Gianni Pittella, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, said:
 
"I want to pay tribute, on behalf of the Group, to all those who are fighting for human rights, and to all those who are suffering human-rights violations. I am thinking of the children living with war or poverty, of the refugees, migrants and exploited workers, of gender minorities suffering hate crimes and of women suffering discrimination and facing abuse and too often death at the hands of their abusers. These crimes take place not only abroad, but also within the European Union.
 
"We have achieved a great deal in the European Union, but we also risk losing a great deal that we cannot afford to lose. The economic crisis is not a reason to neglect the protection of human rights.
 
"Human rights, as recognised in the Universal Declaration – which we commemorate every 10th December to mark its approval in 1948 and renewal in Vienna in 1993 – are not a western imposition on the world, but rights inherent to people.
 
"People in Europe and in the rest of the world should know that the European Socialists and Democrats, wherever we are, whatever we do in parliaments and parties, we do not forget human rights." 

S&D MEP Elena Valenciano said:
 
"For millions of people, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still just a dream. December 10th is a symbolic date that reminds us of that fact, but we must keep this commitment 365 days a year. In all the EU's external actions every day must be Human Rights Day, as every person in the world is entitled to the full and indivisible range of human rights every day of his or her life.
 
"There are enormous challenges yet to be addressed by the international community, as this year's Sakharov Prize laureate, Dr Denis Mukwege, recalled in his impressive speech. The situation of women and children in armed conflicts and the need of binding measures to enforce respect for human rights in business activities are just a few examples of areas in which the EU should lead on common and decisive action by the international community."