“India has a duty to define global human rights, and to defend and promote the rights of all persons, including members of minority populations,” said UN secretary general Antonio Guterres on Wednesday in Mumbai. ” India’s voice on the global stage can only gain in authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home,” he told IIT-Bombay students.
‘Need to condemn hate speech, shield rights’
On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that the Indian concept of plurality is built on the straightforward but deep insight that variety is a richness that strengthens the nation. “That understanding is the birthright of every Indian, but it is not a guarantee. It must be nurtured, strengthened and renewed every day,” This, he continued, could be accomplished by living up to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, protecting and upholding the rights and dignity of everyone, especially the most vulnerable, by taking proactive steps to promote inclusion, and by appreciating the enormous value and contributions of multicultural, multireligious, and multiethnic societies.
In addition, Guterres emphasised the need of upholding the rights and freedoms of journalists, human rights advocates, students, and intellectuals as well as preserving the independence of India’s judiciary. He said, “I urge Indians to be vigilant and to increase investments in inclusive, pluralistic communities and societies,”
He remarked that more work has to be done to enhance women’s rights in India and throughout the world while discussing gender equality. He also referred to violence against women as a ‘big cancer’and urged the creation of an urgent strategy to combat it in every nation. According to him, the UN is aiming to achieve gender parity within its framework. “I must confess there is one problem that I didn’t manage to solve. Many people thought, and I fully respect that, the secretary general of UN must be a woman,” he said.
According to Guterres, India is enhancing its influence on the global stage by providing assistance to its neighbours, including Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, through ‘your donations of medicines, equipment and vaccines at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, through your humanitarian assistance and development finance in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’. Furthermore, according to Guterres, the G20 countries are in charge of 80% of world emissions and must take the initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He called on developing nations to fill the mitigating gap.
