Statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, at the side event on "Countering ISIL and Violent Extermism: Launch of the Strong Cities Network", at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 29 September 2015

Excellencies, Mr. Mayor, Madame Attorney General
Distinguished guests,
Colleagues and friends,

Millions of desperate people on the march, driven to flee all that they have ever known by searing violations of their human rights.   And millions more, across the Middle East and North Africa, are losing hope that their societies will achieve justice and human rights.   The rise of ISIL may not have been entirely predictable, but it was no accident. And neither are the multiple conflagrations across much of the Middle East random or unrelated.

 

Today's horrific crises are the grimmest kind of parable of what may occur when human rights, for generations, are ground down by the contempt of officialdom.

 

The suppression of the right to express dissent or criticism.   The denial of economic justice, by way of cronyism and corruption. Failure to provide decent public services, such as education.   Harsh, arbitrary and biased law enforcement and legal systems.   These were at the heart of the great expression of popular hope that we term the Arab Spring of 2011.   And the brutal crackdowns on those popular movements demanding freedom and democracy are among the major factors that may partially explain the rise of violent extremism.   

 

ISIL and its acolytes will not be defeated by military means alone. Nor will it be enough to cut off ISIL's financing, or to craft slick so-called "narratives" of success. People need real hope.  They demand, and deserve, justice and human rights.

 

The opposite view – that mass surveillance, discriminatory policing, crackdowns, torture, abusive prosecutions, widespread use of the death penalty and ever-larger prisons will defeat violent extremism – is, if you will permit me to quote a pop song, like putting out fire with gasoline. It feeds antagonism and resentment, and fosters the extremists' tentacular spread.

 

To truly combat violent extremism, we must embody its opposite: principled inclusion.   We need real clarity about the truth of what has happened,  coupled with a determined openness to the benefits and trust that accrue when governments truly serve their people, and civil society is given its rightful voice.

 

We must ensure economic justice, political and social power-sharing, a deep and broad process that embraces the diversity of our societies and the rights of every individual.

 

This is where you come in. What are strong cities?  They need not be wealthy or abuzz with digital tech.  What they must do is inspire the great and resilient bonds of community, via the provision of the basic services that underpin a life of dignity, and the recognition that each individual is able and entitled to contribute to public life.

 

Here I must point in particular to the rights of women.  When women are not free to participate fully, this holds back the economy, impedes the development of fully skilled and confident societies, and in a deep sense, it prevents the full expression of respect and dignity for all. Acknowledging women's equal rights to freedom is vital to the strength of every community, in every region.

 

It is also crucial to provide opportunities to youth, who deserve as much respect as their elders.  When large numbers of young people are condemned to a hopeless economic limbo, their frustration will give rise to bitterness. 

 

Today, half the world lives in urban areas, and cities are in many ways the greatest hub of human interaction.   Life in a great city can help us to perceive our similarities as far more significant to our differences, reestablishing our consciousness of unity and shared destiny.   Municipal governments are well-placed to understand and serve the needs of their people, and to ensure that they feel respected, included and valued.   I have for a long time believed that international institutions should be doing far more to integrate cities into global governance.

 

Currently, for some cities, this cause is a matter of life or death.   As some of you know, the tragic, broken city of Aleppo has a strong claim to the title of oldest city in the world.   The spectre of its recent ruin, and the swift and lethal shattering of its mosaic of many heritages and cultures, should haunt us all.

To build trust and resilience, officials at all levels of governance need above all to integrate the concerns of the people.   Civil society, and independent media, are partners, not threats.   When officials deny their critics the right to participate in decision-making, they do a profound disservice to society.  When the economy is structured to maximise the personal benefit of administrators, the people's justifiable resentment will grow. 
  
And when the rule of law can be bent and twisted to fit personal and political agendas, and law enforcement is perceived as violent, arbitrary and unjust, the destiny of entire nations may crumble.

 

Violence and oppression feed hatred.  Their opposite, empathy and respect, are the values that build peace.   So as you proceed with your discussions today, I urge you to focus on inclusion, not suspicion. Violent extremism draws on alienation and discrimination; let us draw on the great and enduring principles of the equality and dignity of all.