[E-rundbrief] Info 1833 - UN Guterres at the Human Rights Council 25.2.2019

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief Info 1833 - UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the 
40th session of the Human Rights Council 25.2.2019.

Bad Ischl, 26.2.2019

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https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1033452

Youth, indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees boost hope for human 
rights: Guterres

25 February 2019

Human Rights

People’s rights are under fire “in many parts of the globe,” UN 
Secretary-General António Guterres told the Human Rights Council on 
Monday, before insisting that he was not “losing hope”, thanks to the 
progress made by powerful grassroots movements for social justice.

Addressing the Geneva-based forum on the opening day of its 40th 
session, Mr. Guterres underlined the Council’s key role as the 
“epicentre” for dialogue and cooperation on all human rights issues: 
civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

Beyond its doors, other key voices were also demanding their rights 
and making their voices heard, he said, particularly “youth, 
indigenous people, migrants and refugees”.

Milestones have been reached in recent years, that are key to human 
rights, the UN chief maintained. “One billion people have been lifted 
out of extreme poverty in just a generation,” he said. “More than two 
billion people have gained access to improved sanitation. And more 
than 2.5 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water 
resources. The mortality rate for children under five has declined by 
almost 60 per cent.”

Despite this, the UN chief insisted that ongoing gender inequality 
remains a major modern-day challenge: “Untold women and girls still 
face insecurity, violence and other violations of their rights every 
day,” he insisted, while glass ceilings “abound”.

“It will take two centuries to close the gap in economic empowerment,” 
he continued. “I do not accept a world that tells my granddaughters 
that economic equality can wait for their granddaughter’s 
granddaughters. I know you agree. Our world cannot wait.”
Human rights ‘is DNA of UN’s founding Charter’

In his 15-minute address, Mr. Guterres touched on his own experience 
living under the dictatorship of António Salazar, the authoritarian 
ruler of Portugal who oppressed both his fellow citizens at home and 
the people of the then-Portuguese colonies in Africa.

“It was the human rights struggles and successes of others around the 
world that moved us to believe in change and to make that change 
happen,” Mr. Guterres said of Portugal’s struggle to rid itself of the 
Salazar regime. “Human rights inspire and drive progress. And that 
truth is the animating spirit of this Council. It is the DNA of our 
Organization’s founding Charter. And it is vital to addressing the 
ills of our world.”
‘Clear threats’ must be addressed: General Assembly President

The Secretary-General’s concern about conflict and instability around 
the globe was echoed by the President of the UN General Assembly, 
María Fernanda Espinosa, in her address.

“Political crises, wars, transnational organized crime, social 
exclusion and lack of access to justice, constitute clear threats that 
demand adequate answers from this Council and from the entire 
international system for the protection of human rights,” she said.

In common with the UN chief, Ms. Espinosa expressed concern about the 
widening gap between the planet’s haves and have-nots.

“Perhaps one of the most sensitive challenges for the human rights 
agenda is inequality,” she said. “The concentration of wealth has 
increased to such an extent that, in 2018, 26 individuals had more 
money than the 3,800 million poorest people on the planet.”
Climate change a priority that States ignore at their peril: Bachelet

In her address to the Council, Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner 
for Human Rights, highlighted the dangers of ignoring climate change.

“How can any State’s interests be advanced by policies that damage the 
well-being of all humans?” she said. “This is true of climate change; 
you may know the saying, ‘If you think economic interests are more 
important than environment, try counting your money while holding your 
breath.’”
[Michelle Bachelet (center left), High Commissioner for Human Rights 
attends the High-level panel on human rights mainstreaming of the 40th 
session of the Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations, in 
Geneva. At her immediate right is María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, 
President of the UN General Assembly.]
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
Michelle Bachelet (center left), High Commissioner for Human Rights 
attends the High-level panel on human rights mainstreaming of the 40th 
session of the Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations, in 
Geneva. At her immediate right is María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, 
President of the UN General Assembly.



Ms. Bachelet also hailed the young climate activists inspired by 
Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg.

The 16-year-old who had grabbed the attention of the world’s media, 
recently travelled to the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) in 
Switzerland where she called for the world’s decision makers to take 
swifter action to limit carbon dioxide emissions and reduce global 
temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

“In recent weeks I have watched children marching for sound climate 
change policies and other measures,” the High Commissioner said. “As a 
parent, a grandparent and quite simply as a human being, they inspire 
in me a fierce determination to continue our struggle to uphold their 
rights.”
Hate speech ‘spreads like wildfire’

In addition to improving women’s rights, the UN Secretary-General 
expressed alarm about the “shrinking civil space in every region of 
the globe”; and a rise in harassment, attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.

“Hate speech is a menace to democratic values, social stability and 
peace,” Mr. Guterres said. “It spreads like wildfire through social 
media, the internet and conspiracy theories. It is abetted by public 
discourses that stigmatizes women, minorities, migrants and refugees 
and any so-called ‘other’. Indeed, hate is moving into the mainstream, 
in liberal democracies and authoritarian States alike.”

To tackle this, the UN chief announced the creation of a fast-track 
strategy to scale up the organization’s response to hate speech and 
present a global plan of action, headed by his Special Adviser for the 
Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng.

This kind of initiative was necessary in light of the political 
capital earned at the expense of migrants and refugees, who some 
leaders had blamed for a rise in crime and terrorism, the 
Secretary-General insisted.

“We must re-establish the integrity of the international refugee 
protection regime and continue to work for common values and 
international cooperation to reassert rights and help protect people 
from ruthless traffickers, smugglers and other predators,” he said.

The current session of the Human Rights Council continues until 22 March.



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