[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9219--DEC. 9, 2014

Proclamation 9219 of December 9, 2014

Human Rights Day and Human Rights Week, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On December 10, 1948, nations from six continents came together to adopt
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This extraordinary document
affirmed that every individual is born equal with inalienable rights,
and it is the responsibility of governments to uphold these rights. In
more than 430 translations, the Declaration recognizes the inherent
dignity and worth of all people and supports their right to chart their
own destinies. On the anniversary of this human rights milestone, we
join with all those who are willing to strive for a brighter future, and
together, we continue our work to build the world our children deserve.
The desires for freedom and opportunity are universal, and around the
world, yearnings for the rule of law and self-determination burn within
the hearts of all women and men. When people can raise their voices and
hold their leaders accountable, governments are more responsive and more
effective. Children who are able to lead healthy lives and pursue an
education without fear are free to spark progress and contribute to
thriving communities. And when citizens are empowered to pursue their
full measure of happiness without restraint, they help ensure that
economies grow, stability and prosperity spread, and nations flourish.
Protecting human rights around the globe extends the promise of
democracy and bolsters the values that serve as a basis for peace in our
world.
It is our obligation as free peoples to stand with courageous
individuals who raise their voices to demand universal rights. Under
extremely difficult circumstances--and often at grave personal risk--
brave human rights defenders and civil society activists throughout the
world are working to actualize the rights and freedoms that are the
birthright of all humankind. The United States will continue to support
all those who champion these fundamental principles, and we will never
stop speaking out for the human rights of all individuals at home and
abroad. It is part of who we are as a people and what we stand for as a
Nation.
My Administration supports free and fair elections, and we will always
oppose efforts by foreign governments to restrict the freedoms of
peaceful assembly, association, and expression. We will continue to
defend the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, call for the
release of all who are unjustly detained, and insist that lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender persons be treated equally under the law. We
will press forward in our efforts to end the scourge of human
trafficking, our fight to ensure the protection of refugees and other
displaced persons, and our tireless work to empower women and girls
worldwide.
The United States will always lift up those who seek to work for the
world as it should be. This is part of American leadership. On Human
Rights Day and during Human Rights Week, let us continue our urgent task
of rejecting hatred in whatever form it takes and recommit to fostering
a global community where every person can achieve their dreams and
contribute to humankind.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2014, as
Human Rights Day and the week beginning December 10, 2014, as Human
Rights Week. I call upon the people of the United States to mark these
observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of
December, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA