Human Rights Day and Human Rights Week, 2015

Proclamation 9380 of December 9, 2015

Human Rights Day and Human Rights Week, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Sixty-seven years ago, the leaders of 48 countries from
around the world declared with one voice that progress
depends on defending human rights, and that a nation is
strongest when the contributions of its whole citizenry
are valued. Today, we celebrate the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights--a milestone in our ongoing
global march to uphold the inherent dignity and worth
of every person. To honor the legacy of this historic
document and to help ensure that its ideals endure for
generations to come, we reaffirm our commitment to
upholding the freedoms it safeguards, which are the
birthright of all humanity.

When rights are suppressed, human potential is stifled.
A nation draws upon new talents and ideas when
opposition parties are fairly represented and those in
power are accountable to their citizens at the ballot
box. A free and independent press and a vibrant civil
society can inform the public, expose corruption, and
empower citizens to participate in self-governance. And
when institutions are built to protect rights and
freedoms, rather than serve the interests of those in
power, those institutions can provide the stable
foundation for stability needed for future generations
to thrive.

In too many places around the world we see rights and
freedoms denied. People are imprisoned for peaceful
worship and girls are barred from attending school.
LGBT individuals are subject to abuse because of who
they are and who they love, and citizens are prevented
from petitioning those in power for change. The United
States of America stands in solidarity with those
seeking to realize a brighter and freer future for
themselves and their families, whether in their home
country or as immigrants in a new land. We will
continue to lift up the lives of all who yearn to
exercise their inherent human rights and to shine a
light on those still living in the darkest pockets of
our world.

The strongmen of today will never extinguish the hope
that persists around the world. Dissenters may be
jailed, but ideas can never be imprisoned. Controlling
access to information will not turn lies into truths,
nor will it deter the longing for justice that stirs in
every human soul. And refusing to recognize the basic
dignity of every man, woman, and child--regardless of
gender, background, race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, or belief--will only lend further momentum
to the quest for equality that for generations has
stirred hearts and spurred action. On this day, and
every day, let us remember our roots as one human
family, forever dedicated to upholding the central
tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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, 2015, as
Human Rights Day and the week beginning December 10,
2015, 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 fifteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.