UN chief warns of escalating human rights violations on Human Rights Day

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked Human Rights Day with a stark warning Tuesday about escalating violation of human rights globally, calling for collective action to address challenges.

"On Human Rights Day, we face a harsh truth. Human rights are under assault," Guterres said in a video message.

Highlighting the enduring effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Guterres said: "Tens of millions of people are mired in poverty, hunger, poor health, and education systems that have not yet fully recovered."

"Global inequalities are running rampant. Conflicts are intensifying," he said, noting that "all human rights are indivisible."

He warned that when one right is undermined, it weakens the foundation of all others.

Expressing deep concern over the rise of global inequalities, intensifying conflicts, and the erosion of international law, Guterres said: "Authoritarianism is on the march while civic space is shrinking."

He denounced the growing prevalence of "hateful rhetoric is fueling discrimination, division, and outright violence."

Guterres underscored the importance of environmental rights, advocating for "the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment," and called for greater support for human rights defenders, who he described as playing a "vital role" in safeguarding freedoms around the world.

Noting the significance of the Pact for the Future, Guterres described it as a "reinforced commitment" to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 75 years ago.

The pact, which was signed at the "Summit of the Future" ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, encourages "a multilateral system that reflects the realities of today and that delivers for everyone, everywhere."