On this day in 1980, human rights defender Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo
Romero was assassinated. Each year, the international community
honours his legacy by observing the Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of
Victims. Our commemorations defy the attempt by his murderers to
silence his cries for justice and reinforce the importance of standing
firm for fundamental freedoms.
This Day is also dedicated to
honouring the memory of all victims of gross human rights violations,
and to supporting all those who promote and protect human rights.
The right to truth is both individual and collective. Each victim
has the right to know the truth and how violations affect them.
Informing broader society about fundamental freedoms and how they have
been violated is a vital safeguard against abuses recurring.
The United Nations supports a range of efforts to uncover the facts
about gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian
law and to promote justice, propose reparations and recommend reforms of
abusive institutions. Over the past year we have supported Commissions
of Inquiry on the Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the establishment of a Truth and
Dignity Commission in Tunisia.
The right to the truth is
linked to the rights to justice, reparation and guarantees of
non-recurrence. The Special Rapporteur appointed by the Human Rights
Council in 2012 to advance these goals has analyzed selected challenges
faced by truth commissions in transitional periods and has proposed
responses to strengthen the effectiveness of those mechanisms.
On this International Day, I call for the vigorous implementation of
all recommendations of commissions of inquiry and truth commissions in
addressing gross human rights violations and serious violations of
international humanitarian law. Let us recommit to working to help
victims, their relatives and society as a whole to realize the right to
truth – and to protecting those who fight to see the truth prevail.
Ban Ki-moon
On International Day, Ban honours victims of gross human rights violations
The International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human
Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims was created to pay
tribute to human rights defender Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, a
prominent Roman Catholic priest in El Salvador who was murdered on 24
March 1980 for speaking up against poverty, social injustice,
repression, assassinations and torture.
“Our commemorations defy the attempt by his murderers to silence his
cries for justice and reinforce the importance of standing firm for
fundamental freedoms,” stated Mr. Ban, adding that “this day is also
dedicated to honouring the memory of all victims of gross human rights
violations, and to supporting all those who promote and protect human
rights.”
Highlighting that informing societies on the fundamental freedoms and
their potential violations is a vital safeguard against abuses
recurring, the Secretary-General insisted that “every victim has the
right to know the truth and how violations affect them.”
The UN supports a range of efforts to uncover the facts about gross
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to
promote justice, propose reparations and recommend reforms of abusive
institutions. Over the past year, the UN has supported Commissions of
Inquiry on, respectively, the Central African Republic, Syria and the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the establishment of a
Truth and Dignity Commission in Tunisia.
Mr. Ban noted that a Special Rapporteur, Pablo de Greiff, was appointed
by the Human Rights Council in 2012 to analyze challenges faced by truth
commissions around the world and propose responses to strengthen the
effectiveness of those mechanisms.
“On this International Day, I call for the vigorous implementation of
all recommendations of commissions of inquiry and truth commissions in
addressing gross human rights violations and serious violations of
international humanitarian law,” said the Secretary-General, urging
renewed commitment from the international community “to working to help
victims, their relatives and society as a whole to realize the right to
truth – and to protecting those who fight to see the truth prevail.”
