UN chief says staff can join anti-racism protests ‘in private capacity’

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News ID: 46454
Publish Date: 12:33 - 10 June 2020
United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday told staff they were not banned from joining anti-racism demonstrations sweeping the United States and other countries, in a letter that aimed to clear up any confusion on the world body’s guidance.

UN chief says staff can join anti-racism protests ‘in private capacity’“It does not in any way indicate that staff are to remain neutral or impartial in the face of racism,” Guterres wrote in a letter to staff. “To the contrary, there is no ban on personal expressions of solidarity or acts of peaceful civic engagement, provided they are carried out in an entirely private capacity.”

In the letter, obtained by Reuters, he said recent guidance by the Ethics Panel “was meant to emphasize the need to balance such activities with one’s best judgment as international civil servants and our official duties.”

The largely peaceful US protests over the past two weeks were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis with a white policeman’s knee on his neck. Some cities have had to deal with arson, looting, and clashes between protesters and police.

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