Biden: “We cannot be allowed to return to a world ruled by force.”

President Joe Biden’s proclamation released Friday said that on this day in the United States, “the sacred idea that every human being is created equal, endowed with inalienable dignity and inalienable rights is remembered and reaffirmed. This idea was at the heart of the founding of America. More than 170 years later, after World War II and the Holocaust, this idea united the world to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And today that idea beats in the hearts of millions of people who march, fight and sacrifice for the freedom that every human being deserves. Around the world, from China to Burma, from Afghanistan to Iran, from Ethiopia to Ukraine, and elsewhere, brave people are standing up to abuses of power, staying strong when their lives are threatened, and speaking out against violations of their fundamental freedoms.

President Biden states, “The United States fully supports these brave women and men fighting for their basic human rights in the face of oppression and injustice. That is why the U.S. administration supports the voices of religious, racial, and ethnic minorities; women and girls; members of the LGBTQI+ communities; people with disabilities; and pro-democracy activists who are too often abused, or denied equal protection under the law.”

“The U.S. cannot allow the world to return to a state where power rules the world and where larger countries bully their neighbors and the powerful oppress people with impunity,” the statement said. – That is why we are helping brave Ukrainians in their fight for their freedom against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war.

President Biden said the United States “demonstrates by example that our commitment to human rights starts with us here in the United States. The statement notes that since taking office, the Biden administration has lifted the previous administration’s ban on people from several Muslim countries entering the U.S.; lifted the ban on openly transgender people serving in the military; made racial equality a priority in the federal government; strengthened public accountability of police and addressed many of the longstanding injustices in the criminal justice system.

It also expanded access and opportunity for Americans with disabilities, and established the White House Gender Policy Council. President Biden also signed the first major bipartisan gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years.

“A positive future is created by countries that reach the full potential of their people and protect human rights,” the White House document notes.