Sudan: UN rights chief says worse is to come without international action

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“We can only expect worse to come” unless action is taken to halt the bloodshed, Mr. Türk told Member States at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as he reiterated his call for the extension of an arms embargo from Darfur to include all of Sudan.

Rival militaries from the national army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been battling for control of the country for nearly three years.

Something must be done to address the “continuous inflow of weapons”, the High Commissioner for Human Rights insisted, after recounting testimonies of survivors of atrocity crimes in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who overran the city last October.

Mass killings

“In one horrific example, people who fled to separate locations, thousands of kilometres apart, gave consistent accounts of the mass killing of hundreds of people sheltering at El Fasher University,” he said, describing convincing testimony that some victims were targeted based on their non-Arab ethnicity – in particular, members of the Zaghawa ethnic group.

“Survivors also spoke of seeing piles of dead bodies along roads leading away from El Fasher, in an apocalyptic scene that one person likened to the Day of Judgment,” the High Commissioner continued, his comments echoing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) conclusion last month that war crimes and crimes against humanity had taken place in El-Fasher, linked to the RSF’s siege.

“Our own findings are fully consistent” with that ICC assessment, Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council, at a meeting held specifically on the Sudan emergency.

Dire warnings

Previously, the UN rights chief noted that his office has warned about previous atrocity crimes such as the RSF offensive to capture Zamzam camp for displaced people in April 2025.

“Responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies squarely with the RSF and their allies and supporters,” he said.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, after a power-sharing agreement broke down in the resource-rich central African nation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

The resulting humanitarian emergency has affected more than 30 million people in Sudan; many have faced repeated displacement and others have been impacted by famine and systematic sexual violence, including gang rape.

As the fighting continues away from the Darfurs in the west to the central Kordofans regions, observers fear that further grave abuses are bound to happen, including by “advanced drone weaponry systems used by both sides”, Mr. Türk warned.

Deadly drone war

“In the last two weeks, the SAF and allied Joint Forces broke the sieges on Kadugli and Dilling,” the High Commissioner said. “But drone strikes by both sides continue, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries.

Civilians are at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and family separation.”

Mediation measures

In a bid to prevent further bloodshed, the High Commissioner announced a series of measures “to support mediation efforts” and de-escalate violence.

These include commitments not to target civilians or residential areas with explosive weapons, to enable the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, to end arbitrary detention and cease attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“I witnessed the damage done by RSF attacks on Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station, which once supplied 70 per cent of Sudan’s electricity. Repeated drone strikes have disrupted power and water supplies to huge numbers of people, with a serious impact on healthcare,” he said.

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UN chief warns of ‘grave moment’ as final US-Russia nuclear arms treaty expires

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

In a statement issued as the treaty expired at midnight GMT Thursday, he said the world was entering uncharted territory, with no remaining legally binding constraints on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Russia – the two countries that together hold the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons.

“For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals” of the two countries, he said.

The New START treaty – formally known as the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms – was signed in 2010 and entered into force the following year.

It capped each side’s deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and imposed limits on delivery systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and heavy bombers.

The agreement also included verification measures, including data exchanges, notifications and on-site inspections, designed to reduce mistrust and prevent miscalculation.

Tools for stability

Mr. Guterres said decades of nuclear arms control agreements – from the Cold War-era Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to New START – played a crucial role in preventing catastrophe and reducing global nuclear stockpiles.

“Throughout the Cold War and in its aftermath, nuclear arms control between these governments helped prevent catastrophe,” he said, adding that such frameworks “built stability” and “prevented devastating miscalculation.”

The Secretary-General warned that the collapse of this system of restraint comes at a particularly dangerous time, as geopolitical tensions rise and the risk of nuclear weapon use is “the highest in decades.”

Reimagine arms control

But he added that the watershed also provides an opportunity to reimagine arms control for a changing security environment, welcoming statements from both US and Russian presidents acknowledging the dangers of a renewed nuclear arms race.

“The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action,” Mr. Guterres said, urging both sides to return to negotiations “without delay” and to agree on a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks and strengthens global security.

