[JURIST] A UN cultural rights expert presented a report [materials] to the Human Rights Council [official website] on Friday expressing concern over the normalization of extreme rhetoric in politics, culture and media all over the globe. In presenting her report, special rapporteur Karima Bennoune argued [press release] that many of these movements focus their rhetoric on national “purity” and resentment of “the other.” Bennoune condemned the cultural rights abuse carried out by state actors in Russia, Saudi Arabia, India and Iran. She also expressed concern over recent violence and threats against educational and cultural institutions in the US following the election of President Donald Trump [official website]. Bennoune concluded by stating:

Whereas it is important to clearly condemn and act against violent forms of extremism, we must also tackle fundamentalist and extremist ideologies as these provide the basis for violence and violations. Extremist actors will not be truly disarmed unless their ideology is comprehensively challenged and repudiated.

In making such statements, Bennoune called on leaders to break the ongoing cycle of extremism and change the political landscape for future generations.

The international community has recently witnessed a rise in populist movements. Earlier this week UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged [JURIST report] member states of the UN Human Rights Council to defend human rights in response to the global rise in populism and extremism. In June a majority of British citizens voted for a referendum to leave the EU [JURIST report] amid growing concern over the EU’s immigration policy and its impact on the UK. In November Trump was elected US president [NYT report] after a controversial campaign that made use of anti-immigration and what many perceived to be anti-Muslim sentiments. In France, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front party, who has been gaining support [NPR report] in the French presidential elections, has been campaigning on an anti-immigration, pro-economic isolationist platform that has been likened to the sentiments of the Trump and Brexit campaigns. In January Transparency International advised [JURIST report] that there is a global populist movement which links both social inequality and corruption that is nativist and often politically right-wing.