Combatants in regions like Congo, Gaza, Myanmar, Ukraine, Haiti, and Sudan are disregarding international law and the United Nations, lamented the global organization’s leader, Antonio Guterres, on Monday.
Addressing the commencement of the U.N.’s foremost human rights assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, the seasoned Portuguese Socialist cautioned that the world is increasingly becoming “less secure every day.”
He proceeded to criticize nations that disregard the U.N.’s guidance and its unelected high-ranking officials who advocate for prompt measures to halt conflicts.
“Our world is changing at warp speed,” Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council. “The multiplication of conflicts is causing unprecedented suffering. But human rights are a constant.”
U.N. Chief Guterres Backs Complete Fossil Fuel ‘Phaseout’ Before Flying to Climate Meeting https://t.co/HmzXIL04aY
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AP reported that he reiterated his frequent appeals for debt relief for some of the world’s poorest countries and increased spending to combat climate change.
He defended the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), praising it as the “backbone” of aid efforts in Gaza, even as top Israeli officials have called for its dismantling due to corruption and links with Hamas militants.
The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Türk, also criticized “efforts to undermine the legitimacy and work” of the U.N. and its affiliated organizations.
“The U.N. has become a lightning rod for manipulative propaganda and a scapegoat for policy failures,” he said. “This is profoundly destructive of the common good, and it callously betrays the many people whose lives rely on it.”
As conflicts persist globally and the United Nations’ voice is largely disregarded, the council commenced a six-week session of discussions on Monday.
