António Guterres also called on countries in the global community to fight racism and do so on a permanent basis
The world is entering a new era marked by a departure from the principles of rationality and a rise in racism and intolerance, but the international community must make efforts to prevent these destructive ideas from triumphing. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message to the UN Economic and Social Council’s special meeting on combating racism and inequality on Thursday.
“Some observers have come to the sad conclusion that our world is entering a post-Enlightenment era. The values of the Enlightenment – the primacy of reason, tolerance and mutual respect – are disappearing. In their place, we see a proliferation of nationalism, populism, xenophobia, white supremacy and neo-Nazism. Racism is at the heart of this madness”, – he said.
Guterres called on countries in the global community to fight racism and to do so on a permanent basis.
“Racism is a multifaceted cultural phenomenon. Defeating it requires efforts every day and at all levels”, – he added.
The UN Secretary General stressed the need to fight racism in all its manifestations. “We see manifestations of racism and discrimination in growing anti-Semitism, hatred of Muslims, persecution of Christian minorities and other forms of intolerance and xenophobia that are evident around the world,” Guterres said.