Human rights are a key prerequisite for building peaceful, stable and developed societies, and respect for human rights and freedoms is among the highest values of Croatia's constitutional system, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said in a statement on Thursday marking International Human Rights Day.

International Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 to commemorate the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although legally non-binding, the Universal Declaration is one of the most important political documents of the 20th century, marking a turning point in human rights protection.

“The Declaration lays the foundation for today’s international human rights protection system. … Human rights are a key prerequisite for building peaceful, stable and developed societies, and the observance of the International Human Rights Day symbolises the ongoing struggle to maintain the progress achieved in this field,” the statement said.

“As a staunch advocate of human rights, Croatia makes continuous efforts at national level, as well as in foreign relations, through multilateral formats and bilateral relations, to help improve the existing human rights protection framework, focusing on preventing discrimination, promoting gender equality and economic empowerment of women, combating violence and protecting vulnerable groups,” it added.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affects the economic and social rights of citizens, most of all vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly, minorities, refugees and migrants, Croatia remains committed to universal norms and obligations, trying to maintain respect for human rights and freedoms, democracy, rule of law and equality as the foundation of society and public policies, the ministry said.