The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, denounced this Wednesday the existence throughout the world of a “wave” of xenophobia, racism, violent misogyny and hatred against different religious groups.
“Neo-Nazi white supremacist groups represent the biggest and fastest growing internal security threat in many countries today”Guterres recalled in a speech before the Security Council.
The Portuguese recalled that evils such as the demonization of the other, the contempt for diversity and the violation of rights are not new, but now they are advancing at a speed never seen before.
“Social media has equipped hate mongers with a global megaphone for bile. Today, no conspiracy is too outrageous to find a wide audience; there is no excessively absurd falsehood to fuel the online frenzy,” Guterres said.
The head of the United Nations lamented that even “blatant lies” are gaining credibility on an equal footing with facts and science and are often championed by political leaders.
Hate-fueled ideas and language are moving from the margins to the mainstream, he warned, and its effects are deadly, as shown by the fact that those responsible for some of the most notorious attacks in recent years against mosques, synagogues and churches were people who had been radicalized on the internet.
“Hate feeds the worst impulses of humanity. It is a catalyst for polarization and radicalization and the pathway to atrocities,” he insisted.
Guterres – who this week already presented a plan to combat hate and misinformation on the internet – asked the powers of the Security Council to act in this area, encouraged all countries to promote diversity as a wealth and demanded a reinforcement of values such as compassion, respect and fraternity.
His speech was part of a meeting dedicated precisely to promoting these principles in order to maintain peace, a meeting organized by the United Arab Emirates and in which the great imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al, also took part, among others. Tayeb, and the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher.
At the end of it, the fifteen countries of the Security Council unanimously approved -something that only happens on a few occasions- a resolution in which they recognize that hatred, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination and other forms of intolerance can contribute to the outbreak or worsening of conflicts and urge the international community to publicly condemn such demonstrations.
They also call on religious leaders and other influential figures to speak out against hate speech and try to promote tolerance, while stressing the importance of dialogue between religions and cultures.
In addition, they call on governments to promote the full participation of women in leadership positions at all levels in order to promote tolerance, peace and strengthen social cohesion and gender equality.