Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are facing a pushback around the world as part of a strategic shift to scapegoat vulnerable groups, the UN rights chief Volker Türk said Monday.
Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has led a crusade against programmes promoting DEI, News.Az reports citing foregin media.
One of Trump's first acts was to terminate all federal government DEI programmes.
Companies that implement such policies are threatened with prosecution, and several major brands, including Meta, Target and McDonald's, have either abolished their DEI programmes or drastically reduced them.
However, this backtracking is not limited to the United States, said Türk – who rarely mentions Trump by name – in a global overview speech to the UN Human Rights Council.
"Social tensions are often rooted in systemic, long-standing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, migrant status, caste, and other characteristics," he said.
"Policies to tackle such discrimination have had important successes in all regions of the world," he added.
However, this backtracking is not limited to the United States, said Türk – who rarely mentions Trump by name – in a global overview speech to the UN Human Rights Council.
"Social tensions are often rooted in systemic, long-standing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, migrant status, caste, and other characteristics," he said.
"Policies to tackle such discrimination have had important successes in all regions of the world," he added.
"Some call these DEI policies. I call them standing up for equality. When we look at the pushback against such policies, we see it for what it is: a fundamental misrepresentation that reveals a strategic decision to scapegoat vulnerable groups."
