GENEVA / US ATTACKS

STORY: GENEVA / US ATTACKS
TRT: 2:59
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 06 AUGUST 2019, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

1.Wide shot, exterior United Nations
2.Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are obviously deeply concerned by the mass shootings that took place over the weekend, and convey our heartfelt condolences to the victims and to their families. We encourage the authorities to pursue their investigations into these acts and to ensure the due process guarantees. We also welcome the US condemnation of ‘racism, hatred, and white supremacy in the wake of these two awful tragedies. And we unequivocally condemn racism, xenophobia and intolerance in all their forms, including white supremacy, and we call for States, in general, including the United States, to take positive steps to eradicate discrimination.”
4. Med shot, reporters
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The previous High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein issued a statement specifically on gun control measures, calling them to be adopted in the US to preempt for the killings, that was back on 14 of June, 2016. And unfortunately, everything that he said in that statement is particularly applicable of what happened last weekend and he called specifically on the United States to live up its obligations to protect its citizens from the ‘horrifyingly common place but preventable violent acts that are the direct result of insufficient gun control.”
6. Med shot, reporter
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“One call we make is for social media companies and governments to work together on some kind of approach to ensure human rights considerations is baked in to the development of the legislation, policies and social media products that could assist in identifying and mitigating some of the risks of more crimes of this type taking place with the kind of social media angle to them that we’ve seen in some of the recent crimes.”
8. Various shots, reporters
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“In general, authorities have the responsibility, that’s all authorities, responsibility to ensure that their actions do not contribute in any way to public attitude and negative stereotypes that lead to discriminatory, or in this case violent practices. We are concerned that these types of messages not only stigmatize and dehumanize minorities - migrants, refugees, women, LGBT, and the so called ‘other’, they also leave targeted persons and communities vulnerable to reprisals and attacks, and that applies to any authority anywhere.”
10. Various shots, reporters

STORYLINE:

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) today said it is “deeply concerned” by the mass shootings that took place over the weekend in the US, and encouraged the authorities to “pursue their investigations into these acts and to ensure the due process guarantees.”

Speaking to reporters in the Swiss city Geneva today (06 Aug), Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Rupert Colville said his office welcomed the US condemnation of ‘racism, hatred, and white supremacy in the wake of these two awful tragedies.

He reiterated, “we unequivocally condemn racism, xenophobia and intolerance in all their forms, including white supremacy, and we call for States, in general, including the United States, to take positive steps to eradicate discrimination.”

Colville also said, “the previous High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein issued a statement specifically on gun control measures, calling them to be adopted in the US to preempt for the killings, that was back on 14 of June, 2016.”

He continued, “unfortunately, everything that he said in that statement is particularly applicable of what happened last weekend and he called specifically on the United States to live up its obligations to protect its citizens from the ‘horrifyingly common place but preventable violent acts that are the direct result of insufficient gun control.”

Asked about the rising numbers of hate crimes, Colville said, “one call we make is for social media companies and governments to work together on some kind of approach to ensure human rights considerations is baked in to the development of the legislation, policies and social media products that could assist in identifying and mitigating some of the risks of more crimes of this type taking place with the kind of social media angle to them that we’ve seen in some of the recent crimes.”

Asked about the US President Donald Trump's rhetoric, Colville said, “in general, authorities have the responsibility, that’s all authorities, responsibility to ensure that their actions do not contribute in any way to public attitude and negative stereotypes that lead to discriminatory, or in this case violent practices.”

He continued, “we are concerned that these types of messages not only stigmatize and dehumanize minorities - migrants, refugees, women, LGBT, and the so called ‘other’, they also leave targeted persons and communities vulnerable to reprisals and attacks, and that applies to any authority anywhere.”