Geneva (Vatican News/Agencies): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that the world is becoming “less safe by the day” and calls for governments to work for “peace and security rooted in human rights.”
At the opening of the UN’s Human Rights Council on February 26, the Secretary-General warned that the world is becoming “less safe by the day,” with “the rule of law and the rules of war” being undermined across the globe.
“From Ukraine to Sudan, to Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gaza, parties to the conflict are turning a blind eye to international law, the Geneva Conventions, and even the United Nations Charter,” Guterres said.
The Secretary-General is in Geneva to address both the Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament. He noted that there is a fundamental link between peace and human rights. Human rights are under attack on all fronts, particularly in conflicts, as states ignore their commitments to the United Nations Charter, international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
He raised his concerns about the lack of unity in the UN Security Council, especially regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s military operations in Gaza. He warned that deadlocks in the Council threatened to undermine, “perhaps fatally,” the body’s authority while arguing that the Council “needs serious reform to its composition and working methods.”
Guterres called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. At the same time, he noted that international human rights and humanitarian law are clear and that “violations by one party do not absolve the other from compliance.”
“We cannot, we must not become numb to appalling and repeated violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,” he said, adding that “flouting international law only feeds insecurity and results in more bloodshed.”
Insisting that protecting human rights protects everyone, the Secretary-General said, “We urgently need a new commitment to human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political, and social – as they apply to peace and security, backed by serious efforts at implementation and accountability.”
In collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, he announced a new UN “Agenda for Protection,” which commits UN bodies to “act together to identify and respond to human rights violations when they occur.” In the same vein, he stressed the need for governments to “take action and commit to working for peace and security rooted in human rights,” pointing to the upcoming Summit of the Future as an opportunity for such a commitment.`
The Summit of the Future: multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow will be hosted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22 to 23. The organisers call it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”, aiming to strengthen global governance for present and future generations. The goal is to agree on a concise, action-orientated Outcome Document, “A Pact for the Future”, in advance by consensus through intergovernmental
negotiations and endorsed by Heads of State/Government at the Summit.
The Secretary-General concluded his remarks by noting, “Our world is changing at a dizzying speed.” Although “the multiplication of conflicts is leading to unprecedented suffering,” he said, “human rights are a constant. They give cohesion to our quest for solutions. They are fundamental to our hopes for a peaceful world.
And he invited everyone “together” to take “this opportunity to further peace and human rights for everyone, women and men alike.”
Addressing the Conference on Disarmament, the Secretary-General spoke out against the failure of the conference in preventing the proliferation of arms deals globally. “For some time now, this conference has not been able to function as intended. In fact, this conference is failing in relation to its very objectives. And this failure is happening as global trust is falling apart, and because of this, geopolitical divides, relentless arms competition, and the erosion of frameworks have created a total deadlock,” he pointed out.
Guterres raised caution against the world leaders for ignoring the potentially catastrophic consequences. “We’re witnessing the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons and the use of explosive devices in populated areas. Militaries are developing terrifying new applications for new and emerging technologies — including artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems.”
An arms race in outer space has moved from speculation to a real possibility. And the nuclear shadow that loomed over humanity last century has returned with a vengeance. The nuclear risk is higher than at any moment since the depths of the Cold War. Some statesmen regularly imply that they are fully prepared to unleash nuclear hell — an outrageous threat that the world must condemn with clarity and force. And the vital norms and standards against the proliferation, testing and use of nuclear weapons are being eroded.
The Secretary-General repeated his call to accelerate the implementation of all nuclear disarmament commitments, including those under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force.
“The world must no longer be held hostage by these devices of death,” he concluded.
