Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the leading UN entity on human rights with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. Under the leadership of the High Commissioner, with a staff of 1,300 working in more than 70 countries, it aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.
Human Rights are Universal
The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This principle, as first emphasized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has been reiterated in numerous international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions. The 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights noted that "All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated."
The United Nations and Human Rights
The promotion and protection of human rights - civil, cultural, economic, political and social - is a key purpose and guiding principle of the United Nations, which has created a comprehensive body of human rights law and established mechanisms to promote and protect these rights and to assist states in carrying out their responsibilities.
"The climate crisis is the biggest threat to our survival as a species and is already threatening human rights around the world."
- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and has been translated into over 500 languages.
About Photography 4 Humanity
Photography 4 Humanity calls upon photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights. With compelling images that illustrate courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion, and human rights victories and failures, large and small, this project aims to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Photography 4 Humanity is an initiative led by world-renowned photographers that works with Eminent Judges to help select top images from around the world to be featured in the annual Photography 4 Humanity exhibit at the United Nations. For more information and a list of Eminent Judges, visit: Photography4Humanity.com
About Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is an initiative that promotes climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, have declared it to be. The initiative supports effective, human rights-based implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
In 2022, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance began working with Photography 4 Humanity to feature images of people affected by climate change.
Photography 4 Humanity calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. Highlighting the most compelling human rights imagery - illustrating courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion in ways small and large, the photos serve to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights.
Photography 4 Humanity encourages amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for an annual competition where the winner and top 10 finalists have their photographs exhibited at the United Nations.
Photography 4 Humanity, with the support of UN Human Rights, calls upon photographers around the world to capture images of people affected by climate change.
These images depict climate change as a human rights crisis, as women, children, minorities, the poor and marginalized suffer disproportionately as the climate catastrophe escalates.
The exhibit is developed to highlight the work of top photographers through the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Competition, and to inspire photographers to document the power of human rights around the world.
The exhibit is created and organized by Photography 4 Humanity with the support of UN Human Rights.
TOP 10 FINALISTS
Fighting the desert
Nouakchott, Mauritania
Sincerely. Tendrara
Tendrara, Morocco
The border between the sands and the village
Sabzevar, Iran
Daily struggles due to climate change
Kolkata, India
Recovering
Quang Ngai, Vietnam
A Dinka girl’s sinking village
Panyagor in Twic East, South Sudan
The unthinkable rage to exist
Mananjary, Madagascar
A threat for the green world
Hpa-an, Myanmar
Climate crisis
Sylhet, Bangladesh
High temperature red-alert
Anhui, China
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Palm oil plantation
Sinan, South Korea
Environmental injustice
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Fish scale seller
Gazipur, Bangladesh
Floating life
Bogra, Bangladesh
People affected by floods
West Bengal, India
The last house
Herat, Afghanistan
Clean energy source
T?nh Bac Liêu, Vietnam
Young volunteer
Hpa-an, Myanmar
Happy House
Quang Ngai, Vietnam
Playing on the overflowing embankment
Jakarta, Indonesia
Washing day
MyinTwin Village, Myanmar
Watermelon field
Mekhliganj, India
厂颈濒ê苍肠颈辞
Petrópolis, Brasil
Looking for plastic
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Enlightening education
Asansol, India
Garbage carpet
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Mother earth
Philippines
Worried mother
Chittagong, Bangladesh
The storm is coming to swallow
Sunamganj, Bangladesh
Neighbors fighting the fire
Froxan, Spain
Firefighters fighting forest fire
Folgoso do Courel, Spain
Planting mangrove trees
Demak, Indonesia
This exhibit was launched in December 2022