Message on the 60

Anniversary of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights by theLaureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human RightsAward

We, the Laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human RightsAward, uphold the goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirm its 60th Anniversary call for dignity and justice for all.We extol the heroism of those who sacrificed and offeredtheir lives during the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising forwhich our own effort and achievements of defending humanrights in our country were recognized.We continue to recognize the relevance of the UDHR todayas it was 60 years ago since the stipulated fundamentalfreedoms that it invoke continues to be disregarded andneglected by Governments who lack the political will toimplement them.We affirm the importance and continued promotion of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) so that therewon’t be anymore Gwangju Democratic Uprising and othertyrannies or dictatorship to happen again that tramples onthe rights and freedom of the people.We call on world's heads of state and government torecommit themselves in realizing the vision of theDeclaration.We ask for stronger solidarity among civil society groups andleaders both local and international to protect the freedomand rights of all people especially the marginalized sectors inthe society.