I am very proud that the First Lady, who has traveled the world to advance human rights, especially for women and young girls, will take part in tomorrow's United Nations commemoration. Over the past half-century, the Declaration's 30 articles have formed a constellation of principles to which all people can aspire. They have entered the consciousness of people all around the world. They're now invoked routinely in constitutions and courts. Fifty years since the charter was forged, communism has been discredited, but threats to freedom and human rights still persist.
Human rights are still at risk from Burma to Nigeria, from Belarus to China.
And even in democracies, human rights, which so often mean minority rights, are not guaranteed. And let us remember in this museum that having a people who are well-educated and prosperous, even having a government that is popularly elected are not in themselves sufficient to guarantee human rights. But let us also remember that being educated by Western standards and prosperous are not necessary conditions for human rights or for people who want them. Advancing human rights must always be a central pillar of America's foreign policy. And looking ahead, we see an enormous amount of work still to be done.