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UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by escalation of violence in South Sudan

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The tensions are concentrated in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, where many deaths and injuries have been reported in response to renewed fighting between opposition militia and army forces, leading to the displacement of 180,000 people.

According to news reports, the army launched a major offensive in Jonglei against opposition forces, ordering civilian evacuations on Sunday and telling aid agencies to leave areas where military operations are ongoing.

Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement released on Thursday by his Spokesperson that he is “deeply concerned regarding the impact of the escalating violence”, adding that it “will further harm civilian populations who are already in a vulnerable situation”.

Aid and protection at risk

Mr Guterres emphasised the need to prioritise the protection of civilians and ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and security in a country where two-thirds of the population are projected to require some form of aid.

Calling on the military operations to stop, the Secretary-General urged the Government of South Sudan and opposition forces to take “immediate and decisive action to halt all military operations and deescalate the situation through inclusive dialogue.”

Political solution

In the wake of a 2018 peace agreement between the president and his vice-presidential rival and following the establishment of a Revitalised Transitional Government in February 2020, elections have continued to be postponed.

Mr Guterres’s statement reminded relevant parties to find a “political not military solution” and pave the way for a path to credible elections.

The Secretary-General has welcomed efforts from the African Union and East African regional bloc IGAD in their support for inclusive dialogue.

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‘We must stand up for our shared humanity – each and every day’: UN human rights chief

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Tuesday’s solemn commemoration marks the day 81 years ago that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp – where over a million people were murdered – was liberated by Allied forces towards the end of World War Two.

Commenting on the disturbing rise of antisemitism in recent years – including the “heinous attacks” targeting Jewish communities in Sydney and Manchester – Mr. Türk warned that “hatred and dehumanization are creeping into our daily lives.”

He urged people to remember the lessons of the Holocaust, during which six million Jews were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

“The genocide did not begin with concentration camps and gas chambers; it started with apathy and silence in the face of injustice, and with the corrosive dehumanization of the other.”

The need for remembrance

The central theme of this year’s commemoration is Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights.

Reflecting this theme and addressing some of today’s challenges, the High Commissioner emphasised the need for “laws that prohibit discrimination, and politicians who do not polarize by calling out differences – but unite by calling out injustice.”

To protect humanity from repeating its darkest chapters, Mr Türk stated: “We need education about the Holocaust, human rights for all ages, and robust, inclusive systems to moderate digital content, so that people can express their concerns without fear.”

Reasons for hope

Calling on the world to use available tools today such as international human rights law, unprecedented access to verifiable information and “the memory of how exclusion can turn into annihilation”, Mr Türk demanded action to counter the “plague” of racism, antisemitism, and dehumanisation.

“Together, we must challenge exceptionalism, supremacy, and bigotry wherever we encounter them: at the dinner table, at our workplaces, and on social media,” the rights chief continued.

“Each of us can be an architect of a world free from discrimination and intolerance.”

Echoing the words of Anne Frank and remembering her step sister, Eva Schloss, who died a few weeks ago, Mr Türk emphasised that “nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Listen to our interview with Ms. Schloss, who spoke to UN News in Geneva in 2018, here.

The UN commemorates

New York – United Nations Holocaust Memorial Observance

Start Time: 11:00am EST, General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters

Exhibition: Between Life and Death: Stories of Rescue during the Holocaust | Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters |15 January – 20 February 2026

Exhibition: Holocaust Remembrance – A Commitment to Truth | Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters | 15 January – 8 February 2026

Geneva – Holocaust Remembrance

Start Time: 1pm CET, Palais des Nations, Room XVI

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UN chief warns ‘law of the jungle’ is replacing rule of law

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

António Guterres was addressing a high-level open debate of the UN Security Council convened by Somalia, which holds the Council presidency for January.

The discussion comes as conflicts multiply, global tensions rise, and confidence in international institutions and rules is fading – even as the UN marks 80 years since the adoption of its founding Charter, which set out principles meant to prevent wars and reduce suffering.

“The rule of law is a cornerstone of global peace and security,” Mr. Guterres said, calling it “the beating heart” of the UN Charter.

