Human Rights Day (10 December) to be marked by major events in Geneva and New York

GENEVA (7 December 2010) – The UN human rights office will host two parallel events to mark Human Rights Day 2010, in Geneva and New York. Both events will focus on this year’s theme for Human Rights Day which is “Human Rights Defenders Acting to End Discrimination,” and both will include panel discussions with grassroots human rights defenders from across the world.

The Geneva event* is taking place on Human Rights Day itself (10 December) from 10:00-12:30 at the Palais des Nations, the European headquarters of the United Nations. It will be hosted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. The five human rights defenders on the panel are engaged in issues such as people suffering from Down’s Syndrome and Autism, sexual orientation, the situation of black women in Europe, access to information, and the prevention of sexual exploitation and child abuse. They come from Austria, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and the occupied Palestinian territory (Gaza). The panelists will be supported by three leading human rights experts, and there will be a performance by the Angolan opera singer, Nelson Ebo, as well as a questions and answers session with members of the audience. The event will open with a welcome address from the Mayor of Geneva, Ms. Sandrine Salerno.

The New York event** is taking place on 9 December from 18:00-20:30 at the Ford Foundation. It will be hosted by UN Assistant High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, and features three guest speakers: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the President of the UN General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, and the Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet. The four human rights defenders on the panel are engaged in issues such as migrant domestic workers, people of African descent, people living with HIV and sexual orientation and gender identity. They come from Nicaragua, South Africa, Uganda and the United States. The event will feature a performance by Ky-Mani Marley, whose repertoire will include his father’s emblematic song “Get up, Stand up.”

For materials on Human Rights Day and its theme, go to: http://www.ohchr.org/hrday2010

* For more information on the Geneva event, including profiles of the human rights defenders go to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/GenevaEvent.aspx
For interview requests with individual human rights defenders, or other issues related to the event, contact Sandrine Mbea at +41 22 (0) 917 9366 or smbea@ohchr.org The event itself will be webcast live at: http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/
** Journalists needing more information, interviews, or who wish to attend, the New York event should contact Fred Kirungi at +1 917 367 3431 or kirungi@un.org The NY event itself will be webcast live at: mms://live.upstreamnetworks.com/16204-46734