Art. 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states that “everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.”
The Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII believes that the recognition of the right to International Solidarity that derives directly from article 28 of the UDHR, will greatly contribute to building up a better society based on fraternity, reciprocity, social justice, equity and sustainable development that are crucial for living in peace and harmony as a human family.
In 2005, the predecessor of the Human Rights Council – the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (see resolution 2005/55) established the mandate of the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity with the task to produce a draft declaration of the right to international Solidarity. The former Independent Expert, Mr Ritzsky defined the principle of international solidarity as “ the union of interests or purposes among countries, and social cohesion between them, based upon the dependence of States and other international actors on each other, in order to preserve the order and very survival of international society, and in order to achieve collective goals, which require international cooperation and joint action”.
The actual Independent Expert, Ms Virginia Dandan defines the right to international solidarity as “a fundamental human right by which peoples and individuals have the freedom to enjoy, on the basis of equality and non-discrimination, the benefits of a harmonious international society with a just and fair international political and economic order, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms may be fully realized.”
The recognition of international solidarity as a human right will be a way to give justice to the poorest people and countries in the world.
In the actual debate on International Solidarity, thanks to APG23 a new concept has been introduced worldwide: Preventive Solidarity (or Solidarity Ante-Factum). In fact, as Fr. Oreste Benzi was used to say: there are two types of solidarity: the post-factum and ante-factum solidarity.
The recognition of the right to international solidarity will be a step ahead in implementing preventive solidarity.
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