All human beings are born free & equal in dignity and rights

A few days ago I found the three photos of the cover inside a book in my home library. They were taken out in one of those automatic machines for public events, about five years ago, in October 2018. It was within the framework of the 139th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Geneva, Switzerland.

At that time, it was seventy years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. Due to its importance, it was translated into 512 languages.

According to its preamble, “all peoples and all nations” recognize that “All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” (Article 1) .

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty (Art. 2).

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (Art. 3).

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms (Art. 4).

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Art. 5).

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law (Art. 6).

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination (Art. 7).

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law (Art. 8).

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile (Art. 9).

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him (Art. 10).

Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence (Art. 11.1.).

No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed (Art. 11.2.).

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks (Art. 12).

Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state (Art. 13.1.).

Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country (Art. 13.2.).

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance (Art. 18).

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers (Art. 19).

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized (Art. 28).

We live in a world that is a global village.

Any of us, and our children and grandchildren, can visit the beautiful lands and meet the noble people from all over the planet.

I swear to care for and protect any person, especially the sons and grandsons of citizens of distant lands, as if they were my own children. And I hope those people do the same with my children.

God bless us all.