On June 26, 1945, as the Second World War was winding down, officials from 50 countries met in San Francisco to sign the Charter of the United Nations. The document rested upon the principles of “faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.” All lives matter.
The U.N. charter grew out of the recognition that the world’s governments must confront international problems early. Now, on the charter’s 70th anniversary, the world faces unprecedented challenges, including environmental degradation and public-health concerns. But the challenge that most tests our commitment to the charter’s principles is the mushrooming number of refugees and migrants worldwide.
Last week, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported that the number of forcibly displaced humans would top 60 million this year, a new record. This figure includes only those fleeing war, violence and persecution. It leaves out the millions more classified as migrants, seeking to escape poverty or discrimination or simply to find better lives for themselves and their families – an estimated 231.5 million in 2013 alone, one-third of those migrating within the global South.
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