“The racial abuse that Real Madrid footballer Vinícius Júnior faced once again in Spain last Sunday is a stark reminder of the prevalence of racism in sport”, said this Wednesday the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
At a press conference in Geneva, Volker Türk thus referred to the case of the Brazilian player who has been repeatedly subjected to racist insults during his time in the Spanish soccer league and who has aroused the outcry of human rights defenders, even giving rise to an official claim by the President of Brazil, Inácio Lula da Silva, to the Government of Spain during the recent G7 Summit in Japan, which his country attended as a guest observer.
Türk called on the organizers of sporting events to implement strategies to prevent and counter racism.
He recalled that three years ago, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in the United States in a case that, due to its media coverage, brought those responsible to court, but that “small measure of justice continues to be exceptional”, he added, since deaths and injuries of people of African descent continue to be reported during or after interactions with law enforcement in various countries.
For Türk, in addition to having firm and prompt action by the authorities to guarantee justice in each case, there must be address the broader manifestations of systemic racism that permeate all aspects of the lives of Afro-descendants.
“Much more needs to be done to eradicate racial discrimination, and start by listening to people of African descentsubstantively involving them and taking genuine steps to act on their concerns,” he stressed.
misogyny is a cancer
In an overview of human rights violations in the world today, Türk spoke of misogyny as a disease that, in combination with violence, is “cancerous” and cited what happens in Afghanistan, where women live a regime of “apartheid of genre” that excludes them from public life, affecting the development of the country.
“I will never understand how someone can so cruelly trample on the spirit of girls and women, undermining its potential and plunging the country deeper into poverty and the most abject despair. It is crucial, for the sake of the people of Afghanistan, the future of the country and the region in general, that repressive policies against women and girls are immediately reversed,” she stressed.
Iran was the other country listed in the section on violations of the rights of women and girls, who face legal, social and economic measures stricter in the application of discriminatory laws on the compulsory use of the headscarf. “I urge the government to listen to the Iranians’ calls for reform and start by repealing the rules that penalize non-compliance with mandatory dress codes,” he said.
Sexual violence in Sudan
One of the most prominent topics at the press conference was the conflict in Sudan, to which the High Commissioner called it “nonsense””, calling on the parties to immediately stop the hostilities.
Likewise, he ordered the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, in conflict since April 15, to make it clear to those under their command that will not tolerate sexual violence and that all perpetrators will be held accountable.
He explained that for the moment, his Office has received reports of at least 25 cases of sexual violence in Khartoum and Darfur, although he warned that the actual number is most likely much higher.
Türk also regretted the exposure of civilians to armed violencenoting that many are under virtual siege in areas where fighting has been constant.
And all these flagrant violations occur with near-total impunity. “Efforts to end this conflict must focus on human rights and the accountabilityso that peace is sustained”, he emphasized.
Disinformation and vulnerable groups
The High Commissioner warned of the misinformation that fuels movements against the human rights of certain population groups such as the LGBTQI+ community and migrants and refugees.
Of non-binary people, she indicated that the worsening laws that criminalize them, such as the recently adopted legislation in Uganda, are concerning.
Regarding migrants and refugees, he listed the hate speech against you and anti-immigrant laws and policiesciting recent events in the UK, US, Italy, Greece and Lebanon.
In this sense, Türk advocated solidarity and respect for the rights of all people in vulnerable situations and warned that pitting people against each other is always detrimental for society as a whole.
He also invited the press to help combat misinformation and manipulation to protect the rights of people, remembering that “the dignity and worth of every human being should not and cannot be a questionable concept”.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is another concern in terms of human rights, especially due to the rapid way in which it advances and permeates all aspects of the life of societies.
Türk recognized that the opportunities of this technology are immense, but warned that the risks are also immense and fought for the integration of human rights throughout the development cycle and use of artificial intelligence.
“Both governments and companies must do more to ensure that establish security measures. My Office is carefully following and studying these issues,” she added.
Finally, Türk asserted that all countries can and should improve on human rights and hoped that the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, celebrated this year, “provides the space and inspiration to go back to basics, to find the roots of humanity and the values of human rights in each one of the cultures, histories and religions”, he concluded, rejecting the politicization of the fundamental guarantees.
