UN chief warns of mounting global threat to human rights

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that human rights are under severe threat worldwide and that international law is being systematically violated.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, he pointed to the suffering of civilians in conflicts in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, saying that ‘the rule of law is being replaced by the rule of force’. According to him, rights in many countries are being suppressed not only strategically, but at times even ‘with pride’.

He also highlighted the widening gap between growing humanitarian needs and shrinking funding.

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his office was operating in survival mode, with the United States – its largest donor – paying only a fraction of its commitments. The shortage of resources has already prevented several investigations from being launched, including cases in Congo and Afghanistan.

Guterres further warned that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories threatens the very idea of a two-state solution.

(reuters, pir)