On November 26, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 20 February of each year as the World Day of Social Justice.
The celebration of the Day comes against the backdrop of a series of ILO documents and statements such as the Philadelphia Declaration of 1944, which set out a set of fundamental principles on the right to work such as freedom of expression and trade union organization and the right of everyone, regardless of race, belief or sex, to pursue material well-being and spiritual progress in an environment of freedom, dignity, economic security and equal opportunities, in addition to the need to free workers from poverty and want, raise the standard of living, improve production, social security and other important principles.
The 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work also spoke of the promotion of a set of fundamental values and principles in the field of employment, such as the recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of child labour and all forms of forced or compulsory labour, equality of opportunity and the elimination of discrimination in employment. These declarations were followed by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization - June 2008, which expresses a contemporary vision of the ILO's mandate in an era of globalization, and is important in its affirmation of ILO values relating to social well-being and the triumph of social justice.
As we commemorate this important day, we at the Geneva Institute for Human Rights affirm that social justice is the foundation of social peace, without which there is no sovereignty of human rights. It is not more dangerous for humanity's security and security than poverty and inequality, especially in this era of globalization. Just as globalization has its risks, it has its advantages in helping to achieve social justice, such as ease of trade, investment and capital flows, which favour the growth of the world economy and the improvement of the world's living standards.
On this occasion, the Institute cannot fail to emphasize that social justice has cultural origins within the societies themselves. No religion or cultural belief is devoid of advocacy for social justice and equality. This would provide societies with subjective incentives for social justice for humanity's well-being and development.
May social justice prevail in the world every year!
20 February 2023