UN – Human Rights Day (10 December 2020)

On this anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, France pays tribute to all those who fight for human rights on a daily basis, often risking their freedom and their lives to do so. Today, 15 especially brave activists will be awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

In January 2021, France will rejoin the UN Human Rights Council. In keeping with its commitments, France will champion three priorities: promoting the rights of women and girls, including the rights to sexual and reproductive health; protecting human rights defenders; and protecting the freedom of information and freedom of the press.

Working with civil society, France will continue to strive for the universal abolition of the death penalty, the fight against all forms of discrimination, and the fight against impunity for the perpetrators of atrocities. It will once again work with Argentina on making the Convention on Enforced Disappearances universal.

Along with its EU partners, with whom it shares a deep commitment, France applauds the EU Foreign Affairs Council’s adoption, on December 7, of a new mechanism making it possible to sanction the perpetrators of human rights violations worldwide. France actively contributed to this effort.