Human rights outmuscled by rule of force' globally, UN chief warns

"Guterres stressed that this assault is not coming from the shadows or by surprise. It is happening in plain sight and often led by those who hold the greatest power. He did not mention specific situations although he did voice outrage at Russia's war in Ukraine, where he said more than 15,000 civilians had been killed in four years of violence. It is more than past time to end the bloodshed, he said."

"Guterres also highlighted the blatant violations of human rights, human dignity and international law in the occupied Palestinian territory. He charged that the trajectory in the conflict-torn territory under Israeli occupation was stark, clear and purposeful: The two-state solution is being stripped away in broad daylight. The international community cannot allow it to happen, he insisted. In his final in-person address to the UN's top rights body, Guterres, who will complete his second five-year term at the end of this year,"

"Around the world, human rights are being pushed back deliberately, strategically and sometimes proudly, he said. We are living in a world where mass suffering is excused away, where humans are used as bargaining chips, where international law is treated as a mere inconvenience. The use of force to resolve disputes between and within countries is becoming normalised,' UN rights chief Volker Turk tells the UN Human Rights Council [Fabrice Coffrini/AFP]"

Human rights face a full-scale attack worldwide as powerful actors trample international law and prioritize force over legal norms. The rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force, with assaults occurring in plain sight and often led by those who hold the greatest power. More than 15,000 civilians have been killed in four years of violence in Ukraine. Blatant violations of human rights, dignity and international law are occurring in the occupied Palestinian territory, undermining prospects for a two-state solution. Rights are being pushed back deliberately and strategically while mass suffering is excused.

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