This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

Societies must unite against ‘global crisis of antisemitic hatred’

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, and the six million Jews and others murdered on Nazi orders during the Holocaust, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a ceremony in New York on Monday that the world must “re-commit to preventing any repetition of those crimes”.

“Our solidarity in the face of hatred is needed today more than ever, as we see a deeply worrying resurgence in antisemitic attacks around the world, he said, marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

“There is a global crisis of antisemitic hatred – a constant stream of attacks targeting Jews, their institutions and property”, Mr. Guterres spelled out.

“This upsurge of antisemitism cannot be seen in isolation from an extremely troubling increase in xenophobia, homophobia, discrimination and hatred in many parts of the world, targeting people on the basis of their identity, including race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status.”

Libya: UN report urges accountability for deadly migrant attack

Warring parties in Libya, as well as foreign governments supporting them, are being urged to investigate deadly airstrikes last July which killed at least 53 migrants and refugees at a detention centre in the country’s northwest.

The appeal was made by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the UN human rights office in Geneva, which on Monday published a joint report calling for accountability for the attack targeting the Daman complex.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the Tajoura attack, “depending on the precise circumstances, may amount to a war crime.”

Libyans, migrants and refugees are trapped amidst violence and atrocities, fuelled by impunity, she said, and anyone guilty of crimes under international law “must be held to account.”

The July attack was one of the deadliest incidents since the start of April’s assault by LNA militia who oppose the UN-recognized Government, on the capital Tripoli.

The UN report found that while it appeared that the airstrikes were conducted by aircraft belonging to a foreign State, “it remains unclear whether these air assets were under the command of the self-styled Libyan National Army “or were operated under the command” of that foreign power.

UNESCO chief demands justice for killing of Iraqi reporters

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has called on Iraq to ensure that those responsible for the killing of television reporters Saafaa Ghali and Ahmed Abdul Samad, earlier this month, are brought to justice.

She condemned the murders and called on authorities to investigate the killings and ensure that their perpetrators are brought to trial.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization chief said that “all attacks on media workers present an intolerable threat to press freedom and to free and open debate.”

The two journalists were shot while driving away from protests in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, which they had been covering for Iraqi satellite television channel Dijlah TV.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably within the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists.

Matt Wells, UN News.