NEW YORK, Nov 8 (IPS) – The day after the US election, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a brief statement praising the American people for their active participation in the democratization process. He wisely omits to mention that the election of Donald J. Trump, who attempted to overturn the mandate of the people by inciting insurrection in 2020, is a major setback to the United Nations’ global efforts to promote human rights and the rule of law.
Trump professes to admire authoritarian dictators like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban who despise the international norms promoted by the United Nations. Not surprisingly, questions posed to UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric’s spokesman at the November 6 press conference ranged from Trump’s response to the war in Ukraine to possible funding cuts with a new US administration and whether the UN will see funding cuts . We have contingency plans in place once Trump takes office.
The United States plays a very large role in international affairs. Therefore, policy changes in Washington have implications around the world. As someone responsible for managing a global civil society alliance, I worry about what a second Trump election might unleash.
Even without Trump in office, we still live in a world where wars are waged with complete disregard for the rules. Corrupt billionaires are dictating public policy for their own benefit. Environmental destruction caused by greed is pushing us toward climate disaster. The hard-fought gains for gender justice are at risk of being rolled back.
The first Trump administration despised the United Nations Human Rights Council and withdrew the United States from important global commitments such as the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. It limited support for civil society organizations around the world and targeted groups seeking to advance women’s sexual and reproductive rights. The promotion of democracy and human rights is a core pillar of U.S. foreign policy.
At a time when disinformation and misinformation have reached epidemic proportions, it is deeply troubling that a majority of American voters voted for a candidate who campaigned on divisive dog whistles, half-truths, and outright lies. These tactics have deepened fissures in an already polarized America.
Families across the country have been devastated by Trump’s negligence and COVID denialism as president, resulting in tens of thousands of Americans dying from preventable infections. His administration’s immigration detention and deportation policies have instilled fear in minority communities. This time, Trump vowed to deport millions of people.
Trump’s stance on abortion rights has caused immeasurable suffering to women in several US states that have introduced laws banning abortion. He has pledged to accelerate the extraction of harmful fossil fuels and undoubtedly sees gender justice advocates, environmental advocates and immigrant rights activists as threats to his power.
Given the stated preferences of Trump and his advisers, opposition politicians, activists and journalists who expose corruption and rights abuses will likely risk heightened scrutiny, threats and persecution by the new administration.
At the international level, Trump’s election was fueled by his tacit support for authoritarian leaders in Israel, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as efforts to ensure accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan and Ukraine. interfered with The Emirates are all causing strife and havoc abroad. A future Trump administration could seek to drain UN funding to erode the rules-based international order and embolden dictators.
As bleak as things may seem today, it is important to remember that there are hundreds of thousands of civil society activists and organizations around the world who remain steadfast in their determination to respect diversity and promote justice and equality. To imagine the future, we sometimes need to take courage from the past.
The freedom struggle in India, the fight against apartheid in South Africa, and the civil rights movement in the United States were not won by authoritarian leaders, but by brave and determined individuals who united to resist oppression.
The lesson for American civil society is that higher American ideals are worth defending and will outlast the incumbent president.
Mandeep S. Tiwana I am interim co-secretary general of CIVICUS, a global civil society coalition. He also serves as CIVICUS representative to the United Nations.
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