Jan Waltmans: Introduction

Human Rights Day

Each generation grows up thinking that its generation will be the one that changes the world for the better. As we develop and strive to achieve our goals, we face reality: not everyone is interested in the collective good. Some people ignore joint development and happiness, only for them to focus on their personal interests.

The cornerstone of democracy is accountability, including with respect to human rights. That is what a community and individuals deserve. It comes with rights and responsibilities.

The whole world is facing tough challenges. Unfortunately wars are not a thing from the past, as my generation started to think they might be. Wars are ongoing, developing in different forms. The Russian war on Ukraine shows how a regime that does not respect human rights and accountability systems can destroy millions of lives on all sides.

By supporting the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Human Rights Day, the Kingdom of the Netherlands supports freedom of expression. The Russian movie “The New Greatness” contains rare footage that allows us to see what is going on behind the “iron curtain”. What we see is that, once again, there are no winners in a war. Not far away from here innocent people are, if not killed and displaced, being tortured and imprisoned for sharing their thoughts and believes. We must not be silent on this.

Jan Waltmans Ambassador of The Kingdom of The Netherlands to Bosnia and Herzegovina