The 75th anniversary of the United Nations arrives as rapidly shifting global realities prompt a deeper appreciation of humanity’s interconnection and interdependence. Amidst the disruption created and accelerated by a world-engulfing pandemic, numerous possibilities are opening for marked social change that can bring stability to the world and enrich the lives of its inhabitants. Throughout history, periods of turbulence have presented opportunities to redefine collective values and the assumptions that underlie them. So, too, does the present moment. The range of areas in which established systems and approaches are in need of radical transformation suggests how critical the coming quarter century—stretching from the United Nations’ 75th anniversary to its centenary—will be in determining the fortunes of humanity. A growing chorus of voices is calling for decisive steps forward in our collective trajectory toward enduring, universal peace. It is a call that must be answered.

The human family is one. This is a truth that has been embraced by multitudes around the world. Its profound implications for our collective behavior must now give rise to a coordinated movement toward higher levels of social and political unity. As Baháʼu’lláh declared over a century ago, “True peace and tranquility will only be realized when every soul will have become the well-wisher of all mankind.” The perils of a global community divided against itself are too great to countenance. 

The past century saw many steps—imperfect, yet significant—in laying the groundwork for a world order that could secure international peace and the prosperity of all. Humanity’s first serious attempt at global governance, the League of Nations, lasted 25 years. That the United Nations has already tripled this duration is impressive. Indeed, it is without parallel as a structure to engage all the world’s nations and a forum to express humanity’s common will. Yet recent events demonstrate that current arrangements are no longer sufficient in the face of cascading and increasingly interconnected threats. Integration and coordination must therefore be extended further. The only viable way forward lies in a system of deepening global cooperation. The present anniversary provides an opportune moment to begin building consensus about how the international community can better organize itself, and to consider what will be the standards by which to measure progress. 

In recent years, reasoned critique of multilateral arrangements has, at times, been eclipsed by rejection of the very idea of a rules-based international order. Yet this period of pushback is embedded in broader historical processes carrying the global community toward stronger unity. At each stage in human history, more complex levels of integration become not only possible, but necessary. New and more pressing challenges emerge, and the body politic is compelled to devise new arrangements that address the needs of the time through greater inclusivity, coherence, and collaboration. The demands of the present moment are pushing existing structures for facilitating deliberations among nations, as well as systems of conflict resolution, beyond their capacity for effectiveness. We therefore find ourselves at the threshold of a defining task: purposefully organizing our affairs in full consciousness of ourselves as one people in one shared homeland. 

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To acknowledge the oneness of the human family is not to call for uniformity or to relinquish the wide range of established systems of governance. A true appreciation for the oneness of humanity contains within it the essential concept of diversity. What is needed today is a settled consensus that, while preserving the various systems and cultures around the world, embodies a set of common values and principles that can attract the support of every nation. A measure of agreement around these shared principles and norms can already be discerned in the ideals that inform global agendas, such as the universality of human rights, the imperative to eradicate poverty, or the need to live within environmentally sustainable limits. But there is further to go, and the challenging implications of such ideals must be reckoned with.

A framework that accommodates a diversity of approaches, built on a commitment to unity and a shared ethic of justice, would allow common principles to be put into practice in countless arrangements and formulations. Within such a framework, differences in political structure, legal system, and social organization would stand not as points of friction but as sources of potential insight into new solutions and approaches. To the extent that nations commit to learn from one another, ingrained habits of contest and blame can be replaced by a culture of cooperation and exploration, and a willing acceptance of setbacks and missteps as inevitable aspects of the learning process.

True acknowledgement of global interdependence requires genuine concern for all, without distinction. Deceptively simple, this principle implies a profound reordering of priorities. Too often, advancement of the common good is approached as a secondary objective—commendable, but to be pursued only after other, narrower national interests have been secured. This must change, for the welfare of any segment of humanity is inextricably bound up with the welfare of the whole. The starting point for consultation on any program or policy must be consideration of the impact it will have on all segments of society. Leaders and policymakers are thus confronted with a critical question in considering the merits of any proposed action, be it local, national, or international: will a decision advance the good of humankind in its entirety?

Whatever benefits have accrued from past conceptions of state sovereignty, present conditions demand a far more holistic and coherent approach to analysis and decision-making. What will be the global implications of domestic policies? What choices contribute to shared prosperity and sustainable peace? What steps foster nobility and preserve human dignity? As awareness of the oneness of humanity is increasingly woven into processes of decision-making, nations will find it easier to see each other as genuine partners in the stewardship of the planet and in securing the prosperity of its peoples. 