For eight decades, he said, the Charter, alongside the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and other core legal instruments, has helped humanity avoid another world war and limit the toll of countless conflicts.

Secretary-General Guterres addresses the Security Council.

Flagrant violations

But the Secretary-General warned that commitments to international law are increasingly being ignored.

“Around the world, the rule of law is being replaced by the law of the jungle,” he said, pointing to what he described as flagrant violations of the UN Charter and international law, including the illegal use of force, attacks on civilian infrastructure, human rights abuses and the denial of life-saving humanitarian aid.

From Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, he said, the rule of law is being treated as “an à la carte menu,” with States choosing which rules to follow. Such violations, he warned, set dangerous precedents, encourage impunity and erode trust among nations.

A lifeline and a guardrail

For smaller and less-powerful countries, particularly those affected by historical inequities and the legacies of colonialism, international law is “a lifeline promising equal treatment, sovereignty, dignity and justice,” Mr. Guterres said.

“For powerful countries, it is a guardrail defining what is acceptable – and what is not, in times of disagreement, division and outright conflict,” he added.

He underscored the unique responsibility of the Security Council, the only body with Charter-mandated authority to adopt decisions binding on all Member States and to authorize the use of force under international law.

“Its responsibility is singular. Its obligation is universal,” he said.

Priorities for action

Looking ahead, the UN chief outlined three priority areas for action.

First, he urged countries to honour the commitments they made under the Charter, including settling disputes peacefully, safeguarding human rights and respecting the sovereign equality of States.

Second, he called for the use of peaceful tools to settle disputes – negotiation, mediation and judicial settlement, alongside stronger partnerships with regional organizations – and more investment in development to address the root causes of inequality and exclusion.

Third, he stressed the need for fair, independent judicial proceedings. He encouraged greater reliance on independent courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and stronger support for international criminal justice.

“There can be no sustainable or just peace without accountability,” Mr. Guterres said. “The rule of law must prevail.”

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World News in Brief: Iran in the Human Rights Council, Myanmar election ‘fraud’, migration chief in Cyprus, Mozambique flood update

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”.

He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed.

“We have indications that the security forces made mass arrests in several cities, even pursuing injured people into hospitals, and detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, activists, and ordinary civilians,” he told diplomats.

Prosecutions ongoing

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the movie industry, and the owners of cafes, on charges of supporting the protests,” Mr. Türk continued.

Protests erupted across Iran on 28 December in response to the collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation and worsening living conditions.

Also speaking at the Council, former international prosecutor Payam Akhavan described how one protester pretended to be dead in a body-bag for three days until his parents found him.

The civil society representative said that parents looking for their relatives usually started at hospitals, where “many of the wounded (protesters) have been abducted and killed”.

Others have been forced to sign confessions which blame imaginary “terrorists” for the murder of their children, Mr. Akhavan maintained.

He cited a medical report circulating among Iranian doctors that 16,500 people had been killed during the demonstrations. “The number increases by the day, because the killings haven’t stopped,” he said.

Rejection of Myanmar military’s ‘fraudulent’ election must be unequivocal: UN independent expert

The international community must unequivocally reject as illegitimate the election results in Myanmar and any power arrangement that follows, said Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on Friday.

The UN-appointed independent expert described the elections, which began in late December and are expected to be concluded this weekend, as ‘fraudulent’, urging countries not to accept the results.

“The junta is banking on the world’s fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing,” he said. “Governments must not allow that to happen.”

‘Fear and coercion’

The junta’s election scheme was marked by violence, low turnout and widespread coercion, said Mr. Andrews.

Voters reported being monitored and pressured by local authorities, with threats explicit or implied. Junta officials were pushing citizens to polling stations even as military jets bombed villages throughout the country.

Mr. Andrews added that the junta banned credible opposition parties, jailed popular political figures and muzzled the press, “crushing fundamental freedoms, and using fear and coercion to drive a reluctant electorate to the polls.”

