UN Commissioner: Don’t sleepwalk into a dystopian future
Published: Monday, Sep 9th 2024, 12:10
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The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged governments around the world to actively combat dangerous developments. For example, new military escalations are just as unacceptable as growing inequality.
Türk said this in Geneva at the start of the third and final session of the UN Human Rights Council this year. And it should not be the case that governments block criticism with reference to national sovereignty in order to conceal human rights violations.
No sleepwalking into a terrible future
"I have the impression that we are at a crossroads," Türk said. "We can either continue on our current path - a treacherous 'new normal' - and sleepwalk into a dystopian future. Or we can wake up and turn things around for the better, for humanity and the planet."
A world of oppression, injustice, misery and despair is often described as dystopian.
Women's rights under attack again
Türk also denounced the fact that after decades of progress, women's rights are once again being undermined in many regions of the world. He cited Afghanistan as the most chilling example, where women are to be completely banned from public life. "But everywhere, hatred and subtle, sometimes not so subtle, misogyny are almost normalized online and offline," Türk said.
Warning against "strong men" with glitter
Türk also made an appeal to voters: "Be wary of the shrill voices, the "strong men" who throw glitter in our eyes and offer bogus solutions that deny reality." If one group is singled out as the scapegoat for society's ills, it could well be that your own group could be next.
Solidarity within one's own society and good cohesion are the foundation of international cooperation, said Türk. This enables dialog about the cause of mistrust, for example. "We need to overcome the 'us versus them' mentality and the lack of nuance. The world is far too complex," he said.
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