UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern at rising xenophobia, racism and intolerance, and warned that human rights are losing ground in the world, the Associated Press reported.

At the opening of the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Guterres alarmed that civil society collapsed and journalists and activists became target of assault and violence. More than 1,000 journalists and human rights activists have been killed in the past three years, he said.

Every week in 2018 there were on average four killed eco-activists, the Secretary-General noted.

"We have to do more to protect defenders and end the crackdown on those who speak openly about the abuse of their rights," Guterres said.

We must stand up to the outrageous and unconditional impunity of crimes against journalists and human rights activists, he said.

Guterres has also expressed anxiety about economic inequality and warned that data and technologies for facial recognition are abused.

Participants in the session, which runs until March 22, will examine the state of the rights and freedoms in about 30 countries, including Ukraine, Venezuela and Syria. Issues such as the protection of children from violence, respect for human rights in the fight against terrorism and the prevention of torture will be discussed.

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