When leaders consider the impact of policies before them, they will need to give thought to what so many might term the human spirit—that essential quality which seeks meaning and aspires to transcendence. These less tangible dimensions of human existence have typically been viewed as confined to the realm of personal belief and lying outside the concern of policymakers and administrators. But experience has shown that progress for all is not attainable if material advancement is divorced from spiritual and ethical advancement. For example, economic growth over recent decades has indisputably brought about prosperity for many, but with that growth unmoored from justice and equity, a few have disproportionately benefited from its fruits and many are in precarious conditions. Those living in poverty are at the greatest risk from any contraction of the world economy, which exacerbates existing inequalities and intensifies suffering. Every effort to advance society, even if concerned with material conditions alone, rests on underlying moral assumptions. Every policy reflects convictions about human nature, the values that further various social ends, and the way that given rights and responsibilities inform one another. These assumptions determine the degree to which any decision will yield universal benefit. They must therefore be the object of careful and honest examination. Only by ensuring that material progress is consciously connected to spiritual and social progress can the promise of a better world be fulfilled.

 

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Movement toward more coordinated and genuinely cooperative international relations will eventually require a process in which world leaders come together to recast and reconstitute the global order. For what was once viewed as an idealistic vision of international cooperation has, in light of the obvious and serious challenges facing humanity, become a pragmatic necessity. The efficacy of steps in this direction will hinge on well-worn patterns of stalemate and impasse being relinquished in favor of a global civic ethic. Deliberative processes will need to be more magnanimous, reasoned, and cordial—motivated not by attachment to entrenched positions and narrow interests but by a collective search for deeper understanding of complex issues. Objectives incompatible with the pursuit of the common good will need to be set aside. Until this is the dominant ethic, lasting progress will prove elusive.

Such a posture reinforces a process-oriented approach to progress, building gradually on strengths and responding to evolving realities. And as collective capacity for reasoned and dispassionate inquiry into the merit of any given proposal grows, a range of reforms are worthy of further deliberation. For example, the establishment of a second chamber of the General Assembly of the United Nations, where representatives are directly elected—a so-called world parliamentary assembly—could do much to strengthen the legitimacy and connection people have to that global body. A world council on future affairs could institutionalize consideration of how policies might impact generations to come and give attention to a range of issues such as preparedness for global crises, the use of emerging technologies, or the future of education or employment. Strengthening the legal framework relating to the natural world would lend coherence and vigor to the biodiversity, climate, and environmental regimes and provide a robust foundation for a system of common stewardship of the planet’s resources. Reforming the overall infrastructure for promoting and sustaining peace, including reform of the Security Council itself, would enable familiar patterns of paralysis and deadlock to give way to a more decisive response to the threat of conflict. Such initiatives, or comparable innovations, would require much focused deliberation, and there would need to be a general consensus in favor of each for it to win acceptance and legitimacy. Of course, they would not, in themselves, be sufficient to meet the needs of humanity; nevertheless, to the degree that they would be improvements on what exists today, each could contribute its share to a process of growth and development that is truly transformative.

The world the international community has committed itself to build—in which violence and corruption have given way to peace and good governance, for example, and where the equality of women and men has been infused into every facet of social life—has never yet existed. Progress toward the goals enshrined in global agendas therefore calls for a conscious orientation toward experimentation, search, innovation, and creativity. As these processes unfold, the moral framework already defined by the United Nations Charter must be applied with increasing fidelity. Respect for international law, upholding fundamental human rights, adherence to treaties and agreements—only to the extent that such commitments are honored in practice can the United Nations and its Member States demonstrate a standard of integrity and trustworthiness before the people of the world. Barring this, no amount of administrative reorganization will resolve the host of long-standing challenges before us. As Baháʼu’lláh declared, “Words must be supported by deeds, for deeds are the true test of words.”

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The years concluding the United Nations’ first century represent a period of immense opportunity. Collaboration is possible on scales undreamt of in past ages, opening unparalleled prospects for progress. Yet failure to reach an arrangement supporting effective global coordination risks consequences far more severe—potentially catastrophic—than those arising from recent disruptions. The task before the community of nations, then, is to ensure that the machinery of international politics and power is increasingly directed toward cooperation and unity. 

