UN Human Rights chief warns of looming 'dystopian future': Video
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has cautioned that the world is on a dangerous path towards a 'dystopian future' unless significant changes are made.
Speaking at the opening session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 9, Turk highlighted several critical issues -military escalation, repression among others- if left unaddressed, could lead to widespread suffering and instability for the next generation.
"It seems to me we are at a fork in the road. We can either continue on our current path — a treacherous 'new normal' — and sleepwalk into a dystopian future. Or we can wake up and turn things around for the better, for humanity and the planet," Turk said in an AFP footage.
The UN rights chief also called out top economies that allow these tensions and conflicts to fester just for their selfish political gains.
"There are those politicians, amplified by some media outlets, who scapegoat migrants, refugees, and minorities, as we have seen, for example, around electoral periods in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, to name a few. They capitalise on anxiety and despair, pitting one group against the other, and they seek to distract and divide. History has shown us that hateful words can trigger hateful actions."
The world in a decade has witnessed some of the most dangerous military takeovers, wars and media repression it has ever seen.
Beyond the Russian-Ukranian war which has lasted over two years (from February 24, 2022 - present), the Gaza Strip and West Bank residents have mourned and buried the dead since the beginning of 2024.
As of Thursday, August 15, Palestine's official health ministry reported 40,005 Palestinians dead and 92,401 wounded.
The conflict erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israeli territories. According to Israel, the militants killed over 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and captured 253 people, taking them into Gaza.
