United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk has strongly criticized politicians and some media outlets for scapegoating migrants, refugees, and minorities during election campaigns in countries such as Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Speaking at the opening of the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, Türk urged all voters to be vigilant and warned against "strongman" politicians.
“Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance continue to plague societies, propped up by entrenched power structures, vested interests, institutional inertia and harmful stereotypes, often rooted in legacies of colonialism and enslavement,“ the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
Türk noted that while some progress has been made on these issues, it remained uneven and insufficient. In far too many states, in all regions of the world, socio-economic inequalities had deepened as a result.
“Then there are those politicians, amplified by some media outlets, who scapegoat migrants, refugees, and minorities, as we have seen, for example, around electoral periods in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, to name a few”, he said.
“They capitalize on anxiety and despair, pitting one group against the other, and they seek to distract and divide.”
Türk said that history had shown that hateful words could trigger hateful actions.
Important elections have recently taken place, including national parliamentary elections in countries such as France and the United Kingdom, and state elections in Germany. The United States will hold congressional and presidential elections later this year.
Migrants, refugees, and other minorities have been scapegoated by many political parties, especially those on the extreme right and the far right, but also by formerly moderate parties. Many political parties and some governments continue to pursue political agendas that violate international human rights obligations and seek to restrict the protection of rights, particularly in Germany and the United States.
“Political leadership grounded in human rights and evidence-based debate are the antidote to all of this. This is the only way to tackle the real challenges that people face in areas such as health, housing, employment and social protection,” he said.
“More broadly, with some elections already having taken place, and others still to come this year, I urge all voters to keep in mind the issues that matter most to them – be it a home, education for their children, their health or job, justice, their family and loved ones, the environment, to be free from violence, tackling corruption, being heard.”
Noting that they were all human rights issues, the human rights chief urged voters to ask themselves which of the political platforms or candidates “will work for the human rights of everyone”.
“Which will promote equality of opportunity and strive to foster economies that offer decent work for decent pay? Which of the political parties have human rights and solidarity as part of their vision, rather than undermining them?” he asked, urging all voters to be vigilant.
“Be wary of the shrill voices, the ‘strongman’ types that throw glitter in our eyes, offering illusory solutions that deny reality. As I said earlier, know that when one group is singled out as a scapegoat for society’s ills, one day your own might be next.”
Türk told the Human Rights Council that “human rights are not in crisis. But political leadership needed to make them a reality is,” adding that “in every region around the world, we see deep-seated power dynamics at play to grab or hold on to power, at the expense of universal human rights.”
In his global update, the High Commissioner also addressed other major human rights issues, such as widespread impunity and horrific violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Türk recalled that 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions that established the laws of war, while the UN Charter, with its promise to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," was adopted nearly 80 years ago.
“And yet, here we are,” he remarked. “With a crossing of innumerable red lines, or readiness to toe right up to them.”
The High Commissioner also drew attention to some of the world's worst conflicts, including the war in Gaza, the war in Sudan, the conflict in Ukraine and the civil war in Myanmar. He said that in many of these situations, even minimal humanitarian assistance to civilians has been exploited, diverted or blocked, as had access for human rights monitors.
He stressed that states must not - cannot - accept blatant disregard for international law, including binding decisions of the UN Security Council and orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Türk deplored the discrediting of multilateral institutions or attempts to rewrite international rules by chipping away at universally accepted norms.
“This cannot be the world we want – as individuals, for our families and loved ones, for our societies, and for our global community and future generations. We can and must make a different choice. Reconnect with our common humanity, nature, and our planet.”
Türk added: “In other words, we could choose to be guided by human rights and the universal values that we all share.”
“Governments and other actors will not always like what we [the UN human rights office] have to say. That is inherent to the very nature of human rights. But I urge you not to kill the messenger, and instead to focus on furthering our fundamental common objective: the promotion and protection of human rights for everyone, everywhere,” he said.
Further information
Full text: Human Rights are our mainstay against unbridled power, Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speech, 57th session of the Human Rights Council, delivered September 9, 2024
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/09/human-rights-are-our-mainstay-against-unbridled-power