Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable

Every year, December 10th marks the International Human Rights Day, reminding us of our collective necessity to struggle for upholding universal human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948. This landmark declaration proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It also states that everyone – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political views, national or social origin, property, birth or other status – is entitled to inalienable rights.

At the heart of the philosophy of human rights stands the principle of equality. When unbalanced or disrupted, social and economic inequality threatens the foundations of a just society. The World Inequality Report 2022 points to the increasing grasp of wealth in a few hands, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the world’s richest 10 percent owning three quarters of global wealth. This concentration of wealth and power has serious implications for the political, economic, social and environmental global order.