NGOs standing together for the Human Rights Act on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2011

BIHR has brought together a group of leading organisations representing many sectors of civil society to call on political party leaders to protect the Human Rights Act.

In an open letter to the political party leaders, to mark international Human Rights Day on 10 December, 43 organisations have collectively come together to speak with one voice to express disappointment that the Human Rights Act is all too often vilified, and to call for leadership from our political leaders on the Human Rights Act.

The signatory organisations remind the party leaders that the Human Rights Act protects us all from violence, abuse and neglect, and enshrines our liberty, free speech and right to protest in UK law. In essence it ensures all people are treated with basic dignity and respect.

The organisations range from the large to the small and the local to the national. The 43 organisations include the Royal College of Nursing, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mind, Unicef UK, Age UK, Mencap, Citizens Advice, Equality South West, the National AIDS Trust and the Down’s Syndrome Association, alongside the main human rights organisations in Britain.

Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights said:

“Many voices are coming together to speak with one voice to defend the Human Rights Act. We hold a common belief in the common good of the Human Rights Act. Human rights are about human beings, and making sure we’re all treated fairly and decently.

“After a year when human rights abroad have been in the front of everyone’s minds we would like to see our political representatives stand up for human rights here at home and not to fuel the urban myths which surround the Human Rights Act.”
 

Read the full text of the letter, as it appeared in the Times, here.

Read BIHR's press release here.

Five Quick Actions to Stand Up for Human Rights

• Write to our political leaders to ask them what they are doing to show leadership on human rights in the UK and explain why it is important to stand up for the Human Rights Act. You can find out more information about the political parties and their leaders here.
• Who is your local MP? You could send them a copy of our Human Rights Day letter and ask them if they are playing their part in holding our political leaders to account and  explain why it is important to stand up for the Human Rights Act. You can find out more information about your MP here.
• What newspapers do you read? Whether its one of the big nationals or your local paper, write and tell them why you support our Human Rights Day letter and explain why you want better political leadership and media reporting on the Human Rights Act
• Spread the word and get social networking! Send our Human Rights Day letter to your colleagues, friends and family, write about it on your blog, tweet it, post it on Facebook. You can follow BIHR on Twitter and Facebook.
• Join us in celebrating Human Rights Day by registering your name and submitting a message of support for human rights here.

To find out more about International Human Rights Day visit the United Nations web page here.

What is BIHR doing?

The British Institute of Human Rights is helping groups and individuals to speak up for the Human Rights Act!

Learn more about BIHR and what we do here.

Read BIHR’s recent submission to the Government's Commission on a UK Bill of Rights here

Read more about how you can speak up for the Human Rights Act here

Read BIHR’s recent submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council concerning the UK’s human rights record, as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), here.

Learn about our Human Rights in the Community work here.

Learn about our Health and Human Rights work here.

Learn about our Older People and Human Rights work here.

Read about how you can Support Our Work here.

Read BIHR’s response to the Home Care Inquiry commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) here.

Access more of BIHR’s resources here.

Visit BIHR’s home page here.