Honourable senators, December 10 is International Human Rights Day. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It was in 1948 that the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set a comprehensive list of basic human rights to ensure the dignity, equality and worth of all members of the human family.

Article 1 reminds us:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

However, I wish to draw your attention to Article 25:

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services . . . .

With the holiday season fast approaching, we are reminded daily that not everyone is living in adequate conditions. Too often, we take for granted basic human rights like food and clothing. Let’s help those we can.

Canada, as an industrialized and highly developed country and member of the G7, can — and must — do better to address poverty, inequality and affordability. Despite these challenges, Canada is certainly in a privileged position compared to many other nations, which is why organizations like the World Bank are more important than ever. This global institution, founded on the basis of helping end poverty in the poorest countries and boosting prosperity for all of humankind, seeks to help create sustainable economic growth, invest in people and build resilience to shocks and threats that can roll back decades of progress.

As the chair of the Canadian chapter of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF, I am committed to working with our fellow parliamentarians and our colleagues from around the world in advancing poverty-reduction measures at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, so that everyone can enjoy the rights and freedoms set forth in the declaration.

Honourable senators, this year’s Human Rights Day theme is Freedom, Equality and Justice for All. May these three words guide us in our work as parliamentarians today and every day. May they inspire us as we will soon return to our regions for the holidays to give back and fight for these words to become a reality for all Canadians.

Thank you, meegwetch.