The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning while speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday that human rights around the world are being “suffocated.” Citing wars, violence, and the heavy-handed tactics of autocrats who crush opposition and ignore international law, Guterres painted a grim picture of the current global state.
“Human rights are the oxygen of humanity,” he said, emphasizing that these essential freedoms are being systematically strangled. “But one by one, human rights are being suffocated,” he added, noting that oppressive regimes are quelling dissent because they fear the power of an empowered populace. He also condemned the persistence of patriarchal systems that keep girls out of school and restrict women from accessing basic rights.
Guterres further criticized warmongers for blatantly disregarding international law, including humanitarian law and the UN Charter, as ongoing conflicts rob people of their fundamental rights to food, water, and education. He also highlighted the detrimental impact of what he described as “a morally bankrupt global financial system,” and warned about the risks posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, which, despite their promise, can quickly turn into tools for violating human rights.
Drawing attention to a surge in intolerance, Guterres pointed out the growing discrimination faced by Indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, the LGBTQI+ community, and persons with disabilities. He warned that voices of division, driven by a quest for power, profit, and control, increasingly view human rights as obstacles rather than essential protections.
All of these factors, he cautioned, pose a direct threat to the hard-won mechanisms and institutions established over the past 80 years to safeguard and advance human rights worldwide.
AFP
