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TWN
Info Service on UN Sustainable Development (Mar26/03) Penang, 24 Mar (Kanaga Raja) — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that while the world has made meaningful strides toward greater justice and equality, this progress is now at risk of stalling or even reversing. In his remarks at the commemorative meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on 23 March marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the High Commissioner argued that a critical “checkpoint” is approaching – constructed by actors who profit from division, polarization, and discriminatory systems – and that these forces are further strengthened by the dangerous spread of dehumanizing rhetoric. Marking the 60th International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the rights chief said: “Today, we honour those who fought – and continue fighting – for racial justice, equality, and freedom. Their struggle holds a special place in the history of the human rights movement – as a testament to the incredible power of solidarity and the eternal quest for freedom.” Noting that their efforts have led to remarkable progress, Mr. Turk said the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action provide a comprehensive global framework to confront racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. They also set in motion a cascade of changes at the national level, he added. For instance, the High Commissioner said that many States have adopted anti-discrimination laws and created independent human rights and equality institutions, while some have acknowledged historical injustices and have taken steps towards redress. There is growing recognition of the compounded challenges faced by those at the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination, particularly based on gender, sexual orientation, age, and income, he added. For the first time, the rights of people of African descent have been referenced in the outcomes of international climate negotiations, Mr. Turk pointed out. “We have made some progress on the long road towards a more just world. But we are approaching a checkpoint – where this progress is questioned, delayed, and even pushed backwards.” This checkpoint was set up by those who thrive on division and polarization, and is reinforced by discriminatory structures and sustained by the corrosive nature of dehumanization, said the rights chief. “Let’s not fool ourselves: we may no longer segregate people on buses, but too often we still do so in our minds and our ways of life.” Across the world, people of African and Asian descent, Jews, Muslims, Indigenous Peoples, and other ethnic, religious, and cultural minorities continue to face discrimination, stigma, the denial of their basic rights, hatred, and dehumanization, the High Commissioner underlined. In some places, children from ethnic minorities are prevented from learning in their mother tongue. Families are forced to assimilate, creating barriers between generations and placing entire cultures at risk of erasure, he said. “Race remains the most common ground for discrimination globally. Yet many countries still lack anti-racism legislation, and not even a quarter have comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.” Hate speech is spreading unchecked – even in societies that pride themselves on tolerance. Migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers are subjected to derogatory language and racial profiling, said Mr. Turk. “Where we have data, it shows that around seventy per cent of those targeted by online hate speech belong to minority groups.” “Biased media coverage cultivates prejudice and shapes the geography of our attention. Some countries and regions – some lives – are deemed more worthy of our interest than others,” he added. The rights chief said these patterns cause real pain: a Roma child placed in a segregated class; a pregnant migrant woman denied the care she needs; a Black person shot by police simply on the basis of their appearance. “At the global level, our political and economic systems still reflect centuries of exploitation,” he further said. The rights chief pointed out that as climate change accelerates, countries with economies that were shaped by colonialism are among those bearing the brunt. Environmental degradation and overreliance on a small number of industries, including mining and other harmful extractive activities, have left them disproportionately exposed to climate shocks they did little to cause, he said. Systemic poverty, inequality, and limited access to basic services make racialized communities around the world highly vulnerable to extreme weather, said the High Commissioner. White supremacy and oppression also strike at the roots of global peace and security. In many ongoing conflicts, decades of severe racial and ethnic discrimination have fuelled unimaginable atrocities. The rights chief recalled that in his book “Identity and Violence”, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen described how a reductionist view of people’s humanity has driven violence throughout history. “Those who propagate hatred have clearly succeeded in sowing distrust and chaos in our societies. This may be good news for these people,” said Mr. Turk. “But I also have some bad news for them: people’s quest for justice and dignity is unshakeable. It is innate to what makes us human, and it will always prevail over delusional supremacist ideas,” he added. History shows that movements for equality and human rights can’t be held back, he said, pointing, for example, to peaceful protesters gathering outside the Sharpeville police station; Ruby Bridges walking bravely into an all- white school; Ana Paula Gomes de Oliveira seeking justice for Afro-Brazilian mothers who lost their children to police violence; and Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away last month, campaigning for justice for the poor communities. “These and countless other acts of resistance have changed the face of our world. Today, we owe them nothing less than an all-out effort to safeguard and advance this progress.” He said this starts with political will – the will to fight discrimination through laws that are robustly enforced; the will to focus on solutions and to foster empathy and compassion, both in words and in action; the will to strengthen accountability for all forms of racial discrimination and hatred, and to ensure justice for victims and their families; the will to work together with civil society, human rights defenders, national human rights institutions, and affected communities to find lasting solutions; the will to regulate business activities, exposing and dismantling exploitative networks and practices; the will to make online spaces safer and to prevent racism from seeping into the algorithms that impact our lives; and the will to confront the legacies of the past, including enslavement and colonialism, and to repair the damage done. The High Commissioner highlighted the need to go beyond rhetoric and take action to reform outdated systems of global governance – economic, financial, and political – that have much of the world in a choke-hold. States need to be able to access the resources they need to realize the human rights of their people, and they need to have a say in setting the rules of the global economy, Mr. Turk said, pointing out that racism is not only unjust and unlawful, it is morally and intellectually bankrupt. “By questioning our assumptions, by verifying facts, and by learning about history and human rights, we can see through the tactics of distraction and recognize our shared humanity,” he said. In this regard, he called for the dismantling of the barriers that hold people back until they disappear completely, and to confront, call out, and act against racism, every time. Being anti-racist does not mean standing with one group against another. It means standing on the side of human rights and justice – for all, the High Commissioner concluded. +
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