Epress.am News from Armenia
Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. However, it wasn’t until 1950, when the General Assembly invited all states and interested organizations to observe Dec. 10 as Human Rights Day, according to the UN official website.
Furthermore, it is traditionally on Dec. 10 that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organizations.
This year, the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to jailed Chinese writer and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo. According to the BBC, Liu, 54, was a key leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Last year he received an 11-year sentence for “inciting subversion” after drafting Charter 08 — which called for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights in China.
Armenian governmental and non-governmental organizations will mark the day with numerous events.
At 10:30 am, an open class on human rights and tolerance will be held in the No. 83 school named after Hambardzum Galstyan in Yerevan. Participating in the class will be Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Armen Harutyunyan and RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan.
At 11 am, human rights defenders Edmon Marukyan, Artur Sakunts and advisor to the Human Rights Defender Rustam Makhmudyan will take about human rights in Armenia while meeting with journalists at Henaran club.
At 4 pm, a march dedicated to the defense of human rights organized by the opposition group the Armenian National Congress will begin from the area near Saryan’s statue in Yerevan.