- UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday that the world is becoming “less safe by the day”, citing conflicts in global violence hotspots such as Africa, Ukraine and the Middle East.
- Guterres cited situations in countries such as Burma and Sudan as examples of forces “turning a blind eye” to international law amid ruthless clashes between government forces, militias and civilian forces. .
- “The escalation of conflicts is causing unprecedented suffering,” Guterres told the Human Rights Council, noting that the world was changing at “warp speed.” “But human rights are immutable.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater respect for human rights and peace around the world, but has warned that combatants in countries such as Congo, Gaza, Burma, Ukraine and Sudan are “turning a blind eye” to international law. said.
The world is “becoming less safe by the day,” Guterres warned Monday as the U.N.’s top human rights body opened its latest session.
“Our world is changing at warp speed,” he told the Human Rights Council. “The escalation of conflict is causing unprecedented suffering. But human rights will always exist.”
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The UN chief said attacks on human rights take many forms and reiterated his frequent calls for debt relief for some of the world’s poorest countries and increased spending to fight climate change. He defended UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee aid agency, as the “backbone” of Gaza relief efforts, even as top Israeli authorities have called for its dismantling.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during the high-level segment of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, February 26, 2024. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone, via AP)
Volker Türk, head of the United Nations human rights chief, also condemned “attempts to undermine the legitimacy and work” of the United Nations and its related agencies.
“The United Nations has become a lightning rod for manipulative propaganda and a scapegoat for policy failures,” he said. “This is a gross destruction of the public interest and a heartless betrayal of the many people whose livelihoods depend on it.”
The council began its six-week session on Monday amid a rash of human rights crises. Many will remember the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in custody this month in Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The council’s minutes have expanded in recent years, and its three-yearly sessions have become longer. The agenda will include issues such as rights violations in conflicts and government repression, as well as religious hatred, racial discrimination, the right to food, and the rights of children, people with disabilities, and albinism.
“The time has come to take stock of what the council has achieved since its creation, almost 18 years ago,” Mr Amb said. Omar Zunibel of Morocco, this year’s Rotating Council President, referred to the functioning of the Council, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2006.
Znaiver lamented the growing “polarization” between countries, particularly those that emphasize national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, and those that insist that governments should uphold their responsibilities on the council.
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The 47-member state council, whose members change every year, has faced controversy over the years. Russia was almost driven out by the invasion of Ukraine. China regularly laments criticism of what the Chinese government claims is an internal matter. And while Israel’s war in Gaza has once again drawn much international criticism of its policies, the United States has long regularly criticized what it considers to be too focused on Israel.
