United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday the combination of “white supremacy” and neo-Nazi movements makes for a “transnational threat” through their manipulation of the responses to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Reuters reports Guterres, a former Socialist Party prime minister in his native Portugal, used an address to the U.N. Human Rights Council to call for a global coordinated crackdown:
“White supremacy and neo-Nazi movements are more than domestic terror threats,” the veteran left-wing diplomat said. “They are becoming a transnational threat. Today, these extremist movements represent the number one internal security threat in several countries.”
Without offering any examples of countries he believes are facing this exisential threat, Guterres called for international action to defeat the dangers as part of his long-standing commitment to “more robust global governance.”
“Far too often, these hate groups are cheered on by people in positions of responsibility in ways that were considered unimaginable not long ago,” Guterres said. “We need global coordinated action to defeat this grave and growing danger.”
Guterres pointed to governments and health authorities who used “heavy-handed security responses and emergency measures to crush dissent.”
“At times, access to life-saving COVID-19 information has been concealed – while deadly misinformation has been amplified – including by those in power,” he said.
Guterres warned about the power of digital platforms and the use and abuse of data.
“I urge all Member States to place human rights at the centre of regulatory frameworks and legislation on the development and use of digital technologies,” he said. “We need a safe, equitable and open digital future that does not infringe on privacy or dignity.”
This is not the first time Guterres has used the backdrop of international turmoil to offer commentary on world affairs.
As Breitbart News reported, last year he said the world needs an overarching level of multilateral governance that can sideline problematic “national interests.”
He claimed in the 21st century, governments are no longer the only political and power reality, adding “we need an effective multilateralism that can function as an instrument of global governance where it is needed.”
Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and secretary-general of the Portuguese Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002.
The 72-year-old career politician served as president of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005 before moving on to the United Nations.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.