On the occasion of Human Rights Day (10 December), Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, has made the following statement:

“Human rights were the answer we found together 75 years ago to bring Europe out of the ashes of the Second World War, and they must remain the answer today to bring Europe back to a bright and positive future where everyone can thrive.

“Today, our continent is facing multiple challenges that have a severe impact on our local communities: war is back, the economy remains unstable, the geopolitical chessboard is moving towards the unknown, feeding a general sense of insecurity, nationalist rhetoric, hatred and division.

“The response to these challenging times should be unity and certainty: unity, by building on our common values and heritage; certainty, by strengthening our human rights framework to make sure that Europeans can really enjoy its benefits in our towns, cities and regions.

“Human rights are not theoretical: we need better justice to fight injustice, real equality to respond to discrimination, good quality education and access to culture to build resilience to populism. As local and regional elected representatives, we bear a fundamental responsibility to protect human dignity in the face of hatred, defend freedom of expression and of association against authoritarian tendencies, protect nature to secure our future on earth.  

“The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has adopted a human rights strategy and appointed a Standing Rapporteur and two Deputy Rapporteurs on Human Rights precisely to help highlight the responsibilities of Europe’s local and regional authorities in providing better protection to our citizens and ensuring that they can exercise their rights every day.”