BY MANDEEP S. TIWANA

NEW YORK – The day after the US presidential election, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a brief statement congratulating the American people for their active participation in the democratic process. He wisely failed to mention that the re-election of Donald Trump – who attempted to overturn the people’s mandate by inciting insurrection in 2021 – constitutes a major setback for the UN’s global quest to advance human rights. man and the rule of law. Trump is an outspoken admirer of authoritarian strongmen like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who disregard the international norms the U.N. seeks to uphold.

Unsurprisingly, questions asked of the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, at a press conference on November 6 ranged from Trump’s response to the war in Ukraine to potential funding cuts that could arise with the new US administration, including whether the UN has contingency plans ready for when Trump takes office.

The United States plays an outsized role in world affairs. Therefore, any policy change in Washington has an impact on the entire world. As someone responsible for managing a global civil society alliance, I worry about what a second Trump presidency will trigger.

Even without Trump in power, we live in a world where wars are fought in complete disregard of the rules, where corrupt billionaires dictate public policy to their advantage, and where greed-driven environmental degradation sets us on the path of a climatic catastrophe. Hard-won gains in gender justice risk being reversed.

The first Trump administration showed contempt for the UN Human Rights Council and withdrew the United States from vital global commitments such as the Paris Agreement to combat climate change . It limited support to civil society groups across the world and targeted those seeking to promote women’s sexual and reproductive rights. The promotion of democracy and human rights are key pillars of American foreign policy.

It is deeply disturbing that, as disinformation and misinformation have reached pandemic proportions, the majority of the American electorate voted for a candidate who ran his campaign on divisive dogwhistles, half-asses. truths and outright lies. These tactics have deepened fissures in an already polarized United States.

Families across the country have been devastated by Trump’s negligence and denial of Covid-19 as president, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans from preventable infections. His administration’s immigrant detention and deportation policies have sown fear in minority communities. This time, Trump promised to deport millions of people.

Trump’s positions on abortion rights have caused immeasurable suffering to women in several US states that have passed laws banning the procedure. He has promised to accelerate harmful fossil fuel extraction and undoubtedly views gender justice advocates, environmental advocates and migrant rights activists as a threat to his power.

Given the stated predilections of Trump and his advisers, opposition politicians, activists and journalists who speak out against corruption and human rights abuses are likely to face increased surveillance, intimidation and persecution by the new administration.

Internationally, Trump’s election casts a shadow over efforts to ensure that those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan and Ukraine are held accountable , due to its tacit support for the authoritarian leaders of Israel, Russia and the United States. Emirates, which fuel all the conflicts and wreak havoc abroad. The new Trump administration may attempt to starve the UN of funding to erode the rules-based international order, thereby emboldening autocrats.

Even though things seem bleak today, it is important to remember that there are hundreds and thousands of activists and civil society organizations around the world who remain committed to celebrating diversity and promoting justice and equality. To imagine the future, you sometimes have to take inspiration from the past.

The struggle for freedom in India, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the civil rights movement in the United States were not won by authoritarian leaders but by courageous and determined individuals united in solidarity and determined to resist oppression for as long as necessary.

There is a lesson here for American civil society: America’s highest ideals are worth defending and will outlast any sitting president.

Mandeep S. Tiwana is Acting Co-Secretary-General of Civicus, a global civil society alliance, and represents the organization at the United Nations.