Human rights minister visits Amnesty's garden at Chelsea Flower Show

Baroness Ashton

21 May 2007

The human rights minister, Cathy Ashton, visited the Amnesty International Garden for Human Rights at the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday 21 May 2007

Baroness Ashton was shown the garden by Amnesty Director Kate Allen.

The garden aims to capture and celebrate Amnesty's vision of a world where everyone is able to enjoy all human rights recognised in international law. The rooftop garden is designed to reflect Amnesty's concerns for ethical, social and environmental responsibility.

Baroness Ashton said:

"I am delighted to be invited to visit Amnesty's garden and to meet people key to developing the understanding of human rights. I look forward to continuing to promote the Government's campaign on a common sense approach to human rights with partners such as Amnesty.

"Human rights provide a set of common values with which we can all agree. They are common values we must all live by. They are not tied to any faith or other belief system. They are for every one of us."

At the heart of the garden there is a rusted steel lattice-carved oak tree sculpture of the Amnesty International symbol of a lit candle surrounded by barbed wire, by the sculptor Walter Bailey.

After the flower show the garden will be transferred to the London headquarters of the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, where it will be a rooftop garden for staff, volunteers and visitors.

The Ministry of Justice is conducting a campaign for a common sense approach to human rights.

Notes to Editors

  1. Cathy Ashton visited the Amnesty Garden at 6.30pm on Monday 21 May.
  2. Lord Falconer launched the Ministry of Justice's human rights campaign in Manchester on 9 February 2007.
  3. Making sense of human rights A short introduction is designed for officials in public authorities to assist them in working with the Human Rights Act 1998 and to raise their awareness of human rights. Human Rights: Human Lives A Handbook for public authorities has been designed to raise staff awareness of the different rights and freedoms protected by the Human Rights Act. Available at: http://www.humanrights.gov.uk/. Free copies of the guidance available from: 0845 601 0540 or humanrights@ecgroup.co.uk.
  4. The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights was made in 1948; in 1951 Britain was the first member of the Council of Europe to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights, which it helped draft. The Human Rights Act 1998 was passed with the support of all parties and enshrines the Convention in UK law. It came into effect in October 2000.
  5. For media inquiries please contact Sandra Smith Hughes, Emma Marsh or Alfred Bacchus, Ministry of Justice Press Office, 020 7210 8692/ 2645/ 1476.

ENDS