A/HRC/24/55 Annex I Statement of the United Nations special procedures mandate holders on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 Vienna, 26 June 2013 On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) on 25 June 1993, the special procedures mandate holders, Welcome the opportunity to celebrate the achievements in implementing human rights since 1993, and to identify and address the remaining gaps and new challenges in advancing the protection of human rights; Recall that the VDPA: • Makes clear that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated and that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis • Recognizes that it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms • States that the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms must be considered a priority objective of the United Nations, and that the promotion and protection of all human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community • Stresses that women’s rights are human rights and calls for the elimination of violence against women Also recall that the VDPA is a landmark which provides the framework for the consolidation of a strong and effective system of special procedures as a central part of the United Nations human rights mechanisms and that it: • Underlines the importance of preserving and strengthening the system of special procedures to enable them to carry out their mandates in all countries of the world, and providing them with the necessary human and financial resources • Stresses that the special procedures should be able to harmonize and rationalize their work through periodic meetings • Asks States to cooperate fully with special procedures Welcome the progress in the achievement of the goals in the VDPA; Recognize, however, that some of these goals have not yet been achieved and new challenges for the promotion and protection of human rights have emerged which include among others: • Undermining of the universality of human rights, including through the resurgence of advocacy for traditional values or cultural relativism • Financial crisis and the consequences of austerity measures • Adverse impact of climate change 15