The 75th International Conference of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was inaugurated by Supreme Court Judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
The theme of the conference was "Universal Values and National Realities: Exploring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Indian Context."
The inauguration was held on the eve of Golden Jubilee International conference on Universal Values and National Realities.
Chief Justice of Odisha, eminent persons from Nepal, Bangladesh and many other Human Right activists and officials participated in this conference.
In his speech, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra stressed the importance of fundamental rights, echoing the aspirations of the UDHR's preamble, and highlighted the parallelism between its principles and India's legal framework, particularly in Articles 14, 19, and 26.
Justice Mishra also emphasized the evolving role of technology in ensuring inclusive societies and multifaceted approaches to human rights advocacy.
After the inauguration, HOD (Law) at Tribhuvan University Kathmandu, Dr Balram Prasad Rout, briefly discussed the constitution of Nepal and fundamental rights.
"The constitution of Nepal has more elaborated fundamental rights, unlike the Indian constitution. There are also some similarities, as various laws have been adopted by both Nepal and India. However, the implementation of human rights laws in Nepal is less as compared to India, Dr Rout said.
The University Law College Principal, Prof. Sukanta Kumar Nanda, mentioned that human rights laws are violated in every section of society.
"There are violations of human rights in every corner of society.... Immediately after the Second World War, the United Nations was formed in 1945. To protect humans from exploitation and humanity from being tortured, they thought to have a common and international forum. Accordingly, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed. It is a groundbreaking document...," he said.
The Chief Justice of Odisha, eminent persons from Nepal and Bangladesh, and many other human rights activists and officials participated in the conference.
The event served as a platform for robust discussions and reflections on the enduring relevance of the UDHR in shaping global human rights discourse and guiding legal frameworks towards a more equitable and just society, according to an official release.
(ANI)