Work with the principles of human responsibilities articulated by Bohdan Hawrylyshyn in his Declaration is a cross-cutting reference point throughout all of the Foundation’s activities. It is not a standalone project or programme, but a values-based concept that we continue to shape, explore, and promote, because we believe it is one of the drivers of long-term positive change.
The question of why human responsibility is an important precondition for the development of a democratic society has long been the subject of reflection. Bohdan Hawrylyshyn’s thinking on this issue dates back to 1948, when the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His broad understanding of the world, along with his study of how political and economic systems function in different countries, led Bohdan Hawrylyshyn to conclude that although the Declaration inspired great hope and set a direction for the development of humanity, governments at the time proved unprepared, for various reasons, including post-war exhaustion and international economic competition, to ensure equal rights for all segments of society. Taking on such responsibility turned out to be far more difficult than declaring it.
In 1997, the InterAction Council – an organization that brought together former state leaders from different countries around the world – developed the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities, which emphasized the importance of responsibility alongside rights in achieving freedom, justice, and peace. Its authors identified such principles of responsibility as treating all people with dignity, promoting good and avoiding evil, and strengthening solidarity among people. The document did not gain official status, but it marked significant progress in the development of this idea.
There is no mention of this document in Bohdan Hawrylyshyn’s memoirs. Yet given that he advised the top leadership of dozens of countries around the world, we may assume that he was familiar with the proposed Declaration.
A decade later, in 2011, while already actively working in Ukraine, Bohdan Hawrylyshyn joined the First of December Initiative Group, whose members also included Liubomyr Huzar, Myroslav Popovych, Yevhen Sverstiuk, and others. In 2012, the group presented the Ukrainian Charter of a Free Person – a document that outlined, in ten points, the life principles intended to guide Ukrainian society in building a strong and effective state.
“We call on each of you, dear fellow citizens, to undertake the most difficult work of our lives: not to wait for a ‘golden age,’ not to lose heart under the burden of falsehood, not to hide from the world and from your own life, but to make constant personal efforts which, we believe, will bring good to Ukraine and affirm our State as a free country of free people.”
Shortly before the Revolution of Dignity, Bohdan Hawrylyshyn repeatedly said that the world was not healthy, and that the existing system of international relations was ineffective and did not serve the common good. At the same time, while working globally as a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Academy of Art and Science, he initiated the drafting of a preliminary list of human responsibilities. In many ways, this list continued all of his earlier reflections, but most importantly, it was grounded in the values that had begun to take shape here, in Ukraine.
The values that began to emerge on the Maidan – acting with a sense of responsibility, joining together for greater effectiveness and to save lives – set in motion a process of transformation in Ukrainian society that continues to this day. This is a “painful transformation of the nation, of values, and of behavior,” Bohdan Hawrylyshyn said, adding that this is precisely what Ukraine should share with the world: its unique experience.
The proposed Declaration of Human Responsibilities was published on October 15, 2014, on the website of the World Academy of Art and Science. It contains 15 principles that invite us to view responsibility as a comprehensive value that shapes both a person’s personal and professional life, as well as their relationships with their community and their actions toward their country and the world. These are guideposts toward a more democratic, inclusive, and effective society rooted in humanistic values.
Bohdan Hawrylyshyn’s legacy in the form of the Declaration of Human Responsibilities is another baton passed from one generation to the next, so that we understand clearly and remain fully aware that we will have to keep pedaling, we will have to work hard, but in the end we will be able both to defend ourselves and to build the country we dream of,
Yevhen Hlibovytskyi
The themes of human responsibilities, youth development, diplomacy, and local governance were central to the programmes of the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Charitable Foundation, which was among the first organizations in Ukraine to offer young people real opportunities for values-based growth and exposure to international experience for professional development and change. After Bohdan Hawrylyshyn passed away in 2016, his wife and children continued his mission by establishing the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation in 2017.
In 2021, at the Foundation’s initiative, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Resolution “On Establishing the All-Ukrainian Human Responsibility Day.” The decision was supported by 308 of the 356 members of parliament from different factions and parties registered in the session hall. Since then, Ukraine has marked Human Responsibility Day every year on October 19, Bohdan Hawrylyshyn’s birthday.
“Democracy is both a gift and great work. It is not only about rights, but also about responsibilities. We are very proud that our father chose to emphasize this,”
Christine Hawrylyshyn-Batruh,
President of the Foundation
The Declaration of Human Responsibilities became the value-based foundation of this day. Its purpose is to encourage a rethinking of responsibility as a core value for every person – one that contributes to improving individual lives and to the effective development of communities, cities, countries, and humanity as a whole. This day reflects the aspiration of Ukrainians to grow and develop at the personal, social, and global levels.
Ukraine is the first country in the world to recognise Human Responsibility Day at the state level.
The experience of the full-scale war that Ukraine has been living through since 2022 has demonstrated the ability of Ukrainian society, communities, and organizations to engage flexibly, develop innovative solutions, and remain resilient in critical times. Despite the challenges brought by the war, an awareness of responsibility for one’s own destiny gives strength to continue the struggle. The transformation of Ukrainian society is ongoing, and through this process, we are also helping change the world. Ukraine is supported by many international partners, and at the same time, we are learning to cooperate, to understand the needs, challenges, history, and culture of other countries.
Interaction grounded in responsibility becomes the foundation for broader human change. In this context, the Declaration of Human Responsibilities carries particular importance, as it emphasizes the need for balance between rights and duties in a world where the focus on individual rights often overshadows the importance of responsibility. The Declaration of Human Responsibilities complements the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by ensuring that the exercise of rights is accompanied by a commitment to take responsibility, thus contributing to a more harmonious and just world.
In 2024, the Foundation team launched the international initiative Global Call for Human Responsibility Day, inviting organizations and communities around the world to join in promoting and establishing Human Responsibility Day in their own countries. The Declaration of Human Responsibilities has already been translated into more than 15 languages, while thematic events have been held in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and other countries.
Human Responsibility Day is a space for dialogue, discussion, action, and change.
In 2026, the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation, in cooperation with the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, conducted a nationwide survey on the perception of responsibility in Ukrainian society. The study used a projective technique for the Responsibility Perception Scale in society. Respondents were asked to evaluate not themselves, but the behavior of the majority of people they interact with and about whom they have some perception.
The key findings of the study will be presented at the end of April.