News item | 10-12-2018

Peace Palace turns blue on International Human Rights Day

The Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, will be illuminated in blue on Monday 10 December from 4:30pm local time, to mark International Human Rights Day. The Peace Palace is the international icon of peace and justice and is the seat of the International Court of Justice of the United Nations and Permanent Court of Arbitration. By turning the Peace Palace blue, the Carnegie Foundation that owns and manages the Peace Palace supports the global campaign of Human Rights Watch. During this campaign, important landmark buildings like the Opera House in Sydney and the Empire State Building in New York will be put in blue spotlights. The idea behind the campaign is to foster more awareness of human rights and the violations of human rights worldwide. The Peace Palace, the only building outside New York that houses a principal organ of the United Nations, joins the campaign this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Universal Declaration on Human Rights

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights is a document that was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948. It is seen as a landmark in history, as it was for the first time that it was declared that all human beings around the world are born with a set of universal rights. Article 1 of the Declaration for instance declares that all human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights. Since 1950, the signing of the Declaration is celebrated annually with the International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

The Peace Palace

The Peace Palace is a monumental building in city of The Hague, The Netherlands, that is globally known as the icon of peace and justice. It forms the basis of the status of The Hague as international City of Peace and Justice. The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice, the principal juridical organ of the United Nations. The Court prevents violent conflicts by resolving conflicts between countries peacefully through the application of international law. The Palace also houses the Permanent Court of Arbitration that solves conflicts between states, companies and other organisations by using arbitration, a form of mediation based on international law.