At this event, organized by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), human rights stakeholders from diverse backgrounds will discuss current and future challenges as well as best practices in the promotion and protection of human rights. 

Building on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948, the World Conference in 1993 affirmed the universality and indivisibility of human rights. A pivotal moment, the conference‘s main outcome was the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA), a common plan for the strengthening of human rights work, as well as the establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

30 years after the adoption of the VDPA, our commitment to address human rights challenges is more important than ever. In spite of major achievements, multiple and interlocking crises keep the fulfillment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the horizon, with human rights often being deployed to justify divisions. In addition, new important aspects have emerged, such as globalization, digitization and climate change.
Yet, without realizing human rights for all, there can be no lasting peace and no lasting security. 

In order to address these concerns and to ensure that human rights are considered as part of the solution to the challenges we face, we need to restore faith and certainty in their relevance and necessity. We need to renew our understanding of the achievements of the VDPA, to revitalize a worldwide consensus on human rights and provide a platform for young people to exchange their ideas and plans on how to strengthen human rights in the future. 

DOWNLOADS

• PDF: Vienna+25 Conference Brochure (4.1 MB)