An opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental cause of human dignity

This year, December brought with it not only the usual celebrations but also another important commemoration.

On 10 December 1948, the United Nations brought into being the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and this year we observe the 70th Anniversary of this Declaration. I believe that this anniversary provides us, as a nation, with the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental cause of human dignity.

In fact, the Preamble to the Universal Declaration makes it clear that all of us have our own intrinsic dignity and the responsibility to protect the dignity of others.

However, seven decades after the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, we cannot take our human rights for granted.

One important challenge to the universality of human rights is due to the pursuit of purely profit-centred strategies for social development. We cannot be complacent, when money, it seems, has replaced our values and is threatening our dignity.

No economy can celebrate human dignity, unless the needs of the most vulnerable are kept at the heart of its activities. For this reason, the vulnerable must receive all the support they need, and which is rightfully theirs.

An economy that truly cele- brates human dignity is one which ensures that nobody is excluded from the benefits of economic expansion. Society can only thrive when it is encouraged to develop holistically, and includes all of our families and communities.

It is a cause for concern to see that, even in countries where economic growth is taking place, there is still much more room to safeguard democratic values and human rights.

I am convinced that our economies and social policies must be guided by a truly human rights-based approach in order to ensure that our social models will always be effectively inclusive and respectful.

Seventy years after the Declaration was brought into being, it is unfortunate to note that we are still facing so many global inequalities. Poverty, precarity, social unrest, and violent conflicts are a daily feature in the news and social media.

Addressing these important challenges is at the very heart of universal human rights.

As long as children are not being educated in an effective way, or women are still facing unacceptable threats of genderbased violence, or entire families are facing the risks of relative or absolute poverty, in our society and around the world, then we cannot say that human rights are truly being celebrated in our lives.

Another serious cause for concern is the growing threat of political populism, extreme nationalism, and ideological fundamentalism, which is proliferating across the world.

I am particularly concerned about how these growing perspectives are adversely affecting our young people, because such mentalities are directly opposed to the principles of democracy and human rights.

Our young people must be empowered to be critical thinkers, active citizens and effective leaders in order to safeguard the future of our Maltese Islands and to prevent such mentalities from taking root.

Throughout my political career, and as President of the Republic, I have always believed that the inclusion of our children and young people to become a structural part of our ongoing process of democratic participation, is of the utmost importance.

Next year – 2019 – we will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which our country ratified in 1990. For this reason, let me encourage our authorities to celebrate this historic occasion by taking the necessary measures to ensure that the rights of our chil- dren and young people are fully protected by national law.

Our young people are the best activists for human dignity. On the many occasions when I have met and engaged in discussion with them, I have always been impressed by the commitment that our children and young people show towards inclusion and peace.

In fact, achieving a sustainable future of holistic wellbeing and inclusive prosperity for our country, our region, and our world, can only occur when all of us are involved, and fully respect the whole mandate of the Universal Declaration.

We must work together, across diverse generations, backgrounds and cultures, to put the words of the Declaration into effective action. We must make the Declaration a way of life, which informs our decisions and our choices, each and every day.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be our roadmap and our action plan, for today, for tomorrow and for every day.

Therefore, let me encourage us to make the New Year a time, where we strive to create a culture more firmly rooted in the celebration of peace, respect and human dignity, for the benefit our communities, our country and our entire world.