White supremacy a global threat, says UN chief

‘These extremist movements represent the number one internal security threat in several countries,’ Antonio Guterres warns

Members of the far-right group Proud Boys make 'OK' hand gestures indicating "white power" ((Reuters))

White supremacy constitutes a “trans-national” threat, the UN secretary general has warned.

Antonio Guterres also said racist groups had exploited the coronavirus pandemic to boost their support.

The danger was growing by the day, he told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

He said: “White supremacy and neo-Nazi movements are more than domestic terror threats. They are becoming a transnational threat.

“Today, these extremist movements represent the number one internal security threat in several countries.

“Far too often, these hate groups are cheered on by people in positions of responsibility in ways that were considered unimaginable not long ago.

“We need global coordinated action to defeat this grave and growing danger.”

Mr Guterres’ comments appeared to be a jab at Donald Trump, who encouraged his supporters on the far-right on a number of occasions such as when he told the Proud Boys group to “stand back and stand by” during a presidential election debate.

His successor, Joe Biden, has said the 6 January siege of the US Capitol by Trump supporters was carried out by “thugs, insurrectionists, political extremists and white supremacists”.

The comments also came as France moved to ban the white supremacist group Generation Identity, which is active in a number of European countries.

Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, is due to report on 18 March on a global inquiry the body launched after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis last May, when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

In a further remark, Mr Guterres also accused authorities in some countries of using the Covid-19 crisis to deploy “heavy-handed security responses and emergency measures to crush dissent”, without naming names.

“At times, access to life-saving Covid-19 information has been concealed while deadly misinformation has been amplified, including by those in power,” he said.

Mr Guterres also warned about the power of digital platforms and the use and abuse of data.

“I urge all member states to place human rights at the centre of regulatory frameworks and legislation on the development and use of digital technologies,” he said. “We need a safe, equitable and open digital future that does not infringe on privacy or dignity.”

Additional reporting by Reuters