19 August was declared World Humanitarian Day to commemorate the tragic events of that day in 2003, when the United Nations lost its then High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Viera de Mello, along with 21 other staff in a bombing in Iraq. It was one of the worst attacks ever suffered by the Organization, and unfortunately not an isolated incident. Each year, the Day gives us a chance to reflect on the work of and the challenges facing human rights and humanitarian workers everywhere. Here in Cambodia, the country Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights takes the occasion to look back on an eventful – even historic – year of defending human rights. Read full media statement in English.