Department for External Church Relations
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Principle of indissoluble link between human rights and moral values reflected in resolution of authoritative international organization
On September 27, 2012, the UN Council for Human Rights adopted by an absolute majority a resolution on ‘Promoting Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Through a Deeper Understanding of Traditional Values of Humankind’, moved by the Russian Federation. This document was co-authored by 60 countries individually and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab State collectively.
The resolution reaffirmed the thesis that the understanding and respect of traditional values promotes the encouragement and protection of human rights and fundamental freedom. An important role in asserting these values is played by the family, society and educational institutions. States are called to strengthen this role.
The Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that, despite Russia’s position of openness to dialogue and cooperation and the fact that constructive proposals of a number of states had been taken into account, the USA and the European Union voted against the draft.
Russia insists that no state or a group of state has a right to monopolize the interpretation of norms in the field of human rights. Attempts to push forward a one-sided interpretation as a universal standard has an adverse impact on people’s attitude to the very concept of human rights, making it alien to whole societies and strata of the population. At the same time, putting an emphasis on the link between traditional values and human rights will allow to ensure a fuller understanding and recognition of human rights and contribute to the establishment of trust and dialogue on the international community level.
In this connection, the Russian Federation with like-mined people is ready to continue promoting in the Council the topic of indissoluble link between human rights and traditional moral and ethical values.
This stand has been elaborated in dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religions in Russia. The understanding of the value of human rights in the context of human dignity is set forth in the Russian Orthodox Church’s Basic Teaching on Human dignity, Freedom and Rights – a church-wide document adopted by the Bishops’ Council on June 28, 2008.
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