At the centenary of the United Nations, might it not be possible for all the inhabitants of our common homeland to be confident that we have set in motion a realistic process for building the global order needed to sustain progress in the coming centuries? This is the hope of the Bahá’í International Community and the goal toward which it labors. We echo the poignant appeal long ago voiced by Bahá’u’lláh about the leaders and arbiters of human affairs: “Let them take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely afflicted world the remedy it requireth.”

For forty years, Iran’s government has wasted vast stores of human potential by violating the rights of their citizens and especially by persecuting the Baha’i community – starting with executions in the 1980s and leading to economic strangulation and apartheid today.

Baha’is are Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority. More than 200 were killed after the Revolution, hundreds have been arbitrarily detained, and state media and leading clerics routinely spread hate speech against the Baha’is.

Violence and dehumanization soon extended to economic discrimination. The intention is clear: to undermine the very existence of the Baha’i community. A 1991 memorandum signed by the Supreme Leader bears this out – as do the experiences of the Baha’is. The evidence is documented on our Archives of Baha’i Persecution in Iran website.

Dozens of Baha’i-owned businesses have been forcibly closed in recent years. This denies livelihoods to business-owners, employees, and hundreds of families who depend on these incomes. Young Baha’is are also barred from attending university. And all Baha’is are hindered from contributing to the economic and social life of Iran.

The latest injustice seals the deal. A new national ID card requires applicants to state a religion, listing only Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Judaism. Basic activities like financial or property transactions, applying for basic services and many other tasks are impossible without it. Baha’is will not lie about their identity – meaning they are denied ID cards and are excluded from the fundamentals of life.

We call on Iran’s leaders to immediately stop this latest attack and to instead focus on the wellbeing of their people.

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action provides a special opportunity to analyse social structures and power dynamics that are hindering the full expression of gender equality. Undoubtedly, there has been considerable progress in many areas, including the advancement of women’s rights in legal and policy frameworks, and in broadening girls’ access to education in most countries. Perhaps one of the greatest milestones passed has been in the near-universal acknowledgement that women and men are equal. Nevertheless, while the ideal of equality is generally acknowledged, its expression in all facets of life is far from realized. Indeed, a number of recent setbacks around the world with respect to securing previous gains demonstrate the vulnerability of efforts that employ the adversarial methods of the very structures that impede the advancement of women. A deep examination of the current ordering of society is required in order to identify obstacles hindering equality and opportunities for its flourishing. Ultimately, restructuring society based on ideals of oneness, unity and justice is necessary to fully establish gender equality.  

When viewed in its broader context, the discrimination against women is one of several symptoms of an ailing social order. Dynamics of domination and opposition have come to define many human relationships, including those between women and men. Efforts to achieve gender equality are frequently framed as battles for power. In its contentious expression, power generates inequality, violence, and exploitation, and cannot easily be oriented to the common or interpersonal good. In a system that is set up like a zero-sum game, it may make sense to fight for access to limited resources and for positions of privilege. Yet, is a zero-sum paradigm the pinnacle of social organization? Can systems and structures be created that allow all people to thrive concurrently? What expressions of power would give rise to such systems and structures?

The Baha’i teachings affirm that all human beings have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization and that each human being has a set of sacred endowments—including consciousness, a heart, and a soul—that allow them to do so. The soul has no gender; biases against women have no foundation in spiritual reality. Humanity as a whole has suffered tremendously by being deprived of the participation of women in every arena of civilization. By working together as partners and co-workers, women and men can learn how to draw on constructive expressions of power that will capacitate their efforts to build a fair and equal society. A generative, constructive form of power that involves tapping into the powers of the human spirit and of the collective would enable the reconstruction of social structures for the benefit of all humanity. It would allow for the upliftment of one to contribute to the upliftment of all, and for the well-being of the collective to ensure the well-being of the individual. It is critical that just and cooperative patterns of relationship be established among individuals, groups, and communities, and between individuals and the institutions of society. 

Education is one of the essential solutions that will enable the establishment of patterns of relationship that are commensurate with humanity’s needs. Some educational models indoctrinate children into the harmful norms and logic of existing systems. Naturally, this is not the kind of education being referred to. The United Nations and Member States should invest in educational processes that give attention to developing both the intellectual and spiritual powers of human beings. These models should promote the oneness of humanity and the equality of women and men. They should assist children to develop a genuine love for all human beings; an orientation to service that will help them address challenges over time with patience and steadfastness; a vision of the future that will motivate them to work towards the transformation of harmful customs and values in their local communities that obstruct progress; and an attitude of humility that will enable them to be open to the perspectives of others and free from rigid attachment to their own views and approaches. They should have numerous opportunities to engage in collective, consultative spaces where they can investigate reality dispassionately with their fellow community members, and consider practical ways to improve their localities and environment. 

