 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. That is the message of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration is a guide to the rights each of us is entitled to, and the protections that no government has the right to take away. It sets out our right to freedom and equality and justice, regardless of sex, race, language, religion or social standing. It includes our right to be protected against torture, discrimination, persecution and slavery. It says each and every one of us has the right to think freely or change our religion and that we have the right to vote in the affairs of our country. 70 years after the Declaration was adopted, some countries have come further than others. We cannot be indifferent to the fate of people affected by conflict and oppression anywhere. We must hold all governments to the basic non-negotiable standards set out in the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights that apply to all people in all places at all times. There is still no more powerful or revolutionary idea than the principle that we are all born equal. We are all equal. There is no power on earth that has the right to tell us otherwise and no more important cause than to defend the fundamental human rights of our fellow men and women.