Guterres Warns of Global Attack on Human Rights

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that human rights face a full-scale attack worldwide, with the rule of law increasingly overshadowed by the rule of force. Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council's annual session in Geneva, Switzerland, Guterres described the erosion as deliberate and often led by those in positions of greatest power.

Guterres emphasized that these violations occur openly, affecting conflict zones and beyond. He expressed outrage over Russia's war in Ukraine, where more than 15,000 civilians have been killed over four years of violence. "It is more than past time to end the bloodshed," he said. He also pointed to blatant violations of human rights, dignity, and international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza. The trajectory there, he said, is "stark, clear and purposeful," with actions undermining the two-state solution. "The international community cannot allow it to happen," Guterres insisted. He further highlighted widespread civilian suffering in Sudan and other areas, where mass atrocities are excused and international law treated as an inconvenience.