The Role of the United Nations in Releasing the Collective Powers of Humankind

Since the fourth world congress on women in 1995, the discourse on advancing gender equality at the United Nations has centered largely on expanding access to power within current, imbalanced structures. This process has failed to fully address inequalities that have been perpetuated and reinforced across generations. Those who are most favored by the current ordering of society may be reluctant to work for the total transformation of a system they perceive to be of value. Therefore, it will be imperative to create spaces and opportunities for the peoples of the world to participate in processes of social change at every level of society. Many of the populations whose contributions have been overlooked believe in a spiritual dimension of existence, and seek moral solutions to crises of corruption, greed and oppression. The move away from ethics and morality has exacerbated social ills, and has slowed the progress which could be made by harnessing both spiritual and material sources of power. The idea that equality can be established solely through material means, and that its expression is to be found in purely material indicators, is one that many are questioning. While material resources may be limited, many non-material resources are limitless and accessible to all. These include creativity and imagination, consultation and volition, discernment and insight, and the power of unified and concerted action. The discourse on gender equality at the United Nations would be strengthened by creating structures that are more inclusive, based on mutual exchange and learning, and that nurture and channel the powers of the human spirit. 

The successful implementation of the goals and frameworks agreed upon at the United Nations is only possible through local action. If communities are the primary arena for action, community members cannot be excluded from decision-making processes regarding their own well-being. It is particularly critical that women have a key voice in determining the process for advancing equality in their societies. Men should welcome and anxiously seek out the contributions of women, recognizing that the welfare of humankind depends on their full participation. It is crucial that women be fully involved in the spaces and processes where decisions are made about the well-being of nations, peoples, and communities. This requires, at all levels of governance, a bold shift in vision and outlook that is grounded in a firm conviction that the well-being of all people can only be secured through unwavering commitment of world leaders to the betterment of humanity as a whole. Lasting gender equality can only come about by building on existing strengths, while abandoning the outmoded beliefs, cultural norms, and practices that have not served humanity’s best interests.

What beliefs, norms, and practices will the United Nations, governments, and civil society need to adopt over the next twenty-five years to establish gender equality more fully? If the current adversarial expressions of power have ceased to be useful, how can we ensure that our means are consistent with our desired ends? Ultimately, we are seeking a healthy world that is just, diverse yet unified, and that provides opportunities for all of its inhabitants to grow and prosper. Such a world can only come into existence if women work alongside men to bring it about.

Mr. President,

The Bahá’í International Community commends the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen for their report regarding the Houthis’ persecution of the Bahá’ís. The report shows that, men, women and children alike are being systematically targeted solely because of their beliefs, including through raids of community gatherings and arbitrary detentions. At present, six persons are still in prison in Sana’a, one of which is under a death sentence as a result of “serious failures to uphold his right to a fair trial”, as stated in the report. The incitement to hatred against the Bahá’ís, particularly by the Houthi leader, Abdel Malek Al Houthi, was also a source of concern for the Group of Eminent Experts, which stated that “his words raise serious concerns in light of the present conflict where sectarian sentiments have been on the rise.”  The report further indicates that the Houthis denied even the existence of a Bahá’í community in Yemen, which is estimated to number in the thousands.

All these activities mirror those undertaken by the authorities in Iran against Bahá’ís in their country. 

Mr. President,

We have recently learned that one of the Bahá’í prisoners in Sana’a is in very poor health because of the harsh treatment he is facing while in detention. This man, who is now in his late sixties, served Yemeni society as a civil engineer his entire life, making lasting contributions to Sana’a’s physical infrastructure. What else, but external influence, would cause the Houthis to cast aside traditional Yemeni values of respect for the elderly and unjustly imprison a loyal and exemplary civil servant rather than allowing him to continue contributing to the progress of his country?

Mr. President,

We would like to ask the Group of Experts how the Houthi authorities can be convinced to cease persecuting the Bahá’ís and whether the Iranian influence in these human rights violations can be halted.