“My father always acted on the principles he declared… this is the most important [component] of my father’s legacy. I hope this will be relevant to the future leader of my country, Russia”, declared Zhanna Nemtsova, at the height of Liberal International’s celebratory event in Denmark in December 2018 commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Paying tribute to her late father, Boris Nemtsov – the former deputy prime minister of Russia – Ms. Nemtsova spoke of the challenges facing the country of her parents and human rights concerns around the world today.
The celebratory event – hosted by Radikale Venstre (LI full member) – brought together Members of Parliament and colleagues from liberal parties from around the globe, prominent human rights defenders, and members of the Danish public, for a celebration and a lively debate on the future of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In his opening address, Morten Østergaard, Leader of Radikale Venstre and former Minister for Economic and Interior Affairs urged the audience to “remember where we were at the start of the last century – rhetoric, populism, ghettos.” Adding, “for me human rights is a fight to regain the trust of people who have not provided the right answers.”
The panelists, who discussed the current human rights challenges and what liberals can do to address them, were moderated by international journalist, Trish Lynch, news anchor for the International Observatory on Human Rights web TV.
Underpinning the debate LI Human Rights Committee Chair, Markus Löning, insisted that “we have obligations as [democratic] countries that are free to support human rights defenders and journalists… It is important that we always remember where we have come from and where we want to go and that we never lose hope that our engagement will make a difference.”
The event, which was organised with the generous support of the ALDE Party (LI full member) and in partnership with the International Observatory of Human Rights, also included a welcoming reception and breakfast briefing, enabling delegates to freely exchange views on the threats to human rights across Europe. Danish students were invited to an afternoon workshop session to discuss the current human rights issues in Denmark, as well as the country’s place in the international human rights arena.
