Each year on 10 December, the world marks Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the foundational document that affirms the inalienable rights of every individual.

This year, under the theme “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials”, we are reminded that human rights are integrated into everyday life and essential to building inclusive, just and resilient societies.

“Human rights are the building blocks of our daily existence,” Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and OIC UNMIK, Milbert Dongjoon Shin, emphasized. “They shape our experiences every day and enable every person to live in dignity.”

Human rights are reflected in a child’s safe journey to school; a patient’s ability to access healthcare without discrimination; a worker’s opportunity to support their family with dignity; a journalist’s freedom to report without fear; and the right to celebrate one’s heritage and identity.

Advancing human rights requires a daily commitment from institutions to deliver fair, transparent, and accountable services, and from leaders to foster trust, dialogue, and inclusion across all communities.

This includes making non-discrimination a standard practice, ensuring that access to justice is reliable and routine, and enabling the full and equal participation in public life by all people – women, men, girls, and boys – regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or belief.

On this International Human Rights Day, UNMIK calls on institutions, community leaders, civil society, and all rights holders to reaffirm their commitment to making human rights the foundation of daily life in Kosovo. UNMIK remains a steadfast partner in this effort, supporting all people in Kosovo in their pursuit of peace, prosperity, and universal rights.