UN Chief Decries Global Rise of 'Rule of Force' Over International Law
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning on Monday, declaring that "the rule of force" is spreading worldwide as powerful nations trample on international law and exploit technologies like artificial intelligence to undermine human rights. In his address at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council's annual session in Geneva, Guterres emphasized that this assault is not hidden but occurring openly, often led by those with the greatest power.
Human Rights Under Full-Scale Attack
"Human rights are under a full-scale attack around the world," Guterres stated, adding that "the rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force." He highlighted specific conflicts, expressing outrage at Russia's war in Ukraine, where over 15,000 civilians have been killed in four years of violence. "It is more than past time to end the bloodshed," he urged.
Guterres also pointed to "blatant violations of human rights, human dignity and international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," warning that the two-state solution is being dismantled in broad daylight. He insisted that the international community must not allow this to happen.
Deliberate and Strategic Rights Erosion
In his final in-person address to the UN's top rights body, Guterres noted that rights are eroding not only in conflict zones but globally, pushed back "deliberately, strategically and sometimes proudly." He described a world where mass suffering is excused, humans are used as bargaining chips, and international law is treated as a mere inconvenience.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk echoed these concerns, warning of a "deeply worrying trend" where "domination and supremacy are making a comeback." He noted that the use of force to resolve disputes is becoming normalized, with a fierce competition for power, control, and resources unfolding at an intensity unseen in 80 years.
Global Fractures and Technological Threats
Guterres linked the crisis of human rights to broader global issues, stating that it "mirrors and magnifies every other global fracture." He highlighted widening inequalities, accelerating climate chaos, and the misuse of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to suppress rights, deepen inequality, and expose marginalized people to new forms of discrimination online and offline.
Turk criticized leaders who act as if they are above the law and the UN Charter, using economic leverage and disinformation to pursue their agendas at any cost. He called for people to band together to create a strong counterbalance to autocratic trends.
Democracies Eroding and Vulnerable Groups at Risk
Guterres warned that "across every front, those who are already vulnerable are being pushed further to the margins." He pointed to eroding democracies, migrants harassed and expelled with disregard for their rights, and refugees scapegoated. The situation is exacerbated by a decline in foreign aid, with Washington and other major donors slashing spending since President Donald Trump's return to power last year.
As Guterres prepares to step down after a decade at the UN helm, he called for urgent action to reverse these trends. "Do not let power write a new rulebook in which the vulnerable have no rights and the powerful have no limits," he concluded, urging global solidarity to protect human rights and uphold international law.
