New York | A commitment to rescue the original meaning of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emerged today at the United Nations (UN) headquarters, supported by more than 200 political and civic leaders from 40 countries participating in the V Transatlantic Summit. It is the New York Commitment that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the UDHR.

“We are here to bring forth, in its original sense, the agreement of 1948. We must return to the human person and, from there, ensure their fundamental rights. It is precisely here, at the United Nations, that our voice needs to be heard. We assert the timeless and transcendent principles that inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” said José Antonio Kast, president  of the Political Network for Values, organizer of the event.

The New York Commitment 75 for Universal Human Rights  gives visibility to a broad consensus that exists in all continents on the need to affirm the dignity of the person and the fundamental values, especially life, family and freedom.

“There are many of us who think this way and we are very active socially, politically and culturally and we believe that dialogue can always take place. It is our duty to remind those who forget it or want to distort the original meaning of the UDHR,” Kast said.

Ito Bisonó, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Dominican Republic, pointed out that there has never been a more opportune time to reaffirm the principles that gave rise to the UDHR in the face of the threats that today particularly affect the life, freedom, and dignity of individuals.

Samuel George, Member of Parliament of Ghana, emphasized that the UN Constitution enshrines the right to life, the protection to be given to the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, the protection of motherhood and childhood, the preferential right of parents to choose the education of their children, freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion and expression. So it results incomprehensible that international organizations violate them.

Margarita de la Pisa, Member of the European Parliament, pointed out that these rights, far from being regressive, are the basis of true human development. “Defending life, for example, means a political commitment to prosperity,” she said.

In the same vein, Hafid El-Hachimi, an official of the Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that families are the fundamental unit for the sustainable, cultural and economic development of society, so seeking to redefine the family means compromising the future.

What is New York Commitment?

In the New York Commitment, the participants of the meeting committed themselves to forming a global alliance in favor of the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined and universally recognized in the UDHR.

They will work to establish environments favorable to the formation and stability of the family; to protect children, before and after birth; and to respect the freedom of parents and legal guardians to provide the religious and moral education of their children in accordance with their own convictions.

They also pledged to promote respect for the various religious and ethical values, cultural backgrounds and philosophical convictions of the peoples of the world, as well as the sovereignty of States in matters within their domestic jurisdiction.

A different kind of summit within the UN

The V Transatlantic Summit, convened under the theme “Affirming Universal Human Rights – Uniting Cultures for Life, Family and Freedom”, took place on 16 and 17 November in Hall 4 of the UN headquarters, within the framework of the 75th anniversary of the UDHR. The event was organized by the Political Network for Values (PNfV) and its partner organizations.

Participants included Erwin Ronquillo, Minister of Child Protection of Ecuador; Raúl Latorre, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay; Kinga Gál and Margarita de la Pisa,  Members of the European Parliament for Hungary and Spain, respectively; Lucy Akello, Member of Parliament of Uganda; Päivi Räsänen, Member of the Parliament of Finland; Corina Cano, Vice President of the National Assembly of Panama; Germán Blanco, Senator of Colombia; Nikolás Ferreira, from Brazil; Santiago Santurio, Member of the Parliament of Argentina; and Rafael López Aliaga, Mayor of Lima (by video).

Also Lila Rose, president of Live Action; Valerie Huber, promoter of the Geneva Consensus Declaration and President of the Institute for Women’s Health; Sharon Slater, president of Family Watch International; Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation; Neydy Casillas, Vice President of International Affairs at the Global Center for Human Rights, Ádám Kavecsánszki, President of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary; Austin Ruse, president of C-Fam; Brett Schaefer, Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; and Peter Torcsi, COO of the Center for Fundamental Rights; among others.

The event was made possible with the support of our partner organizations: The Heritage Foundation, Center for Fundamental Rights, Foundation for a Civic Hungary, Global Center for Human Rights, International Centre on Sexual Exploitation, Family Watch International, C-Fam,  ADF International, The Institute for Women’s Health, International Organization for the Family, and Talenting Group.

The Summit will be chaired by José Antonio Kast, founder of the Republican Party of Chile, former presidential candidate in his country, and president of PNfV.

The PNfV is an international network of politicians actively committed to the promotion and defense of life, family and freedoms. The Transatlantic Summits are a cornerstone for the Network. Politicians and civic leaders from various countries meet in person to strengthen ties, share successful cases and best practices, and build joint agendas. They are usually held every two years.

The first Summit was held  at the United Nations headquarters, New York, in 2014; followed by others at the European Parliament, Brussels, in 2017; at the Colombian Capitol, Bogotá, in 2019; and at  the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, last year.