UNITED NATIONS: Amid the rise of authoritarianism, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has advocated for the promotion and respect of human rights ‘every day, for everyone, everywhere’ to foster peace and universal dignity.
In a message marking Human Rights Day, he expressed concern about the shrinking civic space, attacks on the media, persistent gender inequality, and the rollback of women’s reproductive rights.
Guterres highlighted the current global challenges, including ongoing conflicts, escalating poverty and hunger, deepening inequalities, and the climate crisis disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable. Emphasizing the crucial role of human rights, he urged Member States to reinforce their commitment to the values of the Universal Declaration as global frameworks are updated.
Fai Urges UN Action on Kashmir Human Rights Violations
Meanwhile, Ghulam Nabi Fai, a prominent Kashmiri leader and chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice, drew attention to the longstanding human rights violations by Indian occupation forces in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Fai called on the United Nations to leverage its influence to halt these abuses, asserting that international indifference to the Kashmir issue stems from India’s dominance in South Asia and its lucrative consumer market.
Fai cautioned against overlooking the gravity of the situation, quoting Arundhati Roy, a renowned Indian author, who warned that ‘Kashmir is the real theatre of unspeakable violence and moral corrosion that can spin us into violence and nuclear war at any moment.’ Fai urged the world body and rational elements in American policy agencies to heed this warning and address the conflict in Kashmir to prevent further escalation.”
