Trouw published our piece on the need for political leadership to fulfill the promises of human rights.
In an op-ed for the Dutch newspaper Trouw, co-written with Simone Filippini, the President of the Dutch United Nations Association (NVVN), I argue that, in the absence of political commitment and leadership, human rights risk becoming mere symbols.
Violations occur because rights are infringed as a consequence of political decisions and policies – for example at European borders – but also because of weak governments that are unable to address the needs of its people.
The paradox of human rights is that they are supposed to protect individuals against an overreaching state, but that, at the same time, a strong state is necessary to realise human rights.
Read the full article in Trouw, published on UN Human Rights Day.