Human rights are an idea, a body of thought, and for many a source of inspiration. There are countless initiatives, large and small, national and international, from governments and private organizations, that seek to promote human rights. Together, all these initiatives form a global movement: the human rights movement.

But the global human rights situation is not well – to say the least. Anyone who follows the news for a while can see this: persecution of political opponents, oppression of minorities, human trafficking, sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing and even genocide: there seems to be no end to it. Democratic values are moreover under pressure almost worldwide. Even in Europe, trust in government is declining and the rule of law is losing ground.

The human rights movement is currently clearly unable to turn this tide. Without a new, powerful impetus, it is to be feared that the prevailing trend towards the negative will only become stronger. To deliver this new impetus, a new, worldwide initiative is needed. This paper offers an outline for such an initiative.