[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8464--DEC. 9, 2009

Proclamation 8464 of December 9, 2009
Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, And Human Rights Week, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

More than 60 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly approved the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, declaring the ``inherent
dignity'' and ``equal and inalienable rights'' of all human beings as
the ``foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.'' This
self-evident truth guides us today. Although every country and culture
is unique, certain rights are universal: the freedom of people-including
women and ethnic and religious minorities-to live as they choose, speak
their minds, organize peacefully and have a say in how they are
governed, with confidence in the rule of law. History shows that
countries that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, secure,
and successful.
In the United States, these fundamental rights are the core of our
Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights.
They are the values that define us as a people, the ideals that
challenge us to perfect our union, and the liberties that generations of
Americans have fought to preserve at home and abroad. Indeed, fidelity
to our fundamental values is one of America's greatest strengths and the
reason we stand in solidarity with those who seek these rights, wherever
they live.
Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week must be our
call to action. As Americans, we must keep striving to live up to our
founding ideals. As a Nation, the United States will always side with
the innocent whose rights are denied, the oppressed who yearn for
equality, and all those around the world who strive for freedom. As
members of what President Franklin Roosevelt called ``the human
community,'' we will never waver in our pursuit of the rights, dignity,
and security of every human being.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2009, as
Human Rights Day; December 15, 2009, as Bill of Rights Day; and the week
beginning December 10, 2009, as Human Rights Week. I call upon the
people of the United States to mark these observances with appropriate
ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of
December, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the

[[Page 3748]]
123 STAT. 3748

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.
BARACK OBAMA