I refer to calls for humanitarian intervention in the affairs of another state – a new idea, this – even when they are made under the pretext of defending human rights and freedoms. – Boris Yeltsin
It is not necessary to dwell on the political and social principles of Islam, to underline how close they also are in spirit to the concepts of human rights which govern the political and social systems of the West. – Aly Khan
And also a lot of Muslims are no more religious then the average Swede. For them it’s natural that human rights come first. – Bjorn Ulvaeus
It is often in the name of cultural integrity as well as social stability and national security that democratic reforms based on human rights are resisted by authoritarian governments. – Aung San Suu Kyi
I don’t have any doubts either about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Perhaps some more should be added to the list, but I don’t have the slightest doubt about human rights. – Antonio Tabucchi
Some values must be universal, like human rights and the equal worth of every human being. – Bjorn Ulvaeus
I do protect human rights, and I hope I shall always be looked up as a champion of human rights. – Aung San Suu Kyi
By strengthening the three pillars of the United Nations – security, development and human rights – we can build a more peaceful, more prosperous and more just world for our succeeding generations. – Ban Ki-moon
The Czech Republic is a dynamic United Nations Member State, active on the Human Rights Council, contributing to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and helping other countries to achieve a democratic transition. – Ban Ki-moon
The idea of human rights as a fundamental principle can be seen to underlie throughout Islamic teachings. – Ali Khamenei
We have in the last two years, we have passed 350 legislation in the parliament, most of which deal with democratization, human rights, and of course, economy. – Bulent Ecevit
It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations. – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
If you don’t want women to do whatever they need to do then you must provide them with food, you must provide them with shelter and their basic human rights. – Emma Thompson
Emancipation from every kind of bondage is my principle. I go for recognition of human rights, without distinction of sect, party, sex, or color. – Ernestine Rose
In a world of increasing inequality, the legitimacy of institutions that give precedence to the property rights of ‘the Haves’ over the human rights of ‘the Have Nots’ is inevitably called into serious question. – David Korten
Women have always been at the forefront of progressive movements. Women can be depended on when you need bodies in the streets for women’s rights and human rights. – Martha Plimpton
The candid and honest and pure heartedness of children has strengthened my views that we are all equal and should be afforded the basic human rights that we all deserve. – Nia Vardalos
In Uzbekistan, hundreds of protesters were recently killed under the corrupt regime of President Karimov in what human rights groups are calling a massacre. – Ed Markey
I do not think that it is right for me to start giving opinions about the human rights situation of any country, including Gambia, except when those crimes translate into the crimes that I have to investigate. – Fatou Bensouda
I would say issues around human rights – either you’re going to take a hard stance, or you’re not. You can’t borrow money from China the way the U.S. has done and then turn around and say, ‘But you’ve got a human-rights problem.’ You can’t be half pregnant. – Dambisa Moyo
During most of the Bush administration, human rights and democracy in Egypt were on the front burner. – Elliott Abrams
Whatever happened after the liberation of Krajina, this was in no way a violation of human rights by Croatian authorities. – Franjo Tudjman
Currently, the United States provides 22 percent of the U.N. annual budgets, over $900 million in fiscal year 2007, and some of that funding goes to the Human Rights Council. – Michael McCaul
So I’ve gone in and out of the U.N., working on counter-terrorism, on U.N. reform, on peacekeeping, peace and security issues, many things through the years but always with a strong interest in humanitarian issues, and human rights issues as well. – Edward Luck
Additionally, any Human Rights Council reform that allows countries with despicable human rights records to remain as members, such as China and Saudi Arabia, is not real reform. – Michael McCaul
The respect for human rights is nowadays not so much a matter of having international standards, but rather questions of compliance with those standards. – Michelle Bachelet
France has been struck on the day of her national holiday – the 14th of July, Bastille Day – the symbol of liberty, because human rights are denied by fanatics, and France is clearly their target. – Francois Hollande
Many instances of persecution and killing have occurred in countries with atrocious human rights records such as Sri Lanka, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of Congo. – David Suzuki