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Universal Declaration of Human Rights as important as ever — Russian diplomat

However, there is nothing that could take the place of this universal document, "there is no alternative to the Universal Declaration," Grigory Lukyantsev stressed

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has not lost its vital importance and there is no replacing it, Grigory Lukyantsev, the director of the ministry’s Department for Multilateral Cooperation on Human Rights said.

"There is no doubt for the Foreign Ministry and for me personally, that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948, has retained its relevance. Many proposals come forward to develop some new documents regarding other human rights and freedoms," the diplomat told a plenary meeting marking the 75th anniversary of the document.

However, there is nothing that could take the place of this universal document, "there is no alternative to the Universal Declaration," Lukyantsev stressed.

"If we are now talking about somehow trying to fill the gaps that exist in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we can rather talk about the development of some separate documents, but not about a document that would replace the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he added.

The Foreign Ministry sees the document as a unifying factor that should facilitate constructive, equitable and respectful dialogue on human rights.

"The problem is not that the Universal Declaration is outdated or that it is being used to impose its ideas and approaches in the field of human rights on other states, to interfere in internal affairs. Rather, the problem is that its provisions are very often broadly interpreted and applied in order to justify one’s self-serving, political and geopolitical objectives," Lukyantsev emphasized.

According to him, the problem also lies not in what is enshrined in the Universal Declaration, but in attempts to use the content of this document to further one's own agenda.