ORAL STATEMENT
Humanists International
54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (11 September to 13 October 2023)
General Debate on Item 9: Follow-up and implementation of the Durban Declaration
Whilst the Durban Declaration condemns “nationalist ideologies based on racial or national prejudice,” throughout Europe we are continuing to see a rise in far-right political influence, and the promotion of ideologies based on religious- and ethno- nationalism and supremacy.
It is a movement which, as observed by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism,[1] limits ‘the people’ to a “particular racial, ethnic or religious group understood to be the only legitimate national group.” Those demarcated as outside the group are demonized as a threat to the survival and preservation of the nation, and as such, a seemingly legitimate target for discrimination and hate.
Across Europe, there are parties in power with Nazi and neo-fascist roots. There are political leaders, including government representatives, openly subscribing to the great replacement theory[2] or warning of “ethnic replacement”[3] or the nation becoming “mixed race.”[4] Others have been associated with neo-Nazism or have expressed openly racist views.[5]
Even where they do not hold political positions, we see an increasing normalisation of the far-right’s policies within the mainstream, fuelling discrimination based on xenophobic and racist scapegoating. They exploit social media and alternative platforms, and “attention hack” with hate and fear campaigns, and disinformation.[6]
Durban talks of the importance of remembering history to avert future tragedies; Mr. President, we have trodden this path before and know the dangers of standing by whilst ethno-nationalism and supremacist ideologies seep into wider acceptance. A world where what had previously provoked horror and outrage becomes something that is seen as the norm. It behoves us all to remember.
[1] A/73/305, para 11.
[2] https://nltimes.nl/2022/05/19/replacement-theory-report-public-broadcaster-shocks-dutch-mps, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HGQTmOOeCZAVZIedZB0NG3P-X-V6gTJbaSxzOsxXSIA/edit
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65324319
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/24/viktor-orban-against-race-mixing-europe-hungary
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/11/finnish-far-right-finance-minister-riikka-purra-accused-of-racist-online-comments, https://www.politico.eu/article/finlands-economy-minister-resigns-after-nazi-references/, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bysq87nfh, https://www.dw.com/en/afd-leaders-and-their-most-offensive-remarks/g-37651099, https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2023/02/23/ex-far-right-lawmaker-to-face-holocaust-denial-charges/, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/swedish-far-right-politician-caught-sharing-racist-images-about-black-people/2678674, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48018110, https://www.euractiv.com/section/non-discrimination/news/french-far-right-mp-excluded-from-parliament-over-racist-comment/ , https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/06/343055/racist-comment-from-vox-mp-to-muslim-colleague-sparks-outrage
[6] For example: https://www.brusselstimes.com/596115/vlaams-belang-breaks-political-ad-spending-record-ahead-of-flanders-day; https://www.brusselstimes.com/350720/vlaams-belang-spent-e20000-on-facebook-ads-to-incite-anti-immigrant-sentiments; https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/23/italy-elections-who-has-spent-the-most-money-on-facebook-ads; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334155685_The_Rise_of_Germany’s_AfD_A_Social_Media_Analysis, https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-publications/in-the-blind-spot-how-right-wing-extremists-use-alternative-platforms-for-radicalisation/; https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/groups/compendium/what-is-the-relationship-between-the-far-right-and-the-media.html; https://time.com/5627494/we-analyzed-how-the-great-replacement-and-far-right-ideas-spread-online-the-trends-reveal-deep-concerns/,
'Rise of Far-Right in Europe', Humanists International