A group of 15 foreign missions in Dhaka issued a joint statement on Tuesday reaffirming the importance of all United Nations member states adhering to their commitments to free expression, peaceful assembly, and elections.
‘We celebrate the freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirm the importance of all UN member states adhering to their commitments to free expression, peaceful assembly, and elections, among others outlined in the Declaration,’ the statement issued ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10.
The statement was issued by the Bangladesh missions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
‘We support and promote democratic governance as a set of values and principles to follow for meaningful participation, equality, security, and inclusive human and economic development,’ the statement said.
The countries said that they would like to highlight the fundamental role democracy plays in protecting human rights and promoting development.
Identifying themselves as friends and partners of Bangladesh, the countries said they were eager to further support its success, and reaffirmed the importance of free, fair, inclusive, and peaceful electoral processes in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to the statement.
