UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks about Human rights on Human Rights Day

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, December 10, lamented the state of human rights in the world today saying they were under assault. The top diplomat, who was speaking on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day, said it while calling human rights “the foundation for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies”. 

Guterres uttered how people’s human rights were getting eroded and infringed in their everyday lives and that the world is moving away from the ideals of peace, justice, dignity, prosperity, and inclusivity in all societies for all peoples. 

He said, “On Human Rights Day, we face a harsh truth. Human rights are under assault. Tens of millions of people are mired in poverty, hunger, poor health and education systems that have not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Global inequalities are running rampant. Conflicts are intensifying. International law is wilfully ignored. Authoritarianism is on the march while civic space is shrinking. Hateful rhetoric is fuelling discrimination, division, and outright violence. And women’s rights continue to be rolled back in law and practice.”

Mentioning this year’s Human Rights Day theme as ‘Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now’, Guterres said it reminds all that human rights are about building the future right at this moment and tells global leaders that “all human rights are indivisible”. 

The UN secretary-general’s alarming words come at a time when the world is witnessing large-scale killings in wars and conflicts like in Ukraine and Gaza and protests and uprisings in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Syria. Tensions between regional and global powers are on the rise, raising concerns over a possible Third World War. Factors like hate speech and misinformation on social media have made the challenges more complicated.

In his speech, Guterres said countries have an opportunity “to change perceptions by speaking up against hate speech, correcting misinformation, and countering disinformation”.

Inviting the international fraternity to protect all human rights for all people, the top UN official urged them to be guided by the principles of the Pact for the Future adopted recently. The pact is a comprehensive international agreement to cover new areas and address issues for which solutions were not available before. 

“The recently adopted Pact for the Future reinforced the world’s commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Guterres said in his speech. 

Guterres also reminded that all human rights are compromised if any one – whether it is economic, social, civic, cultural or political – is undermined. He spoke about dealing with poverty and hunger; ensuring universal healthcare and education; guaranteeing justice and equality for women, girls and minorities; upholding democracy, freedom of the press and rights of workers; promoting a safe, clean and healthy and sustainable environment; and also protecting those who defend human rights.   

World Human Rights Day 2024

Human Rights Day is observed all over the world on December 10 every year to commemorate the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the wake of the Second Great War. The formal inception of day dates from 1950 after the assembly passed resolution 423(V) requesting all states and inter-state organizations to adopt the date as the Human Rights Day. Each year on this day, the UN and its human rights wings and officials make an appeal to make the world a better place for human rights. This year, the UN called along with Guterres “action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights”.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a message on Human Rights Day 2024: “Human rights are simple, powerful ideas that motivate people to stand up for themselves – so they pose a threat to autocrats, populists and authoritarians of all kinds. Previous generations fought and even died for human rights. The right to vote. The right to protest. The right to work, and to equal pay for women. 

“The right to be seen, heard, and counted. Our forebears took to the streets, to parliaments and to the courts to fight against colonialism and apartheid, discrimination, inequality, slavery and racism. They built the international human rights system, bringing real improvements to the lives of people around the world. Our humanity is robust.”

The UN has taken several steps over the years to improve the world’s human rights situation even though they have come under constant attack through wars and oppression. Besides establishing institutions and promoting awareness, steps have been taken to train justice personnel and strive for a clean and healthy environment as a part of human right.