Geneva: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the development of a renewed international security architecture, warning that the global order which has shaped security relations for nearly eight decades was undergoing rapid transformation.
Addressing the opening of the annual session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, he said the world was currently experiencing a period of “chaos and change,” stressing the need for a realistic assessment of emerging geopolitical dynamics to build a more effective international security framework.
The UN chief also expressed serious concern over the state of human rights worldwide, saying they were facing a “full-scale attack,” while the rule of law was increasingly being replaced by the use of force. He emphasized that such developments were occurring openly and were often led by powerful actors.
Although he did not cite specific cases, Guterres condemned the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, noting that more than 15,000 civilians had been killed during four years of conflict and calling for an immediate end to the violence.
He also highlighted what he described as “blatant violations of human rights, human dignity and international law” in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning that the prospects for a two-state solution were diminishing rapidly. He urged the international community to take steps to prevent further deterioration.
In his remarks, Guterres said human rights erosion was not limited to conflict zones, adding that mass suffering was increasingly being overlooked and international law treated as an inconvenience in global affairs.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk echoed these concerns, warning of a troubling global trend in which domination and supremacy were re-emerging, alongside intensified competition for power, control, and resources at a scale unseen in decades.
Turk called for collective efforts to protect human rights and counter authoritarian tendencies, criticizing leaders who considered themselves above international law and the United Nations Charter, and accusing some of using economic influence as a political tool.