Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the leading UN entity on human rights with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. Under the leadership of the High Commissioner, with a staff of 1,300 working in more than 70 countries, it aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.
Human Rights are Universal
The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This principle, as first emphasized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has been reiterated in numerous international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions. The 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights noted that "All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated."
The United Nations and Human Rights
The promotion and protection of human rights - civil, cultural, economic, political and social - is a key purpose and guiding principle of the United Nations, which has created a comprehensive body of human rights law and established mechanisms to promote and protect these rights and to assist states in carrying out their responsibilities.
"The climate crisis is the biggest threat to our survival as a species and is already threatening human rights around the world."
- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and has been translated into over 500 languages.
About Photography 4 Humanity
Photography 4 Humanity calls upon photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights. With compelling images that illustrate courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion, and human rights victories and failures, large and small, this project aims to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Photography 4 Humanity is an initiative led by world-renowned photographers that works with Eminent Judges to help select top images from around the world to be featured in the annual Photography 4 Humanity exhibit at the United Nations. For more information and a list of Eminent Judges, visit: Photography4Humanity.com
About Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is an initiative that promotes climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, have declared it to be. The initiative supports effective, human rights-based implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
In 2022, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance began working with Photography 4 Humanity to feature images of people affected by climate change.
Winning image: The endless dance of erosion - "Last week my wife died due to cardiac arrest and the following week we started dismantling our house when we heard the Ganges started eroding the land again." - Nurul Islam, 80 years old - pictured in chair (Malda, West Bengal, India, November, 2021) Photo/Masood Sarwer
Photography 4 Humanity calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. Highlighting the most compelling human rights imagery - illustrating courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion in ways small and large, the photos serve to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights.
Photography 4 Humanity encourages amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for an annual competition where the winner and top 10 finalists have their photographs exhibited at the United Nations.
Photography 4 Humanity, with the support of UN Human Rights, calls upon photographers around the world to capture images of people affected by climate change.
These images depict climate change as a human rights crisis, as women, children, minorities, the poor and marginalized suffer disproportionately as the climate catastrophe escalates.
The exhibit is developed to highlight the work of top photographers through the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Competition, and to inspire photographers to document the power of human rights around the world.
The exhibit is created and organized by Photography 4 Humanity with the support of UN Human Rights.
TOP 10 FINALISTS
Fighting the desert
Nouakchott, Mauritania
Women work during a sandstorm in a garden being stolen by drought. (June, 2021) Photo/Jose Manuel Moya (Chema Moya)
Sincerely. Tendrara
Tendrara, Morocco
Yamina Kotit shields her children from the strong winds which are sweeping the area, causing desertification and impacting her family's nomadic way of life. (September, 2021) Photo/Yzza Slaoui
The border between the sands and the village
Sabzevar, Iran
The border between Iran's sands and villages is decreasing every day. A number of villages are filled with sand and deserted. (August, 2021) Photo/Hadi Dehghanpour
Daily struggles due to climate change
Kolkata, India
Due to a recent flash flood, a family is finding it difficult to both walk on the flooded road as well as move their cart. (July, 2021) Photo/Kuntal Kumar Roy
Recovering
Quang Ngai, Vietnam
Coastal forests, especially mangroves, play a vital role in protecting the lives of vulnerable communities from storm surge due to the impacts of climate change. (October, 2021) Photo/Alex Cao
A Dinka girl’s sinking village
Panyagor in Twic East, South Sudan
A girl surveys her submerged home. (January, 2022) Photo/Mark Naftalin
The unthinkable rage to exist
Mananjary, Madagascar
An unusually fierce cyclone “Batsirai” destroyed a large part of the coastal town of Mananjary. (March, 2021) Photo/Christian Barbe
A threat for the green world
Hpa-an, Myanmar
In place of a green forest, a garbage dump rises. (May, 2022) Photo/Aung Chan Thar
Climate crisis
Sylhet, Bangladesh
A mother brings her children to safety in floodwater that stranded 6 million people and killed 41. (June, 2022) Photo/Zakir Hossain Chowdhury
High temperature red-alert
Anhui, China
An 88-year-old man gazes at his TV screen showing a high temperature red-alert that has been going on for 70 days – a first for him. (August, 2022) Photo/Chengbin Zhang
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Palm oil plantation
Sinan, South Korea
Deprived of forests, indigenous peoples live on the edge of the rainforest. (September, 2021) Photo/Elrea Song
Environmental injustice
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Environmental discrimination in a township. (July, 2022) Photo/Luke Kammies
Fish scale seller
Gazipur, Bangladesh
Due to river erosion, a woman earns $1 USD a day selling fish scales. (Unknown date) Photo/Abdullah Al Mahfuz
Floating life
Bogra, Bangladesh
Families stranded in flood waters see their crops submerged. (September, 2021) Photo/Ahsanul Haque Nayem
People affected by floods
West Bengal, India
The Ghatal area is especially vulnerable to repeated floods. (September, 2022) Photo/Sudipta Chakraborty?
