![]() Yet human rights experts have long pushed back against overly broad language about extremism and terrorism in multilateral statements and resolutions as well as domestic legislation, noting that such language is easily abused by repressive regimes to target domestic critics and restrict citizens’ freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Broad References to “Extremism”įor one, the resolution repeatedly uses the word “extremism” without any further qualifier-not even the common reference to “violent extremism.” Proponents of the text argued that states need to address extremism before it becomes violent. Yet despite these revisions, the final text of the resolution leaves room for concern. Secretary-General was also ultimately scrapped. An earlier requirement for an annual report on the resolution’s implementation by the U.N. In response to those concerns, earlier drafts were revised to add more references to international human rights norms, including a direct mention of the right to freedom of expression. Negotiations in the weeks leading up to June 14 were marked by significant disagreement among member states of the Security Council, with several members criticizing the resolution’s lack of emphasis on human rights protections. In its final version, Resolution 2686 recognizes that hate speech, racism, and related forms of intolerance and “acts of extremism” can contribute to the “outbreak, escalation and recurrence of conflict,” and urges states and international and regional organizations to publicly condemn violence, hate speech and extremism motivated by discrimination. In 2021, for instance, the United Kingdom organized an informal Security Council meeting on “Religion, Belief and Conflict ” in 2022, it hosted an International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London. The United Kingdom’s involvement in the resolution, on the other hand, can be traced back to the British government’s emphasis on the protection of religious freedom and religious minorities, which since 2019 has emerged as a key foreign policy priority of the ruling Conservative Party. 4 as the “International Day of Human Fraternity” and “cknowledge that tolerance, pluralistic tradition, mutual respect and the diversity of religions and beliefs promote human fraternity.” In 2020, the UAE, together with Bahrain, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia tabled a United Nations General Assembly resolution- adopted by consensus-that proclaimed Feb. The meeting led to a statement on “human fraternity for world peace and living together” signed by both Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar At Tayyeb. In 2019, the country hosted an international “ Human Fraternity Meeting,” organized by the Muslim Council of Elders-an international organization based in the UAE that seeks to bring together Muslim scholars, experts, and dignitaries from different parts of the world. Both build on a longer line of efforts by the UAE to promote “human fraternity” as an umbrella term for the celebration of religious freedom, religious tolerance, and intercultural dialogue. The adoption of Resolution 2686 followed a high-level briefing “The Value of Human Fraternity in Promoting and Sustaining Peace,” one of the signature events of the UAE’s June presidency of the Security Council. Moreover, in its emphasis on “human fraternity,” the resolution is emblematic of a broader push among some autocratic states to reframe universal human rights frameworks in ways that place greater emphasis on state sovereignty and cultural and religious traditions. ![]() Broad and vaguely defined references to fighting “extremism” risk playing into the hands of repressive regimes, who often frame domestic critics and rights defenders as “extremist” threats to national security. ![]() Yet despite its emphasis on nonviolence, tolerance, and international cooperation, the language of the resolution itself raises human rights concerns. ![]() The resolution, brought forward under the rubric of emerging threats to international peace and security, centers on combating intolerance, hate speech, racism, and other forms of extremism as threat multipliers in situations of conflict. On June 14, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2686 on “Tolerance and International Peace and Security,” sponsored by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom. ![]()
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