Human Rights

The Missionary Oblates are committed to upholding the dignity of people everywhere. The doctrine of human rights adopted by the United Nations has its antecedents in Catholic Social Teaching.

Human Rights are often defined as the “basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” Examples of rights and freedoms which are often thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education.

Countries in which Oblates are actively advocating for the protection of basic rights include Bangladesh, DR Congo, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. We also actively promote respect for human rights and human dignity in our dialogs with corporations.

Links:

• Human Rights Watch
• Amnesty International
• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• US Dept. of State
• UN Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts:
  • Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
  • Special Rapporteur on the contemporary forms of slavery
  • Independent Expert on human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation
  • Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty
  • Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights
  • Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights

Return to Top