Past Highlights

See some of the stories and events that took place in 2017 during the Stand Up for Someone's Rights Today campaign.

Stories

Russian universities lead human rights summer school

11 September 2017 More than 150 law students from across Russia took part in the fifth summer session of the Human Rights Masters Programme offered by a consortium of nine Russian universities.

Stand up for the victims of enforced disappearance

28 August 2017 Enforced disappearance is not a crime of the past. It is practiced by States in every region, and in many countries is increasing. That's why the UN Human Rights Office has launched an initiative to double the number of ratifications of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance within five years.

Radio stations stand up for someone’s rights

25 July 2017 Community radio in South Africa shows how it stand up for human rights in a recent competition sponsored by the UN Human Rights Office and the South African Human Rights Commission.

Counter anti-migrant narratives

13 July 2017 Messages of xenophobia targeting migrants are increasingly becoming part of political and public discussions, creating a climate of fear and intolerance. At a recent meeting in Geneva, experts and activists came together to talk about what could be done to combat negative narratives and stand up for the rights of migrants.

Global midwives association calls on members to embrace defense of human rights

4 July 2017 A midwife hands a baby to his mother just after his birth in Lyon, France. The ICM represents more than half a million midwives across the world.

Stand up for someone’s rights – Your Stories

28 June 2017 This month Stand Up features some of the stories of how you have stood up for someone’s rights.

Stand up for the rights of child migrants

20 June 2017 Gholam Hassanpour was 16 years old when he embarked on a journey with four friends across Iran and Turkey, travelling on foot or hiding in smugglers' trucks, before paddling across the Aegean Sea to Greece. Join Gholam and the UN Human Rights Office in urging States to protect the rights of unaccompanied minors and all child migrants and refugees.

International Albinism Awareness Day

13 June 2017 On 18 December 2014, the General Assembly adopted resolution 69/170, proclaiming, with effect from 2015, 13 June as International Albinism Awareness Day. On this occasion, the UN Independent Expert on albinism, Ikponwosa Ero urges us to combat violence and discrimination against people with albinism and underline the positive impact that collective efforts can have to this end.

Irish football stands up for human rights

31 May 2017 Football and human rights share so many fundamental values. This is why the Football Association of Ireland and the United Nations Human Rights Office have decided to partner on the occasion of the World Cup qualifier Ireland vs. Austria, on 11 June.

Opal Tometi: Standing up against racial discrimination

22 May 2017 Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, an international activist movement that campaigns to promote and protect human rights and dignity of Black people, spoke to us about why she stands up.

Stand up for someone’s rights today—Your stories

17 May 2017 This month Stand Up features some of the stories of how you have stood up for someone’s rights.

The Smurfs stand up for human rights!

5 May 2017 Did you know that the Smurfs have joined us all by committing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? Join #TeamSmurfs and #standup4humanrights for justice and equality to help build peaceful and inclusive societies.

Taking the Stand Up campaign to classrooms

6 April 2017 UN Human Rights staff have developed simple lessons for children of ages between 6 and 12, to help them understand rights. The programme draws from the children's everyday life, what they observe as lack of rights and what each of us can do to stand up for human rights every day.

Stand up for someone’s rights today—Your stories

6 April 2017 This month, we feature more of the stories about how you have stood up form someone’s rights, including advocating for girls education in and standing up for child migrants in Libya.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

21 March 2017 On 21 March, the world commemorates past and present fights against racism and racial discrimination.

A story for International Women's Day: A girl's education comes first, marriage will follow later

7 March 2017 Thanks to her human rights training, a pupil prevents an early marriage and stands up for girls’ education.

Stand up for someone’s rights today—Your stories

2 March 2017 This month, we feature some of the stories of how you have stood up for someone’s rights, including campaign to promote respect for the rights of LGBT people in Latin America and assisting doctors with disabilities in India.

Stand Up Story: Students gathered in Norway ask “Discrimination, why?”

14 February 2017 Students in Trondheim, Norway, build bridges for tolerance, diversity and the respect for everyone’s dignity and human rights.

Stand Up Story: St. Ivo School updates and revamps “The Golden Rule” to focus on human rights

30 January 2017 Students from St. Ivo School in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom, illustrated updated human rights—making them more relevant for the 21st Century.

Dollars and Sense: How – and why – the private sector needs to stand up for human rights

9 January 2017 Read the opinion piece by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on why the private sector must stand up for human rights today.

Human Rights Day

10 December 2016 On 10 December, the UN Human Rights Office celebrates Human Rights Day 2016 by launching the global campaign “Stand up for someone’s rights today.”

Global activities

12 June 2017

UNA-USA stands up for human rights

On 12 June, United Nations Associations of America college and community chapters joined the UN Human Rights Office call to "stand up for someone's rights today" through a new partnership. The goal of UNA-USA on the Stand Up Campaign is to empower a new generation of people in the U.S. to creatively amplify what they do in their daily lives to defend human rights and engage their decisions makers. The partnership allows chapters to apply for grants to support human rights activities and events, as well as engaging in the conversation online on human rights. Read more and join the conversation

31 May 2017

The International Bar Association stands up against torture

As the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture approaches, 26 June, the International Bar Association (IBA) is standing up with the UN Human Rights Office to jointly advocate for the eradication of this illegal and inhuman practice. Read more, join us and take action against torture

31 May 2017

Irish football stands up for human rights

The Football Association of Ireland and the UN Human Rights Office join forces at the World Cup qualifier Republic of Ireland vs. Austria, on 11 June. Preceded by two weeks of mobilisation by Irish supporters and international players about human rights, on social media and in clubs, the match will be a symbolic occasion to call on all fans to stand up for the essential values of football – and humanity. Read more

21 March 2017

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Each year, the international community commemorates the International Day against Racial Discrimination on 21 March and remembers the 69 protesters who were killed that day in 1960 in South Africa while demonstrating against the racist ideologies of Apartheid. On this day, the world is reminded of the values of racial equality and non-discrimination first enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Get inspired by the UN High Commissioner's statement and find out how you can stand up against racism.

10-19 March 2017

International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights

The FIFDH is an international event dedicated to film and human rights. For the past 15 years, the festival has taken place in the heart of Geneva, Switzerland, parallel to the main session of the UN Human Rights Council in March. Check out the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights video statement to the festival.

8 March 2017

International Women's Day

On this day, the world celebrates the rights of women and girls. To get inspired, read the story of Sokhna Diara Diouf standing up for the right to education. Have questions about women's rights? Check out our special #WomensDay Facebook Live on 8 March at 4pm (CET). Leave your questions here! #StandUp4HumanRights www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights. And to learn how a backlash against women’s rights progress hurts us all, check out the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

17-20 January 2017

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland

As hundreds of business leaders convene in Davos, Switzerland, to ponder global challenges, the private sector must show they are responsible actors who will step up and play a critical role to uphold the values that keep all the world's people safe. Read more

10 December 2016

Human Rights Day

This international day is celebrated by the global human rights community and the whole United Nations family. Activities are planned across the world to commemorate the signature of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Read more

  • I will respect your rights regardless of who you are. I will uphold your rights even when I disagree with you
  • When anyone’s human rights are denied, everyone's rights are undermined, so I will stand up
  • I will raise my voice. I will take action. I will use my rights to stand up for your rights.

people have stood up for human rights

We can all be Human Rights Champions

Tweet, Instagram or YouTube your action using the hashtag #Standup4humanrights.

Spread the word

#Standup4humanrights