Anniversary Celebration at MuseumsQuartier: 30 Years of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights
The Austrian Foreign Ministry, together with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is organizing a series of high-profile events in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier to mark the 30th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights. The events are intended to draw attention to the importance of human rights in times of global crises and to make it clear that they are the cornerstone of democracy, peace, and justice.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, a high-level symposium entitled "Vienna World Conference 30 Years On: Our Rights - Our Future" will be held at the Museumsquartier. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg emphasizes the importance of the events: "The crises around the world make it clearer than ever: human rights are one of the most burning issues of our time. In times of perma-crisis, they are under massive pressure worldwide. Yet the same applies today as it did 30 years ago: Human rights are cornerstones of democracy, peace, and justice. On June 5 and 6, we will send an international signal and reaffirm: Human rights are not a matter of course, but must be defended again and again."
The centerpiece of the series of events will be the high-level symposium entitled "Vienna World Conference 30 Years On: Our Rights - Our Future." On June 6, human rights actors from various fields will discuss the promotion and protection of human rights. The results of the preceding "Youth Human Rights Defenders Conference 2023" with young human rights defenders will also be incorporated into the symposium.
In 1993, the Vienna Conference affirmed the belief that human rights are universal and indivisible. The 2023 symposium is an opportunity to look to the future and build on the lessons of the past to realize the promise of human rights for all, everywhere, emphasizes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The event, "Vienna World Conference 30 Years On: Our Rights - Our Future," can be followed via a live stream on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website at www.vienna30.at. In addition to the symposium, a diverse supporting program will be offered, which is open to visitors free of charge and without registration at the MuseumsQuartier.
The "Human Rights Fair: Human Rights (Er)leben" offers interested people of all ages the opportunity to learn about the human rights engagement of national and international organizations in Vienna. Questions will be addressed such as: How can effective action be taken against crime and human trafficking? How do the peaceful use of nuclear technology and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contribute to human rights? Interactive hands-on activities will contribute to a better understanding and knowledge of human rights. The State Department will also present the focus areas of its global commitment to human rights.
In addition, cultural events will be held in connection with human rights. Videos by Michael Balgavy will be projected onto the facade of the Leopold Museum on June 5 and 6. The artistic intervention "Human Rights Through the Eyes of Diversity" will show these videos in full length on Tuesday at 9:45 pm. The exhibition "Artists For Human Rights" in the atrium of the Leopold Museum spans an arc from art to human rights and can be visited from June 6 to July 2.