United Nations - Mrs Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged governments to close the gap between "rhetoric and reality" and give practical meaning to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She addressed the UN General Assembly as it marked the 50th anniversary of the declaration. The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, also addressed the session.
Five people were awarded UN Human Rights prizes: the former US president, Mr Jimmy Carter, Mr Sunila Abeyesekera of Sri Lanka, Ms Angelina Acheng Atyam of Uganda, Mr Jose Gregori of Brazil and Ms Anna Sabatova, a Czech.