Countries violating human rights threat to entire world: Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Countries that violate human rights obligations are a threat not only to their own citizens but to the whole world, Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk said on Wednesday. And countries which systematically violate human rights obligations are a threat not only to their own citizens, its a threat to the region and to the whole world, she said.

Countries that violate human rights obligations are a threat not only to their own citizens but to the whole world, Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk said on Wednesday. Speaking at a session on democracy during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 here, she also said that the war in Ukraine is not just a war between two states. This is a war between two systems -- authoritarianism and democracy, said Matviichuk. Head of the Kyiv-based non-profit organization Centre for Civil Liberties, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 and works with people who survived from Russian captivity. It has been almost a year since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The war has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, soaring energy prices, supply chains getting disrupted, a cost-of-living crisis and food insecurity.

''We as Ukrainian people are fighting for our democratic choice just for a chance to build a country where the rights of everybody are protected, government is independent and accountable, judiciary provide justice and police do not beat student demonstrations,'' she said. ''Victory for Ukraine is not just to restore international order and push Russian troops out from the country... victory for Ukraine is succeeding in democratic transformation and building a sustainable democratic institution,'' she added. The human rights activist further said the success of Ukraine will have a huge impact on the democratic future of Russia itself and for other countries in our region ''where the freedom shrinks to the space of a prison cell.'' ''So in this regard, we as Ukrainians ask for support of the international community to make Ukraine win fast.'' Recalling her Nobel lecture last year, she said we must return the meaning to human rights. ''Human rights is a value, it's not just a word which we have to repeat because it's supposed to be heard from us. It means that human rights has to become a basis for political decisions like economic benefits and security issues in internal policy and external policy as well,'' she noted. ''We are responsible for everything which is going on in our planet. And countries which systematically violate human rights obligations are a threat not only to their own citizens, it's a threat to the region and to the whole world,'' she said. She also cautioned that new technologies provide possibilities to cement horizontal networks, to manipulate public opinion by controlling the flow of information and analysing personal data.

''Our future in this digital era can be very different... We must find a new way to protect freedom of expression, access to information, and defence of privacy.''

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