UN General Assembly
1998

will be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such anniversaries provide a good opportunity for collective self-review, which impels us to acknowledge that in the field of human rights, the situation is certainly much better than it was 50 years ago. The people’s liberation movement and the global spread of democracy have certainly played a crucial role in promoting and consolidating human rights. There can be no doubt that the significant progress made in democratization and the establishment within the State of the rule of law will remain fragile and will be endangered unless they are accompanied by meeting the economic, social and cultural needs of the citizens. This is because true democracy cannot take root permanently and soundly in places of deprivation and want. In this connection and in the name of my country, I wish to reaffirm our strong attachment to the universality, interdependence and indivisibility of human rights and our resolute commitment to promote them free from any manipulation or politicization. If we wish to sum up these complex and multifarious