By Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan
Seventh Chancellor of the University of Guyana and Previously UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
These are swift-moving times and humanity is in need of anchors of stability and of justice. One naturally thinks of universal ethical values, grounded in one’s beliefs, one’s community, and the global community of humankind. One is mindful of the global commingling of populations, a trend that will inevitably grow as humanity converges and faces shared challenges. One naturally asks what is the glue that can hold societies together, that can hold global society together. The system of global ethical values that is the most developed so far is the system of universal human rights, applicable everywhere, in every society, in the globe, at large.
What, then, is the future of the universality of human rights in the face of searing challenges now staring humanity in the face? The first set of issues that arises for reflection is climate change. This is a challenge for every human being on the planet, for every government, for all national, regional, and international organizations. The human right that comes to mind prominently here is the right to life: of humanity as a whole. It surely must be right as an ethical proposition to say that every human being has a duty to do her or his utmost to save the planet. Every person, every government, every organization should be asking whether she, he, or it is discharging this ethical duty to safeguard the future of Earth and its inhabitants.