(c) Shahar Azran / World Jewish Congress
Nations Secretary General António Guterres called for a global fight against the “plague of racism,” and condemned the “murderous act of police brutality” against George Floyd in a letter to United Nations staff on 9 June.
Racism is abhorrent, nasty, and must be rejected everywhere at any moment, condemned in a clear way. Racism is the rejection of our common humanity, which is a central aspect against the Charter of the @UN.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 10, 2020
“The position of the United Nations on racism is crystal clear: this scourge violates the United Nations Charter and debases our core values,” Guterres wrote. “Every day, in our work across the world, we strive to do our part to promote inclusion, justice, dignity and combat racism in all its manifestations.”
“The United Nations has a proud record of fighting racism and all forms of discrimination, from our leading role in the struggle against apartheid to the welcome extended to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,” Guterres added.
Guterres also released a transcript of his remarks at a town hall meeting on 4 June. He said that “the primacy of reason, tolerance, mutual respect” are being questioned because of white nationalism, xenophobia, and hatred. Guterres also noted that there is a “racist dimension” of antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment, adding that “racism is in the center of many other things that we deal with and fight against.”
The remarks by Guterres come after similar comments from the Secretary General in the past few months. In the beginning of May, Guterres called on "everyone, everywhere, to stand up against hate, treat each other with dignity and take every opportunity to spread kindness." Less than a week later, on 12 May, Guterres called on religious leaders worldwide to challenge “inaccurate and harmful messages” that are fueling hate.
