DHAKA, Dec 9 (BSS) - Law Commission Chairman Prof M. Shah Alam today said the young people, who make up majority of the total population, could play a vital role in improving the human rights condition further in the country, despite being the fact that poverty still remains as a major impediment to it.

"Poverty is the main constraint in protecting human rights. But the youths who are future leaders of the country can contribute enormously to improving human rights even within limitations," he said at a seminar in the city.

UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Dhaka and Daffodil International University (DIU) jointly organized the programme on the city campus of the private university, as part of marking the World Human Rights Day-2010 in the country.

DIU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aminul Islam chaired the function, which was addressed, among others, by UNIC Officer-in- Charge Kazi Ali Reza, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative Arthur Erken, DIU Adviser Professor M. Shahjahan Mina and DIU Dean Prof Dr Lutfar Rahman.

Noted poets Asad Chowdhury, Shihab Sarkar and Muhammad Samad recited from their famous poems related to human rights protection. A short drama on human rights titled "We Sing of Equality" was performed by students as Assistant Professor Syed Mizanur Rahman and Masud Ibn Rahman directed it.

Prof Alam reminding students of having a special responsibility to promote rights of others and fight against incidents of human rights violation in any sector. He also urged students to remain vigilant against discrimination.

Arthur Erken said human rights are closely interlinked with peace, development and democracy. He said everybody should put in his or her best efforts to ensure human rights for all through individual actions instead of 'lip services' only.

Prof Aminul Islam said the people of all walks of life, especially the youths, need to see things that were happening beyond their texts and play their due role to build a happy world. He also cited some of the problems that the human beings were passing through.

He said both man-made and other challenges such as nuclear proliferation, climate change, terrorism, food insecurity and pandemic diseases have limited the rights of the people around the world, especially the poor people in developing countries.