As Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark the international human rights day, Erica Barks-Ruggles, the US ambassador to Rwanda called on the general public to respect rights of the most vulnerable people in society.

"By honouring the rights of all people, and especially the most vulnerable in society, you are helping to implement the international human rights principles that are being honoured on international human rights day,” she said.

She was speaking at a national conference on human rights organised by Never Again Rwanda (NAR).

The meeting aimed to discuss key challenges to human rights as well as the opportunities for fostering a culture of human rights.

It was held under the theme "Promotion and protection of human rights: my voice counts.”

Albert Nzamukwereka, the deputy chairperson of Never Again Rwanda, said much had been done in Rwanda in terms of respect for human rights though there is still a lot to be done.

He observed that there are no problems with the legal framework in Rwanda as the country has laws that guarantee people’s rights like the Constitution and the Penal Code.

"The country has also ratified most of the international treaties and protocols on human rights. However, there are still some areas to improve, including prisons and detention centre conditions, expropriation schemes, poor citizens’ participation in policies formulation, among others,” he said.

Human Rights Day is marked annually on December 10, to commemorate the day in 1948 when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A milestone document in the history of human rights, it sets out fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

Emmanuel Safari, the executive secretary of the Leagues and Associations of Human Rights Defenders (CLADHO), said there is a need to raise people’s awareness to ensure they demand for their rights.

He said, "Rwanda has done a lot to guarantee people their rights but there are still some people who do not differentiate their rights from their obligations. There is a need for people to have a clear understanding of their rights so that they can denounce any violation of such rights.”

"Once people know their rights, they will be able to collectively say no to any violation.”

The Human Rights Day 2015 was held under the theme, "Our Rights, Our Freedoms always.”.

At the national level, the day was observed in Kageyo Sector, Gicumbi District in the Northern Province.

In 2015, worldwide, the focus is on freedoms, recalling the four freedoms that underpin the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two major human rights covenants, and first articulated in 1941 by the then US President Franklin D Roosevelt in his "Four freedoms speech” to the US Congress.

The four freedoms are the freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and freedom of want.The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols.

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