UN migration chief backs EU presidency efforts on migration

This week, the UN migration agency (IOM) Chief Amy Pope concluded a visit to Cyprus after a round of high-level talks, which focused on advancing a comprehensive migration and asylum agenda.

“Cyprus knows what it means to be on the frontline – and that experience really matters right now,” said Ms Pope. “As the European Union (EU) moves from agreement to action, this is the moment to make sure policies really work – for migrants, for communities, and countries.

This trip marks the IOM Chief’s first visit to Cyprus in her current role, as Cyprus assumes the EU Council Presidency and the EU begins implementing the landmark Migration and Asylum Pact.

Humane returns

With persistent instability Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and the Sahel, Ms Pope reaffirmed IOM’s support and engagement with the EU to ensure refugee returns are humane and dignified.

During her visit, she underscored the urgent need to address conditions along key migration routes, with IOM emphasising efforts to curb irregular migration, disrupt smuggling networks, meet humanitarian needs, and save lives.

Ms Pope also called for stronger migration data systems and evidence-based policymaking.

Nearly 600,000 people upended by Mozambique floods

Nearly 600,000 people have been affected by severe flooding across southern and central Mozambique. Weeks of heavy and sustained rainfall have caused homes to collapse and roads to wash away, displacing more than 73,000 people, according to figures from the IOM.

Flooding has been reported in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, with Gaza Province “hosting significant concentrations of displaced people”. Humanitarian response partners expect reported figures to rise as access to affected communities improves.

IOM teams there have described acute shortages of shelter, constraints on food and basic services, overcrowded centres, and limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene – increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading.

Preliminary reports from the International Red Cross (IFRC) indicated between 50 and 60 deaths, a figure likely to rise as waters levels recede.

Response ahead of cyclone season

Following a Government request for international support on 16 January including air assets for search and rescue efforts, the IOM plans to appeal for up to $20 million to reinforce life-saving assistance and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene.

With this being only the start of the cyclone season and dams at near capacity, representatives from the IFRC have underscored the need for investment in early warning systems, climate‑resilient infrastructure, and locally led preparedness.

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UN rights chief decries US treatment of migrants, as deaths in ICE custody rise

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

In a news release on Friday, High Commissioner Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained – sometimes violently – in locations ranging from hospitals and places of worship to courthouses, schools, markets and private homes.

The UN rights chief said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse and denigration of migrants and refugees.”

He warned that fear generated by such federal operations is rippling through communities, with children missing school and medical appointments, out of concern that their parents may not return.

“Those who dare to speak up or protest peacefully against heavy-handed immigration raids are vilified and threatened by officials, and on occasion subjected to arbitrary violence themselves,” Mr. Türk said.

He said numerous migration policies now being implemented by US authorities are resulting in arbitrary and unlawful arrests and detentions, as well as flawed removal decisions. He expressed concern that enforcement actions often lacked sufficient individualised assessments.

Due process

US immigration enforcement is primarily carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for identifying, arresting, detaining and removing non-citizens deemed to be in violation of immigration law.

Mr. Türk stressed that while national governments have the authority to establish and enforce migration policies, those powers must be exercised in full accordance with the law. Failure to respect due process, he said, risks eroding public trust, weakening institutional legitimacy and violating individuals’ rights.

He also deplored Washington’s use of large-scale enforcement operations, raising concerns that force has at times appeared unnecessary or disproportionate.

On 7 January 2026, a woman was fatally shot in Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis, during an operation involving federal officers.

“Under international law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life,” Mr. Türk said.

Families torn apart

The UN rights chief highlighted the human cost of these practices, particularly for families.

Mr. Türk cited cases in which parents were detained or transferred between facilities without adequate information being provided about their whereabouts or access to legal counsel, making it difficult to maintain family contact or pursue legal remedies.

“I call on the administration to end practices that are tearing apart families,” said the High Commissioner. He also called for independent and transparent investigations into a reported rise in the number of deaths in ICE custody.

At least 30 deaths were reported last year, with six more so far this year.

‘Xenophobic hostility’

Mr. Türk also expressed deep concern over what he described as “dehumanising narratives” used by some Government officials to portray migrants and refugees.

