Bill Clinton

“ It recognizes that all people are endowed with certain inalienable rights—the right to life, liberty, and the security of person; the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment; and the right not to be subjected to summary execution and torture. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights transcends socioeconomic conditions, as well as religious and cultural traditions, for no circumstance of birth, gender, culture, or geography can limit the yearnings of the human spirit for the right to live in freedom and dignity. ”

“ When we speak about human rights, we are talking about real people in real places. The Declaration's fundamental guarantees will ring hollow to many if the words are not converted to meaningful action. ”

“ The universality of these rights and the common duty of all governments to uphold them—the themes embodied in the Declaration—were reaffirmed at the World Conference on Human Bights in Vienna this past June. The Declaration has been the building block for developing international consensus on human rights because it promotes common interests we share with other nations. ”