Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva with a dire assessment: human rights face orchestrated global humiliation. From brutal wars in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine to flagrant international law defiance, civilian agony defines the era.
“Law’s authority crumbles under power’s weight,” he asserted. Abuses are premeditated, tactical, and brazen, Guterres emphasized.
The UN’s plight mirrors the malaise. Funding slashes have thrust its rights body into crisis mode, battered by specialist strains and donor retreats, notably the United States. Escalating needs clash with evaporating support.
High Commissioner Volker Turk concurred, linking violations to power and resource battles post-WWII. He endorsed ending conflicts in Myanmar and others, while noting persistent belief in respect and equity despite supremacy races.
Threats target free states, reckless of consequences. Budget woes block 2025 inquiries on Congo war crimes and Afghan mistreatment.
In this fraught landscape, Guterres and Turk rallied for robust defense of rights, warning that unchecked trends imperil humanity’s core principles.