Amnesty Issues Scathing Report On Global Leadership In 2021 As Inequality Rises

RFL/RE – Amnesty International has slammed political leaders and corporate titans for putting profit and power ahead of people to “betray” their promises for a widespread global recovery from coronavirus pandemic.

In a scathing annual report, released on March 29, the human rights watchdog accused political and business leaders of “peddling false promises” over pulling the world out of the pandemic, compounding the situation with their “utter failure” to deal with a rising number of conflicts and instead sowing “the seeds for further escalation.”

“Leader after leader dangled promises to ‘build back better’ to address deep-seated inequalities that exacerbated the impact of the pandemic,” said Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International.

“Instead, they have performed a tragic fable of betrayal and greed in cahoots with corporate titans. Whilst this has played out around the world, the effects have been most damaging to the most marginalized communities, including those on the front lines of endemic poverty.”

Amnesty said the rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines failed to be the “silver bullet” it first appeared to be as EU member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other wealthy countries “stockpiled more doses than needed whilst turning a blind eye as Big Pharma put profits ahead of people.”

“At this watershed movement, the stage was set for recovery, and genuine meaningful change for a more equal world,” Callamard said.

“However, they squandered the opportunity, reverting to type with policies and practice that drove further inequality. Members of the Rich Boys Club offered promises publicly that they reneged on privately,” she added.

The rights group said the failure to build a global response to the pandemic helped provide conditions that brought about greater conflict and greater injustice as seen in the paralysis at the UN Security Council, which failed to act on atrocities in Myanmar, human rights violations in Afghanistan, and war crimes in Syria.

“In far too few instances did the needed international response come; in far too few cases were justice and accountability provided,” Callamard said.

“Instead, conflict expanded. Extending over time, its impacts worsened. The numbers and diversity of intervening parties rose. New theaters of conflict opened. New weapons were tested. More deaths and injury were exacted. Life was cheapened. Global stability was brought to the brink.”

Amnesty also pointed to a rise in stifling of independent and critical voices in 2021 as governments deployed “a widening gamut of tools and tactics.”

It pointed to Russia’s implementation of facial recognition to undertake mass arrests of peaceful protesters as an example of how governments weaponized technology to blunt dissent, while countries such as China and Iran, among others, blocked access to the Internet to keep people from sharing information about repression and organizing in response.

“Instead of providing room for discussion and debate so sorely needed on how best to meet the challenges of 2021, many states redoubled efforts to muzzle critical voices,” Callamard added.

“Despite promises and pledges to the contrary, at almost every turn, leaders and corporations opted for a nontransformative path, choosing to entrench rather than overturn the systemic inequalities behind the pandemic. Yet, people the world over have made it abundantly clear that a more just world, grounded in human rights, is what they want.”