Human Rights Law and the Laws of War Must Be Respected

The year 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also marks the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – the first legally binding international human rights treaty. Both these documents and the subsequent international human rights treaties that followed offer independent standards that can help us navigate our conversations and decision-making in moments of complex trauma and devastating crises. International human rights law applies in all places, for all people, during times of peace and times of  war. Further, in situations of armed conflict additional layers of legal protection complement human rights law including international humanitarian law which governs conduct in war, including prohibiting the direct targeting of civilians and limiting the means and methods of warfare to reduce human suffering. Crises in Israel-Palestine, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Xinxiang and many other places remind us of the importance of these standards and the catastrophic consequences of their violation.

All human beings are equally deserving of dignity, rights, and freedom. The Human Rights Program condemns mass atrocities and violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law everywhere they occur, and stands in solidarity with survivors of human rights violations and in remembrance of the victims of violence. Human rights law always applies and the laws of war must be obeyed. 

Here in the United States, October is hate crimes awareness month which reminds us that violence and discrimination disregards borders and that human rights principles also apply at home. Anti-semitism, Islamophobia, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of hate threaten our communities. No member of our community should be subjected to discrimination or harassment. If such acts happen to members of the University of Minnesota community they should be reported to the Bias Response and Referral Network or the Equal Opportunity & Title IX Office.  The University also offers current event stress support resources and Student Counseling Services hosts virtual and in person drop-in consultations for U of M students throughout the academic year.

Please take care of yourself and others. May we all recognize our common humanity.