(New York) – The top of the Empire State Building will turn a vibrant blue on December 10, 2014, to highlight Human Rights Watch’s commitment to protect and defend human rights worldwide. December 10 marks Human Rights Day, the international day to celebrate human rights around the world.
“We’re thrilled to see New York’s most famous building honor the work of Human Rights Watch,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “We hope it will inspire everyone to do what they can for human rights, here at home and across the globe.”
Human Rights Watch’s 400 staff members work to end human rights violations by thoroughly and impartially investigating and exposing abuses, pressing for policy changes to improve human rights, and seeking to hold rights abusers to account. Human Rights Watch gives voice to the oppressed in more than 90 countries and works to raise the cost of human rights abuse by laying the legal and moral groundwork for deep-rooted change.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948, sets out a broad range of rights and freedoms guaranteed to all people around the globe without distinction. The world celebrates Human Rights Day each December 10 in recognition of these rights.
With this year’s slogan, “Human Rights 365,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon notes that defending human rights should be a priority every day: “I call on states to honor their obligation to protect human rights every day of the year. I call on people to hold their governments to account.”
