UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning that human rights across the globe are facing a “full-scale assault,” often driven by some of the world’s most powerful actors. His remarks were delivered at the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, AFP reported on Monday, 23 February.
“The rule of law is being overpowered by the rule of force,” Guterres told delegates, emphasizing that the erosion of rights is neither hidden nor sudden. “It is happening in plain sight—and too often led by those who wield the greatest power.”
Although he avoided naming specific countries, Guterres condemned Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, noting that more than 15,000 civilians have been killed in four years of conflict. “The time to end the bloodshed is long overdue,” he said.
He also pointed to “clear violations of human rights, human dignity, and international law” in the occupied Palestinian territories, arguing that the current trajectory in the region is “unmistakable, deliberate, and aimed at sidelining a two-state solution.”
“The international community cannot allow this to happen,” he warned.
Global Retreat of Rights
Guterres said that the rollback of rights is not limited to war zones.
“Around the world, human rights are being intentionally, strategically, and sometimes proudly undermined,” he said.
He criticized the growing trend of masking vast humanitarian suffering behind political narratives, using people as “bargaining chips,” and treating international law as a mere obstacle.
“When human rights crumble, everything else falls apart,” he cautioned, adding that the crisis of respect for human rights is deepening every other global fracture.
Rising Inequality, Debt, Climate Emergency
The UN chief warned that humanitarian needs are escalating while funding is shrinking. Inequality is widening, and nations are drowning in debt and despair.
He highlighted worsening climate disasters and warned that technological advances—especially artificial intelligence—are increasingly being used to suppress rights, reinforce discrimination, and expose marginalized communities to new forms of both online and offline exploitation.
“Those who were already vulnerable are being pushed even further to the margins,” he said.
A Call for Urgent Action
Guterres urged world leaders to take immediate steps to reverse these dangerous trends, stressing that the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international human rights law are not “à la carte menus” from which states can pick only what they prefer.
“Leaders cannot choose the parts they like and ignore the rest. That must not continue,” he concluded.
Source: AFP.