“I call on leaders at all levels in the US to halt the use of scapegoating tactics that seek to distract and divide, and which increase the exposure of migrants and refugees to xenophobic hostility and abuse,” he said.

He also recognised the efforts of a wide range of public officials, community groups and civil society representatives across the US, who are working to uphold dignity, fairness and accountability in the treatment of migrants and their communities.

Net benefits of migration

He highlighted that the US’ history has been “shaped profoundly” by the contributions that migrants, from all parts of the world, have made and continue to make.

“Demonising migrants and refugees collectively as criminals, threats, or burdens on society – based on their origin, nationality or migration status – is inhuman, wrong, and it goes against the very fabric and foundations of the nation,” he warned.

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‘Dangerous nostalgia’ is a threat to multilateralism, UN deputy chief tells Danish MPs

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The UN’s founding document “is our moral compass,” she said, calling for renewed commitment to multilateralism rooted in solidarity, international law, and human dignity.

She stressed the need to invest in peace – which the Security Council and General Assembly have both affirmed through resolutions on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in support of the two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

These are examples of how the Charter’s values “have been brought to life”, however “the very foundation those resolutions rest on is being attacked.”

Yesterday, Venezuela – tomorrow Greenland?

Ms. Mohammed said that “dangerous nostalgia is what’s threatening international cooperation now, that the rule of law can be interpreted by the whims and caprices of a strong arm.”

She noted that Secretary-General António Guterres recently reminded that the Charter is not an à la carte menu and all countries have an obligation to uphold it.

Today, it is smaller countries who are “holding the line on the Charter” because they understand that “if the rules don’t protect the vulnerable, they offer protection to no one,” she said.

“You either stand up for a rules-based order, or you pay the price of ignoring it. Yesterday, the price was Venezuela, tomorrow it may be Greenland,” she warned.

Fund sustainable development

The international community must also work to accelerate sustainable development.

Geopolitical tensions are threatening gains made in slashing poverty, reducing child and maternal mortality, and increasing girls’ access to education, she said.

Furthermore, “trade wars are closing off markets that have lifted millions out of poverty. And we’re watching a global rollback of the hard-won rights of women and girls.”

Last year, military spending reached a record high of $2.7 trillion, yet funding for basic development needs faces a $4.2 trillion annual shortfall, which must change.

Davos echo chamber

“Davos this week will see the rich getting richer – profits going into the hands of very few. Last year, the wealth of billionaires grew by $2 trillion dollars while the poorest half of humanity owns just two percent of global wealth,” she added.

Ms. Mohammed pointed to the UN conference on financing for development, held last year in Spain, which “showed us how to create fiscal space for sustainable development, address the debt crisis, and reform the international financial architecture that keep so many outside.”

Support UN reform

The Deputy Secretary-General underscored the need to “reset the UN to preserve multilateralism”.

In this regard, the UN80 Initiative on system-wide reform aims to build a global body “that delivers more effectively, with greater impact, amid the reality of fewer resources and greater needs on the ground in countries.” 

She asked all countries, including Denmark, to “lead the charge and commit to a reformed UN that delivers on the promise of the Charter and the realities of today.”

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Cold and dark: UN rights chief condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Volker Türk said he was outraged by renewed overnight attacks that knocked out power and heating in major cities – including Kyiv and Odesa – as temperatures plunged well below zero and civilians bear the brunt of what he described as unlawful assaults on civilian infrastructure.

He said the Russian strikes “can only be described as cruel. They must stop. Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is a clear breach of the rules of warfare.”

According to Ukrainian authorities, the latest long-range attacks triggered emergency power and heating outages across several regions.

In Kyiv alone, the city’s mayor reported that 5,635 multi-storey residential buildings were left without heating on Tuesday morning, nearly 80 per cent of which had only recently had heating restored after similar strikes earlier this month.

Since October last year, Russian armed forces have renewed systematic large-scale attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with strikes recorded in at least 20 regions of the country.

Mr. Türk called on Russian authorities to immediately halt the attacks, warning that continued strikes on essential civilian infrastructure risk compounding human suffering.

