am Belmaya”, a documentary that features the inspiring story of Belmaya Nepali, the Co-Director of the film, who stood up to her husband and society and reclaimed her voice through filmmaking.

This month's Ciné-ONU Vienna screened "Shadow Game", a documentary that outlines the far-reaching consequences of European asylum policy and humanizes the struggles of teenage refugees from Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan and beyond.

Young people across Slovakia were asked to think about these pressing questions and take part in this year’s Human Rights Olympics (HRO) English essay competition, hosted by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna.

The Secretary-General's words of hope at the progress in protecting children's rights in armed conflict are spoken against the backdrop of renewed and continuous international conflicts around the world. 

What is the United Nations doing to help people in and outside of Ukraine? Secondary school students from around Austria joined an online briefing with experts from various Vienna based UN bodies to answer exactly this question. 

As people flee the war Ukraine in their millions, the role of human rights and sustainable development in education looms larger than ever. Against this backdrop, the United Nations in Vienna welcomed English teachers on 15 March for a special workshop.

The film portrays the struggles women scientists have faced in recent decades up to today, including structural discrimination, sexual harassment, lack of inclusivity, or respect.

Op-ed by by Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng - October 2018