United Nations – In its most harsh warning yet hate movements Around the world, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Human Rights Council of the global body in Geneva on Monday that the world should “step up the fight against resurgent neo-Nazism, white supremacy and racist and ethnically motivated terrorism.”
“The danger posed by these hatred-driven movements is increasing day by day,” said the UN chief, noting that while he believed they were already the main internal challenge facing several countries, they also crossed borders and turned into more than domestic terror threats. They become a transnational threat. “
Speaking of the well-documented increase in the impact of racism around the world, Guterres said, “Individuals and groups are engaged in a nourishing frenzy of hate – fundraising, recruiting and communication online, both at home and abroad, traveling internationally to gather together. to train and network their hateful ideologies. “
“Far too often,” said the Secretary General, “these hate groups are being encouraged by people in positions of responsibility in ways that were not long ago considered unimaginable.”
To many listeners, including Richard Gowan, UN director of the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, one purpose of that last comment was clear.
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“Guterres worked very hard during his tenure to build a working relationship with Trump, which I think was often very difficult, and this seems like a fairly subtle but firm rejection of the former president,” he told CBS News.
“The Deepest Sources of Injustice”
The UN chief’s speech highlighted the “most pervasive human rights violation of all: gender inequality,” which he said was “fueled by two of the deepest sources of injustice in our world: the legacy of centuries of colonialism; and the persistence through the millennia of patriarchy. “
Guterres has welcomed President Joe Biden’s commitment to rejoin the UN, and has welcomed Mr Biden’s choice as UN Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, which is expected to be at UN headquarters on Thursday, pending its confirmation by the Senate, has worked worldwide for human rights and diversity.
“Guterres has raised these issues before, but he has more political space to raise awareness of these issues now that Biden is in office,” Gowan said.
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the Council that in the past year, another factor has contributed to inequality, or at least disclosure within societies: ” pandemic tore the mask of the deadly reality of discrimination; deep inequalities; and chronic under-funding for essential services and rights, all largely ignored by many policymakers. “
In his comments to the Human Rights Council, the UN chief sought to not only highlight what he sees as the increase in human rights violations, but also to unite leaders to work against it: “When we allow the disparagement of one of us, go we set the precedent for the demonization of all of us. “