International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

That the Parliament recognises the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, which took place on 24 March 2024; understands that this annual observance pays tribute to the memory of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador, who was murdered on 24 March 1980; commends the UN's stated objectives of this day, which are to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations, to promote the importance of the right to truth and justice, to pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all and to recognise the important work and values of Monsignor Romero, who was assassinated after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence; notes that the decision to proclaim this International Day was made by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2010; agrees with the conclusions of the Study on the right to the truth report, by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, that the right to the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law is an inalienable and autonomous right, linked to the duty and obligation of the State to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedy and reparations; considers that the right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances, and who participated in them, including knowing the circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them; believes that this right is especially important and urgent in the context of what it considers as the ongoing gross violation of the human rights of the people of Palestine, and especially Gaza, and commits to promoting best practice for the effective implementation of this right, both in Scotland and throughout the world.