YORK is to become the UK’s first Human Rights City, joining 30 other cities across the world which already have the designation.

The Lord Mayor Cllr Dave Taylor will make a declaration on behalf of the city later this month, and York will then join cities like Graz and Vienna in Austria, Seattle in the US and Edmonton in Canada in promising to to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its everyday activities.

The campaign to establish York as the UK’s first Human Rights City was initiated by Professor Paul Gready, director of the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York.

 

York Press:

Prof Gready said: “We live in uncertain and challenging times. International and national frameworks protecting human rights are under threat.

He added: “Sadly, the UK is no exception to this trend. Those of us who are committed to human rights need to think creatively and act decisively.”

York Human Rights City Network (YHRCN) has been campaigning for York to become the UK’s first human rights city since 2011.

The group’s Stephen Pittam said: “York has the ambition to use human rights in decision-making, promote awareness and debate about human rights and ensure all residents’ rights are respected.”

“Each existing human rights city has built on its own particular history when seeking to give local content to the label. In both the past and present, York has a strong record of activity in the field of social justice.

“We want to act as a catalyst for York people, organisations and business to champion a vibrant, diverse, fair and safe city.”

The declaration will be officially made by the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Dave Taylor, at an event in the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in York, on April 24. He will be joined by dignitaries including York Central MP Rachael Maskell and Cllr Thomas Rajakovics, of Graz, in Austria.

The Lord Mayor said: “Declaring York as the first Human Rights City in the UK means the people of York have pledged that treating everyone equally, with fairness, dignity and respect is important to them and that they want the city to continue to work towards this objective.

“I am delighted to be part of this event celebrating the commitment that the city has to the fundamental freedoms and rights of its residents.”