Human Rights

Human Rights

We support universal human rights, fundamental principles of equality and fairness which must apply to all humans regardless of race, sex, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or lack of it, or any other status.
We also support certain rights not yet implemented in international law, such as a woman’s right to choose; unbiased, evidence-based, sex education in all schools; the right to die with dignity; and the separation of church and state to ensure equal treatment for all.
Through a number of European collaborations, we have participated in a number of projects promoting human rights, particularly in relation to European values, science education, active citizenship, and migration.
We applaud and support the work of fellow-NGOs in Malta dedicated to issues such as democracy and the rule of law; the human rights of migrants, women, and the LGBTI+ community; and to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for all.
Meanwhile, through our membership of Humanists International we have been able to make some contributions to international fora, focussing on some aspects not always emphasised by others, such as secularism, church privileges, and religious education.

In 2023 we:

– collaborated with Humanists UK on an intervention at the UN on abortion rights;
– worked with Humanists International and EU humanist organisations on a ‘Humanist Pledge’, shortly to be put to candidates for the 2024 European Parliament Elections, enabling voters to ascertain which candidates support our values;
– made a joint submission, with Aditus, to the UN Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights in Malta.

In 2024 we:
– supported an international petition to the European Parliament on the right to choose to die with dignity;
– delivered a joint video statement with Humanists International at the UN Human Rights Council in July, as part of the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights;
– will be working on a full contribution to Humanists International’s Freedom of Thought Report, a unique annual resource which looks at the rights and treatment of humanists, and the non-religious generally, in every country in the world, in light of the acknowledged human right to freedom of religion or belief. An update for Malta, delayed by Humanist International’s resource constraints, is scheduled for submission in early 2025.