Today is Human Rights Day. On this day we celebrate universal human rights. These freedoms, written down after World War II in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, have been brought home through the UK’s Human Rights Act and European laws. As this year Human Rights Day coincides with a General Election, our letter has been sent to all party leaders, calling on them to commit to safeguarding universal human rights. It has been signed by over 100 civil society groups.  Our letter states: “As we approach the 2019 General Election we ask you to join us in celebrating Human Rights Day by committing to protecting universal human rights in the UK. Human rights, as universal standards shared across the globe, were laid down 71 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, inspiring law and positive action across the world. Our very own law, the Human Rights Act, draws on these universal rights, setting legal standards to protect people across the UK …

This post was originally published on British Institute of Human Rights News .