§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement to mark the 35th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which falls on 10 December 1983.
§ The Prime MinisterThis Government attach the highest importance to human rights. Respect for the rights and freedoms of the individual lies at the heart of the concept of democracy. The Universal Declaration, and the International Covenants on Human Rights set high but attainable standards for the realisation of human rights. Thirty-five years after the adoption of the declaration, however, there remain many countries in which the standards laid down in the declaration are ignored. What is needed now is vigilance to defend these essential freedoms where they exist and practical efforts to extend them elsewhere. We shall continue to play a vigorous part in this work.