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	Acting together to secure a sustainable future by Mary Robinson, The Elders   As this year draws to a close, it is hard not to feel daunted by the challenges posed by the current wave of political and economic uncertainty.   All across the world, we see rising levels of xenophobia and intolerance and a narrowing of political vision focused on parochial introspection. Public discourse is increasingly tarnished by harsh and ugly rhetoric, especially online where women and minority groups are targeted for cowardly abuse. This dangerous rise of “uncivil society” threatens us all.   Yet the need for concerted action to tackle global challenges has never been greater. Despite the rise of populist, at times isolationist, figures in several countries I am happy to report that there are many leaders, organisations and ordinary citizens who are still determined to act together to secure a sustainable future for our people and planet.   I saw this for myself at the climate negotiations that took place in Marrakesh, Morocco. After the success of reaching the Paris Agreement at COP21 last year, the focus now is on the hard work of implementation, aiming to keep any rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius or below, holding governments to their word and asserting the imperative of climate justice.   This is painstaking, laborious work but it nevertheless needs leadership - just as much as the high-level political negotiations that gave us the Paris Agreement in the first place.   Fortunately, this leadership exists – even if many of the most developed (and most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions) countries still need to take quicker, bolder action to meet their commitments. In Marrakech, I was very impressed by the Climate Vulnerable Forum: a group of around 47 countries, who are most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, and most committed to a rapid transformation to a carbon-neutral, climate resilient economy.   I was inspired by their call for “a new era of the pursuit of development, ending poverty, leaving no person behind, and protecting the environment”, and for an international cooperative system fully equipped to address climate change. This is precisely the right vision and attitude, and a powerful antidote to the fatalistic gloom that pervades so much of our public discourse.   Only by embracing this holistic approach can we successfully implement not only the Paris Agreement but also the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Taken together – which is absolutely essential, because without action on climate change, the rest of the 2030 Development Agenda will be unachievable – they have the potential to improve the life chances of millions of people across the planet.   This must be a bottom-up approach, where leaders and policymakers show humility, and listen to the experiences and voices of people at the sharp end of climate change, poverty, violence and injustice.   This is no time for naïve or complacent optimism – the challenges ahead are stark, and the voices of hostility are strident.   But as so often the words of Nelson Mandela provide inspiration in dark times. Speaking in 2003, Madiba said that “Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.”   I can think of no better counsel as we move together to continue the fight for our values in the months and years ahead. Visit the related web page
	2016 has been a bad year for human rights across the globe by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights   “2016 has been a disastrous year for human rights across the globe, and if the growing erosion of the carefully constructed system of human rights and rule of law continues to gather momentum, ultimately everyone will suffer,” says Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.   “Many of us are fearful about the way the world is heading,” he said. “Extremist movements subject people to horrific violence. Conflicts and deprivation are forcing families from their homes. Climate change darkens our horizons. Discrimination, yawning economic disparities and the ruthless desire to gain or maintain power at any cost are the principal drivers of current political and human rights crises. Humane values are under attack – and so many people feel overwhelmed, unsure what to do or where to turn.”   “Many leaders are failing to grapple effectively and honestly with these complex social and economic issues,” Zeid said. “So people are turning in desperation to the siren voices exploiting fears, sowing disinformation and division, and making alluring promises they cannot fulfil.”   “But we have learned, through the bitter lessons of history, that humanity will only survive, and thrive, if we seek solutions together. Human rights were intended to be, and still are, the antidote to all of this: everyone has rights – economic and social rights, as well as civil and political rights and the right to development – and it is time to stand up for those rights, not just for yourself but for everyone else.”   “A world where people focus only on the needs of their narrow social, national or religious group, and ignore or attack the equal needs of others, is a world which can very quickly descend into misery and chaos,” Zeid said.   “Human rights are the basis of effective policy, in societies where people know they can trust government and rely on the law. Tearing up the laws and institutions that were so painstakingly built up over the last half of the 20th century – designed to protect all individuals, as well as promote stability and economic well-being – is shortsighted and dangerous. These are not trifles to be tossed aside for personal or political gain,” he added.   “Syria is the starkest example of failure across the board. A conflict that was totally avoidable, had President Assad chosen to listen to the voices of those protesting peacefully and legitimately against human rights violations. Then, instead of working together to stop the fighting and restore order, individual States stoked the conflict, supported the murderers, provided arms, encouraged extremists – in short, collectively, threw international humanitarian law and human rights law out of the window.”   “The results? The strengthening of Daesh and other extreme groups, who then stimulated another war and massive abuses -- very probably including genocide -- in Iraq. The repeated use of chemical weapons. A vast movement of Syrian refugees, which overran the capacity and goodwill of neighbouring countries, and spilled into Europe – where the suddenness and scale of the influx provoked fears which blended with existing economic strains and anti-foreigner sentiment and led to political upheaval.”   “In some parts of Europe, and in the United States, anti-foreigner rhetoric full of unbridled vitriol and hatred, is proliferating to a frightening degree, and is increasingly unchallenged. The rhetoric of fascism is no longer confined to a secret underworld of fascists, meeting in ill-lit clubs or on the ‘Deep Net.’ It is becoming part of normal daily discourse.”   “And that is just one set of problems facing one part of the planet,” Zeid said. “In South Sudan, Myanmar and potentially Burundi, ethnic or religious tensions and violence risk billowing out of control. In Yemen, the rules of war with regard to the protection of civilians have routinely been flouted, and the humanitarian crisis is so great children are starving. In the Philippines, drug users and dealers are routinely being killed in the streets, with the not-so-tacit encouragement of the authorities. Other countries are bringing back the death penalty. Elsewhere civil society organizations are being bullied and banned, human rights and political activists and investigative journalists who try to speak truth to power, or stand up for human rights, are being jailed, or killed. And what are we doing about it?”   “At a time of enormous turmoil and rapid change, the values which uphold peace across the world are too important to be left to international institutions and governments alone. It is within the power of every woman, man and child to stand up for respect and tolerance and push back the violence and hatred which threaten our world.”   “In the coming years, the protections provided by international and national human rights laws and systems will be of the utmost importance, not just for those who have yet to fully enjoy them, but also for those who currently take them for granted,” the UN human rights chief said.   “Ultimately, human rights are for everyone, and everyone will be affected if we do not fight to preserve them. They took decades of tireless effort by countless committed individuals to establish, but – as we have seen all too clearly in recent months -- they are fragile. If we do not defend them, we will lose them.”   “We don’t have to stand by while the haters drive wedges of hostility between communities – we can build bridges. As well as understanding our own rights, we can make a real difference by supporting others. In the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media, at home and on the sports field. Wherever there is discrimination, we can step forward to help safeguard someone''s right to live free from fear and abuse. We can all lobby for better leadership, better laws and greater respect for human dignity.”   “The time for this is now. ‘We the peoples’ can take a stand for rights. Local actions can add up to a global movement to save the rights that a global movement, composed of countless committed individuals and some inspired leaders, created in the first place''.   Human rights under increasing attack worldwide   Speaking on Human Rights Day, the largest body of independent experts of the United Nations Human Rights system urges all Governments around the world to stand up for human rights.   “The greatest achievement of the international community since the end of World War II has been the construction of an international human rights system based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted 68 years ago.   Since that time, enormous strides have been made in establishing universal standards, encouraging the very widespread domestic adoption of those standards, and in effectively defending the rights of groups and individuals who are under threat in their own societies.   But today, a chill wind is blowing through much of the world and the very notion of human rights is under increasing attack. So-called populist movements are invoking nationalism and traditionalism to justify racist, xenophobic, sexist and other forms of blatant discrimination, taking advantage also of the difficulties of the current economic climate.   Hate speech aiming to incite violence, hostility, and discrimination is dramatically on the rise, as is violence against women, children, ethnic, religious or belief groups, persons with disabilities, sexual minorities, migrant and many other groups.   Inequality is growing dramatically and democratic institutions are being systematically undermined.   More and more governments are turning to increasingly intrusive technologies which systematically embed and exploit means of mass surveillance which threaten a whole range of fundamental human rights.   In many parts of the world these assaults on human rights are being reinforced by attacks on the human rights movement.   The space for civil society, without which there can be no enduring and meaningful respect for rights, has been effectively closed down by many governments. International treaties, such as the International Criminal Court Statute, are being denounced, funding for human rights bodies is shrinking, attacks on the integrity of monitoring mechanisms are increasing, and any form of international solidarity is rejected as a threat to national interests.   As the United Nations largest body of independent human rights experts, we call upon governments to recognize that a world which repudiates fundamental human rights values, retreats from established standards, and undermines international human rights institutions, is a world which will be less secure, more vulnerable to devastating conflicts, and utterly incapable of protecting the rights of vast numbers of people who do not happen to look or think like those in power.   Human Rights Day 2016 represents a watershed moment when all of us will need to stand up and be counted if the huge achievements of the past 68 years are to be protected and advanced.” http://bit.ly/2hz9krW Visit the related web page
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