OMM Redaksiyası
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “concrete measures” to address the enduring consequences of slavery, colonialism and racial discrimination.
Speaking at a high-level UN meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Guterres said reparatory justice should be grounded in international human rights law.
He said racial discrimination appears in various forms, including inequality, discriminatory laws and institutions, and the denial of rights and equal opportunities.
Guterres warns of online hate and disinformation
The UN chief also warned that digital technologies are amplifying hate speech and disinformation, spreading “lies and harmful stereotypes” and contributing to violence and abuse.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” Guterres said.
He urged governments to strengthen and enforce anti-discrimination laws, dismantle systemic discrimination and invest in inclusive societies.
Guterres called on technology companies to identify and address bias in artificial intelligence systems and ensure that digital technologies promote equality and inclusion.
Call for international commitments
The secretary-general urged countries to make the second International Decade for People of African Descent “a decade of concrete change”. He also called for universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
US boycotts commemoration
The United States is boycotting the commemoration. Jeff Bartos, the US ambassador for management and reform at the UN, said Washington would not participate in what he described as the Durban conference’s “poisonous legacy”.
Bartos urged other countries to reject what he called the conference’s anti-American and anti-Western legacy.
The United States withdrew from the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban. Bartos said Washington’s decision was linked to what the US viewed as the conference’s treatment of Israel and Western countries.
