NEW YORK, 19 February, 2021 (TON): The world is heading toward "a post-enlightenment era" of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday.

"The values of the enlightenment, the primacy of reason, tolerance, and mutual respect are slipping away. In their place, we see growing nationalism, populism, xenophobia, even white supremacy, and Neo-Nazism," he said. "Racism is the beating heart of this irrationality."

He told a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council, that there are also racist or discriminatory dimensions in growing anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, the mistreatment of some minority Christians, and other forms of intolerance and xenophobia around the world.

"Racism is the repudiation of our common humanity, of the Charter of the United Nations, of all that we are and all that we do. We must reject racism," he said.

In this ideological battle, we must assert our common values -- the values of equality, non-discrimination, mutual respect -- values that are deeply linked to the affirmation of human rights," he added.

The UN chief’s remarks focus on the transparency for the isolated and marginalized, viewed as accountability to justice without discrimination.