Acting on the often mentioned words of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the populations most affected by the violations of human rights are those that need most to know about them, the United Nations in Mexico, working together with the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) and the National Institute on Indigenous Languages (INALI), developed a project of translations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into indigenous languages of Mexico.

Considering that there are a total of 11 indigenous linguistic families, with 68 language groups and 364 variations spoken in Mexico, this is indeed a very ambitious programme that should bring the Declaration to every community and every classroom around the country as this key document will be made available in a variety of formats to best meet the needs of a particular audience.

At the press conference held in UNIC Mexico City on 15 December 2008 the UN System partners in the project, United Nations Information centre (UNIC) Mexico City, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), joined forces with CDI and INALI to launch the first two versions of the Declaration in Maya and in Mexican Huasteca Hidalgense. This is the first phase of a two-year project that should see over 20 translations of the Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples into main indigenous languages of Mexico. 

The text of the Declaration, printed in a very attractive format, is accompanied by a compact disc with the oral version of the text.  In addition, this material has also been posted on a special page of the website of UNIC Mexico City. 

O Diretor do Centro de Informação das Nações Unidas para o Brasil (UNIC RIO), Giancarlo Summa, participou da palestra “Alcance e significado da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos”, parte do seminário “Brasil, brasis”, organizado pela Academia Brasileira de Letras. Além da palestra, o evento contou com uma exposição de fotos e objetos relacionados à contribuição de Austregésilo de Athayde, único brasileiro a participar da redação da Declaração. O evento aconteceu em 11 de dezembro 2008, no auditório da ABL, no Rio de Janeiro, e foi coordenado pelo acadêmico Celso Lafer.

Giancarlo Summa destacou a atualidade da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos após seis décadas da sua redação. Segundo o Diretor do UNIC RIO, isso é resultado da incorporação dos valores da declaração pelos Estados. "A Declaração continua viva após seis décadas porque passou a ser adotada pelos povos dos
países como sua. Trata-se de uma obra-prima de síntese e eficácia. Poucas obras têm a contundência da DUDH”, afirmou. Summa ressaltou ainda a importância das Nações Unidas como instrumento político dos interesses dos povos.

Também participaram do evento o presidente da Academia Brasileira de Letras, Cícero Sandroni, a procuradora do estado de São Paulo Flávia Piovesan, o pesquisador Francisco Whitaker, o cônsul-geral da França, Hughes Goisbault e o ministro do Desenvolvimento Social , Patrus Ananias. A palestra foi transmitida ao vivo pelo portal da ABL na internet.

Schools from throughout the country were represented at the Human Rights Day ceremony hosted by United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Port of Spain  at the Simon Bolivar Auditorium in Port of Spain on 10 December 2008. The ceremony was held not only in commemoration of Human Rights Day (observed annually on 10 December) but also in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Attendees included sixth form students, accompanied by their teachers and principals. UNIC Director Angélica Hunt presented a brief introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was followed by a session by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Child Protection Specialist, Milen Kidane, on the Convention on the Rights of the Child that sets international standards for the protection and promotion of children’s rights. Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, His Excellency Mr. Hans P.P.M. Horbach, also gave a brief address on the importance of human rights in the foreign policy of the Netherlands. These presentations were supported by two United Nations videos relating children’s rights stories from Ethiopia and Romania. Another highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of United Nations Certificates of Acknowledgement to some of the artists who performed at “Freedom Rain: the United Nations Concert for Human Rights and Justice”, staged by the United Nations System in Trinidad and Tobago in Chaguaramas on 25 October 2008. 

In the framework of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a new Friends of the UN club was created in the Department of Arequipa, Peru, 1,000 Kms. south of Lima. The Friends of the UN clubs are voluntary associations created by United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lima for students interested in the work of the United Nations, global problems, and development issues.

Students from Santa Isabel school launched the club on 10 December 2008 with a programme to mark the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. They participated in a lecture entitled “Education without Borders: Development, Peace and Equality” which was also attended by local authorities, directors, teachers and students from educational institutions from Camana, Arequipa.

The programme was opened by the coordinator of the club, who focused her message on the importance of having a Friends of the UN club in Arequipa. “Promoting education on human rights among the students is a necessity”, she said, “and I invite all to get engaged with education as a priority to improve the quality of life and have access to opportunities in our society.”

The representative from the Ministry of Education congratulated Santa Isabel school and the UNIC for this new initiative in Arequipa. He also highlighted the commitment of the Ministry to the promotion of human rights and the culture of peace among the students.

Student Norely Molina addressed the group and highlighted the importance of participating in this network. She also expressed her gratitude to all who made the creation of this club possible.

Finally, the Principal of Santa Isabel expressed his satisfaction at the creation of this club and congratulated the UNIC for this initiative, urging other schools to support this project.