Past Highlights

Take a closer look at some of the events and stories that took place across the world in 2019 to stand up for human rights.

Stories

Participants in 2019 Model Universal Periodic Review

Students become diplomats and negotiators during a UN Human Rights model

13 December 2019 — Students at the University of Padova in Italy learn about the UN Human Rights mechanisms, as well as learn lessons in diplomacy and negotiation.

©Antoine Tardy/YAS

Young Activists Summit: women and girls driving progress

12 December 2019 — Over 1300 people attend in Geneva a historic meeting recognising the work of six young women and girls from around the world.

Youth speaking out

Human Rights Day 2019

27 November 2019 — This year we celebrate the leadership role of youth in collective movements as a source of inspiration for a better future.

Wikimedia & UN Human Rights launch the #WikiForHumanRights campaign

10 December 2019 — This global campaign aims to make human rights knowledge more accessible around the world.

Women Photograph illustrate human rights through the lens of young women photojournalists

10 December 2019 — What do human rights look like for young women today, worldwide?

Inside of a cinema

Tomorrow is Ours: film highlights children human rights defenders

26 November 2019 — The documentary feature film Demain est à nous (Tomorrow is Ours) tells the stories of six brave children human rights defenders standing up for the rights of their peers.

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz joins forces with UN Human Rights to release new single “Here To Love”

22 November 2019 — “Here To Love” has been chosen as the theme song of the Office’s #FightRacism campaign throughout 2020 and beyond.

© Sarmad al-Safy, UNAMI. The audience of the 3BY3 Film Festival in Baghdad, Iraq, 3 March 2019

IRAQ: Short film festivals tell stories of minorities and human rights

26 September 2019 — A nation-wide film festival in Iraq has brought the rights of ethnic and religious minorities to public attention.

Porteuse de vies by Freddy Tsimba. Gift of Manège de Chaillot to Chaillot - Théâtre national de la Danse.

Freddy Tsimba: a monument for peace

24 September 2019 — The work of the Congolese sculptor (DRC), Freddy Tsimba, highlights the challenges of human rights in Africa. His monumental work of art, Porteuse de vies, was chosen to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris.

A group of Scouts

More than 40,000 Scouts learn to Stand Up for Human Rights

8 August 2019 — More than 40,000 scouts from across the globe gathered to promote peace, mutual understanding and learn about the sustainable development goals, during the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, USA.

Wikipedia stands up for human rights

19 July 2019 — UN Human Rights is partnering with Wikimedia to promote access to quality information on human rights through Wikipedia.

Admire the Universal Declaration of Human Rights!

27 May 2019 — From 11-31May, an exhibition illustrating this historic document will take place in Cluny, France.

Convention on Rights of the Child turns 30

23 May 2019 — This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, one of the most ratified Conventions of all the human rights treaties.

The President of the Republic of Liberia supports the #StandUp4HumanRights campaign

03 May 2019 — In Liberia, the Country Representative of the Office of the UN Human Rights Office visited the President of the Republic of Liberia, HE, George Manneh Weah.

Decorative image with hashtag #fightracism

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 March 2019

15 March 2019 — Let us end racism, xenophobia and hate around the world.

Decorative image of women'

#IStandWithHer

5 March 2019 — Celebrate and support Women Human Rights Defenders all over the world.

A baby's hand wearing a bracelet that reads 'you have human rights since birth'

Organize your own exhibition with posters by renowned graphic designers

1 March 2019 — Renowned graphic designers created a series of posters to illustrate human rights.

Spirou

Stand up for Human Rights with Spirou

1 March 2019 — Spirou Magazine’s great talents of comics illustrate the Universal Declaration.

Global activities

Cyndi Lauper to receive first High Note Global Prize

Pop icon and human rights activist Cyndi Lauper will receive the inaugural High Note Global Prize for her efforts to help prevent and end homelessness among LGBT youth. Kesha will give the award to Lauper December 10th at the latter’s “Home for the Holidays” benefit concert at the Novo in Los Angeles. The award was created by producer David Clark, founder of The High Note Global Initiative celebrating artists who fuse music with human rights, of which UN Human Rights is a global partner.

Young Activists Summit - “Women and Girls Driving Progress”

On Tuesday 10 December 2019, Human Rights Day, the UN Office at Geneva, Swiss Radio Television (RTS) and Dev.TV, in partnership with UN Human Rights and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), will host an award ceremony that will give a platform to six young activists, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nadia Murad. The six activists will present their causes to the public and debate among themselves. Each of them will be awarded for their outstanding dedication. The event will be webcast live.

The Photography 4 Humanity Global prize

The winner of the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize will be announced on December 10th in conjunction with the opening of the Photography 4 Humanity Exhibition at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Photography 4 Humanity is an international initiative that calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images.

  • 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