In hard
The world is facing a “moral crisis” marked by rising authoritarianism, deepening inequality and a dangerous indifference to human suffering, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns in a powerful address on human rights.
Rising authoritarianism
The Secretary-General warned that authoritarian tactics are on the rise globally.
“We are witnessing a surge in repressive tactics aiming at corroding respect for human rights,” he said. “And these are contaminating some democracies.”
Political opposition movements are being crushed, accountability mechanisms dismantled, journalists and activists silenced, civic space strangled and minorities scapegoated.
Rights of women and girls in particular are being rolled back, most starkly, he said, in Afghanistan.
“This is not a series of isolated events. It is a global contagion.”
Weaponisation of technology
He decried the growing weaponisation of digital platforms, saying algorithms are “boosting the worst of humanity, rewarding falsehoods, fuelling racism and misogyny and deepening division”.
He called on governments to uphold the Global Digital Compact adopted by countries at the UN General Assembly last September and to take stronger action to combat online hate and disinformation.
Climate justice is human rights
Turning to climate, Mr. Guterres described the environmental emergency as a “human rights catastrophe”, with the poorest and most vulnerable communities suffering most.
He welcomed the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s advisory opinion this week, affirming that climate change is a human rights issue and that States have obligations under international law to protect the global climate system.
But, he cautioned against a transition to clean energy that sacrifices human rights.
“We cannot accept a clean energy future built on dirty practices…We cannot accept enormous violations of human rights, many of them against children, in the name of climate progress.”
He called for urgent emissions cuts, a just transition away from fossil fuels and real financing for developing countries to adapt, build resilience and recover from loss and damage.
A legacy of activism
The Secretary-General concluded by praising Amnesty International’s decades of activism, calling its work “indispensable” to the global human rights movement.
“When you stand for human rights, you stand with what is right,” he told delegates.
“Your courage continues to change lives. Your persistence is shifting the course of history. Let’s keep going. Let’s meet this moment with the urgency it demands. And let’s never, ever give up.”
Founded in 1961, Amnesty International is a global human rights movement that campaigns to end abuses and promote justice. The organization has long worked in collaboration with the United Nations, participating actively in the development of international human rights law and mechanisms.
Today’s speech by Mr. Guterres is first-ever address by a UN Secretary-General to Amnesty International’s Global Assembly, the charity’s highest decision-making body. The UN chief spoke via a video link to the event in Prague.
