UN Chief Antonio Guterres & Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk warned Monday that human rights are “under assault” worldwide, citing Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine. They highlighted funding cuts, stalled investigations and unpaid U.S. dues, underscoring mounting strain on UN system.
The opening of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva became a platform for unusually stark warnings from the organization’s top leadership, who framed current conflicts and political trends as a systemic challenge to international law and civilian protection.
Rule Of Law Eroding
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that “the rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force,” arguing that human rights are being “pushed back deliberately, strategically, and sometimes proudly.”
His remarks connected battlefield conduct with broader geopolitical shifts, highlighting patterns of impunity and weakened multilateral restraint.
Guterres emphasized that “humanitarian needs are exploding while funding collapses,” pointing to a widening gap between crises and resources.
The UN spokesperson said last week that the United States, historically the UN’s largest donor, has paid $160 million of more than $4 billion owed. The shortfall, officials say, has left parts of the human rights system operating under acute constraints.
Mass Civilian Suffering Expands
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reinforced the Secretary-General’s message, describing “a fierce competition for power, control and resources” at an intensity “unseen for the past 80 years.”
He warned that “the laws of war are being brutally violated,” citing “mass civilian suffering – from Sudan, to Gaza, to Ukraine, to Myanmar.”
Türk singled out Sudan, calling for accountability for “war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher,” and urged influential states to act “urgently to put an end to this senseless war.”
On Gaza, he said the situation “remains catastrophic,” adding that Palestinians are “still dying from Israeli fire, cold, hunger, and treatable diseases,” and warned of “concerns over ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and the West Bank.”
Marking the war in Ukraine, Türk noted that “civilian casualties have soared,” and that “Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure could amount to international crimes.”
Funding Shock Hits Investigations
Türk disclosed that funding shortages have prevented two investigations launched in 2025 – one into potential war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and another into abuses in Afghanistan – from becoming operational.
Diplomats acknowledged growing concern that financial pressures are undermining the UN’s capacity to document violations and support prosecutions.
Türk warned that “these actions must not be allowed to harden into the new normal,” urging states to become “persistent objectors to violations of the law” through consistent denunciations and legal accountability.
Domination And Supremacy Resurface
In one of the speech’s most pointed passages, Türk said “domination and supremacy are making a comeback.” He criticized leaders who “claim exceptional status” to justify actions “above the law, and above the UN Charter,” and warned that selective responses weaken international law. He also highlighted structural risks beyond armed conflict, stating that “a tight clique of tech tycoons controls an outsize proportion of global information flows.”
Both officials underscored the need for stronger accountability mechanisms. Türk called for “strengthening the International Criminal Court” and encouraging national prosecutions under universal jurisdiction. He added that we need to “increase the cost of breaking international law.”
Türk concluded by announcing plans to launch a “Global Alliance for Human Rights” in the coming weeks, describing it as a cross-regional coalition of states and non-state actors designed to “confront top-down domination with grassroots solidarity.”
