Mary Robinson Quotes About Human Rights

Quotes about: Human Rights

• The whole human rights structure is based on the accountability of governments.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Government, Accountability

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• Human rights are inscribed in the hearts of people; they were there long before lawmakers drafted their first proclamation.

  Mary Robinson

  Heart, Rights, Long

• A culture is not an abstract thing. It is a living, evolving process. The aim is to push beyond standard-setting and asserting human rights to make those standards a living reality for people everywhere.

  Mary Robinson

  Reality, Rights, People

• Today's human rights violations are the causes of tomorrow's conflicts.

  Mary Robinson

  War, Rights, Today

  Mary Robinson (2010). “A Voice for Human Rights”, p.9, University of Pennsylvania Press

• When I am asked, "What, in your view, is the worst human rights problem in the world today?" I reply: "Absolute poverty." This is not the answer most journalists expect. It is neither sexy nor legalistic. But it is true.

  Mary Robinson

  Sexy, Rights, Views

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• We must understand the role of human rights as empowering of individuals and communities. By protecting these rights, we can help prevent the many conflicts based on poverty, discrimination and exclusion (social, economic and political) that continue to plague humanity and destroy decades of development efforts. The vicious circle of human rights violations that lead to conflicts-which in turn lead to more violations-must be broken. I believe we can break it only by ensuring respect for all human rights.

  Mary Robinson

  Believe, Rights, Circles

• I believe we should try to move away from the vocabulary and attitudes which shape the stereotyping of developed and developing country approaches to human rights issues. We are collective custodians of universal human rights standards, and any sense that we fall into camps of "accuser" and "accused" is absolutely corrosive of our joint purposes. The reality is that no group of countries has any grounds for complacency about its own human rights performance and no group of countries does itself justice by automatically slipping into the "victim" mode.

  Mary Robinson

  Country, Attitude, Believe

• The MDGs have been useful in moving human rights and development discourse together and in highlighting the need for greater accountability at all levels.

  Mary Robinson

  Moving, Rights, Mdgs

• The aim of human rights, if I may borrow a term from engineering, is to move beyond the design and drawing-board phase, to move beyond thinking and talking about the foundations stones - to laying those foundation stones, inch by inch, together.

  Mary Robinson

  Moving, Thinking, Rights

• Using human rights commitments more effectively, either as part of negotiations in the WTO or as part of the trade policy review process, poses issues of equality in a practical venue.

  Mary Robinson

  Commitment, Rights, Issues

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• It remains the task of governments to implement the fundamental human rights standards which should influence all aspects of globalisation, including even trade talks, and to be answerable for this in a democratic way. The structure is international, but the accountability is national and I would like to see that accountability being more penetrating at regional and local level, especially in federal systems.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Government, Accountability

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• I do not support individual countries taking military action against another country because of its human rights record, or subsequently justifying taking such action on human rights grounds.

  Mary Robinson

  Country, Military, Rights

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• There's a worldwide linking of environmental activists, developmental experts and human rights advocates. And they're using the two frameworks, in particular environmental standards and human rights.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Two, Environmental

• In human rights theory it is very important that governments still have the primary responsibility for the standards and provision of such services even if they no longer deliver them. They must insist that the private sector delivers without discrimination. So governments still have responsibility, including the need to influence business.

  Mary Robinson

  Responsibility, Rights, Government

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• The fight for human rights is about speaking truth to power.

  Mary Robinson

  Fighting, Rights, Human Rights

  Source: www.dailymaverick.co.za

• The changing climate is a threat to human rights.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Climate, Threat

  "19 VIPs Who Get Climate Change Better Than Congress" by Jacqueline Howard, www.huffingtonpost.com. December 4, 2015.

• It is a great problem for the true international agenda of human rights that the United States, uniquely among industrialised countries, has not ratified three main instruments, has not ratified the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, or the Convention on the Rights of the Child, or the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and we could have so much richer a debate and dialogue on international human rights standards if the superpower would sign up to the agenda.

  Mary Robinson

  Country, Children, Rights

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• Ethical globalization is possible if only we can hold governments and business accountable for respecting human rights, not just in the traditional political and legal realms, but in everything - health, education and the other social determinants of health - rights to food, safe water, sanitation and so on.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Government, Health Education

  Source: www.who.int

• I want to take human rights out of their box. I want to show the relevance of the universal principles of human rights to the basic needs of health, security, education and equality.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Principles, Needs

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• I'm not interested in scoring points or being over-critical of the US administration. I want to find the entry points to try and get it back on track so that the United States can get out of the present disastrous situation it's in, and back into being a constructive force for human rights in the world.

  Mary Robinson

  Rights, Track, Trying

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• Every government has signed up to a voluntary legal commitment under at least one of the international covenants and conventions based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But who is holding them to account? Our mission is to make it known that these conventions are good tools for civil society to hold their local authority, their government and businesses accountable.

  Mary Robinson

  Commitment, Rights, Government

  Source: www.who.int

• Since 9/11 the United States has been followed by countries with bad records, such as the former Soviet Union countries, into erosions of human rights. Because the United States has changed its standards it is undermining civil liberties elsewhere.

  Mary Robinson

  Country, Rights, Erosion

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• I'm struck by how very few people outside a rarefied world of true believers understand what you mean when you say human rights - that includes development experts and economists who are very keen to implement the UN Millennium Development Goals. They've told me quite frankly, that they don't know exactly what a human rights approach is.

  Mary Robinson

  Mean, Rights, People

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• The international human rights framework is a vital component and engine for promoting global values. Governments have signed up to this international legal framework and we should hold them accountable, in all circumstances from environmental or labour standards, to trade talks, arms control and security issues as well as other international legal codes.

  Mary Robinson

  Issues, Rights, Government

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

• I agree with those who argue that it is possible to distil from the religions of the world their common values and relevance. As far as I'm concerned I am involved in a complementary process with people who have a moral or spiritual commitment to human rights.

  Mary Robinson

  Spiritual, Commitment, Rights

  Source: www.opendemocracy.net

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