The last house
Herat, Afghanistan
Ghulam Mohammad, a 56-year-old man lost his entire family in a flood and now lives in Herat, at an internally displaced camp. (Unknown date) Photo/Sayed Habib Bidell
Clean energy source
T?nh Bac Liêu, Vietnam
Renewable energy reduces the impacts of climate change. (November, 2021) Photo/Le Thanh Ngon
Young volunteer
Hpa-an, Myanmar
A young volunteer delivers oxygen to people in need. (August, 2021) Photo/Aung Chan Thar
Happy House
Quang Ngai, Vietnam
Despite pollution that affects Uncle Da’s home in a polluted river, he still fashions his house into a “happy heart.” (October, 2021) Photo/Alex Cao
Playing on the overflowing embankment
Jakarta, Indonesia
Children playing on a sea embankment that overflowed due to tidal waves and flooded residential areas in the Muara Baru area. (August, 2022) Photo/Arie Basuki
Washing day
MyinTwin Village, Myanmar
In order to save water at home, a woman washes her clothes by the river. (January, 2022) Photo/Si Thu Ye Myint
Watermelon field
Mekhliganj, India
Growing watermelon in a dry riverbed is difficult with sudden rain and rising waters. (February, 2022) Photo/Uttam Kamati
厂颈濒ê苍肠颈辞
Petrópolis, Brasil
A man watches as people search for the body of his family member, killed in a landslide in the city of Petrópolis, a tragedy that killed more than 200 people. (February, 2022) Photo/Mariana Rocha
Looking for plastic
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Looking for plastic materials to recycle in polluted water. (April, 2022) Photo/Saiful Islam
Enlightening education
Asansol, India
Without electricity, children study using kerosene lamps during a class conducted after sunset. (May, 2022) Photo/Sourav Das
Garbage carpet
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
An employee of the Manaus City Hall works to remove a large amount of garbage accumulated by the heavy rains in the stream of the S?o Jorge neighborhood. (June, 2022) Photo/Suamy Beydoun
Mother earth
Philippines
A child plants a tree to help save Mother Earth. (June, 2022) Photo/Jamel Rullamas
Worried mother
Chittagong, Bangladesh
A mother is worried about her child as flood water begins to enter her home. (June, 2022) Photo/Sanchayan Chowdhury
The storm is coming to swallow
Sunamganj, Bangladesh
A man is trying to protect his buns from the storm, one example of a livelihood in a low-lying area of the world that is drowning due to climate change. (June, 2022) Photo/Abdur Rahman Nur
Neighbors fighting the fire
Froxan, Spain
Neighbors fighting the fire a few meters from their homes in the village of Froxan in one of the most virulent forest fires in Spain. (July, 2022) Photo/Adra Pallón
Firefighters fighting forest fire
Folgoso do Courel, Spain
Firefighters fighting the forest fire in one of the most devastating fires in Spain this year in Folgoso do Courel. (July, 2022) Photo/Adra Pallón
Planting mangrove trees
Demak, Indonesia
Environmental volunteers work together to plant mangroves on the beach in Demak, to help overcome erosion. (August, 2022) Photo/Kirim Foto Bambang Wirawan
This exhibit was launched in December 2022