Hong Kong Watch marks International Human Rights Day on its seventh anniversary

Today on Human Rights Day, Hong Kong Watch pays homage to the human rights defenders of Hong Kong as we celebrate our seven-year anniversary. 

On 10 December 1950, the United Nations established Human Rights Day to be commemorated around the world to mark the anniversary of the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948. The UDHR “enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being”, and is thus core to our mandate as we work to hold the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to account for their human rights violations which breach international law.

Therefore, to mark this day 67 years later, Hong Kong Watch was founded in the Speaker’s House of the UK Parliament in response to the need for a robust response to the deteriorating human rights environment in Hong Kong. 

The Speaker of the UK House of Commons at the time, John Bercow, hosted the launch of Hong Kong Watch, alongside our founding Patrons, former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, independent crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool, barrister Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, and the late Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats. 

Today, we renew and re-double our efforts to advocate for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Watch continues to maintain our presence internationally, particularly in the United Kingdom, United States, European Union, and Canada, with Patrons and staff working in all these regions. We also conduct advocacy work on the United Nations level and in the Indo-Pacific region. 

This year, we were delighted to appoint two new Patrons in Canada, Shuvaloy Majumdar MP and Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe MP, who have already demonstrated their steadfast commitment to the people of Hong Kong.

In our eighth year, we will continue to research and advocate on human rights in Hong Kong, focusing on our International Lifeboat, Business and Human Rights, Special Privileges, Free Political Prisoners, MPF, and Sanctions campaigns. We also continue to publish biweekly political prisoners briefings and monthly human rights briefings, covering the latest developments in Hong Kong.

香港監察紀念國際人權日與成立七週年 再次決意致力倡議香港人權

今日是國際人權日，香港監察向香港人權鬥士致敬，同時慶祝香港監察成立七週年。

1950年12月10日，聯合國設立國際人權日，紀念1948年12月10日通過《世界人權宣言》。《世界人權宣言》「莊嚴保護人身為人而有權享有的不可剝奪權利」，而我們致力要求中港政府為其違反國際法的侵害人權行為負責，《世界人權宣言》因此是當中關鍵所在。

67年後，香港監察在英國國會下議院議長府邸宣告成立，回應採取有力措施應對香港不斷惡化人權狀況的需要。

時任英國下議院議長柏爾勤（John Bercow）聯同香港監察創始贊助人──前英國外交大臣聶偉敬爵士（Sir Malcolm Rifkind）、中立上議員奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）、御用大律師尼斯爵士（Sir Geoffrey Nice）和已故前自由民主黨黨魁艾思定勳爵（Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon），主持香港監察成立典禮。

我們今日再次决意加倍努力，倡議香港人權、基本自由和法治。

香港監察足跡繼續遍布全球多區，尤其是英國、美國、歐盟和加拿大，這些地區均有贊助人和職員駐守工作。我們亦在聯合國和印太地區展開倡議工作。

我們今年很高興委任兩位新贊助人──加拿大國會議員Shuvaloy Majumdar MP和Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe MP，兩位都堅定支持香港人。

踏入第八年，我們會繼續就香港人權展開研究和倡議，特別關注「國際救生艇」、「商業與人權」、「特殊待遇」、「釋放政治犯」、「強積金」和「制裁」倡議。我們亦持續發表雙週政治犯簡報和每月人權簡報，內容涵蓋香港最新事態發展。