Humanitarian consequences

“This means that hundreds of thousands of families are now without heating and several areas, including a significant part of Kyiv, are also without water,” Mr. Türk said, warning that the impact falls most heavily on children, older people and persons with disabilities.

The humanitarian toll was underscored by Matthias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, who said that over the past 48 hours tens of thousands of civilians once again woke to freezing homes and severe disruptions to basic services.

“Parents cannot prepare hot meals for their children, and many older people have been left isolated in cold homes yet again,” he said. “The hideous strikes on energy that have such a huge negative impact on the lives of the civilian population violate international humanitarian law and should end immediately.”

Nuclear safety risks

The attacks have also raised fresh concerns over nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said several electrical substations vital for nuclear safety were affected.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant temporarily lost all off-site power, while power lines to other nuclear facilities were also impacted. “The IAEA is actively following developments in order to assess impact on nuclear safety,” Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Chernobyl was the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident in April 1986, when a reactor explosion released massive amounts of radioactive material across Ukraine, Europe and beyond.

Although the plant has long ceased power generation, it requires a stable electricity supply to maintain cooling systems, radiation monitoring and the safe management of nuclear waste, making uninterrupted power critical to preventing new safety risks.

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UN rights chief bears witness to trauma and resilience in Sudan

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Volker Türk briefed journalists in the Kenyan capital following a five-day mission to Sudan, where “a chronicle of cruelty is unfolding before our very eyes”.

He called on “all those who have any influence, including regional actors and notably those who supply the arms and benefit economically from this war” to act urgently to bring it to an end.

Mr. Türk last visited Sudan in November 2022. Back then, he was deeply inspired by civil society—particularly the young people and women who spearheaded the 2018 revolution.

Salute to the people’s struggle for peace

While the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “has plunged the country into an abyss of unfathomable proportions” – affecting the entire nation and all its people – “the spirit of the struggle for peace, justice and freedom…is not broken,” he affirmed.

“I bore witness in Sudan to the trauma of the unspeakable brutality that people have suffered – but also to the resilience and defiance of the human spirit.”

Mr. Türk met with various sectors of society, including young people who organise and deliver aid to their communities “often in the face of massive bureaucratic hurdles, risking detention and violence.”

As one volunteer told him, “The price of war is being paid by young people. Sudanese young people are at the frontlines of this war, serving those who are in need of humanitarian aid.”

End ‘intolerable attacks’ on infrastructure

The rights chief highlighted attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, such as the Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station which once supplied 70 per cent of electricity needs nationwide.

It has been repeatedly hit by drones launched by the RSF, including in recent weeks. Such attacks are serious violations and can amount to war crimes.

He called for both warring parties to “cease intolerable attacks against civilian objects that are indispensable to the civilian population, including markets, health facilities, schools and shelters.”

Mr. Türk also met people displaced from the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur who are now living in the Al Afad camp some 1,200 kilometres away. Among them was a four-year-old who lost his hearing due to bombardment and a three-year-old who wouldn’t smile.

“One woman saw her husband and only son killed,” he said. “She is still bedridden from grief, trauma, and the bullet she took in her shoulder while trying – in vain – to shield her son.”

Women’s bodies ‘weaponized’

He shared the testimony of Aisha*, 20, who was fleeing El Fasher on a donkey cart in October when armed men on camels ordered the women to come down. Her brother tried to intervene but was shot, while her mother begged the men to take her instead of the children.

“They hit her, took me and told me to keep quiet or they will kill my mother. Then what happened…happened. My period has not come since then,” she told Mr. Türk.

In Sudan, “women and girls’ bodies have been weaponized,” he said. Sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war – also a war crime – and it is widespread and systematic.

The UN rights chief also heard accounts of widespread summary executions. He underlined that all parties to the conflict “have perpetrated gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law, notably when the fighting intensifies to control new areas.”

Concern for the Kordofan region

He expressed deep concern that atrocity crimes committed inf El Fasher are at risk of being repeated in the Kordofan region, where fighting has intensified since late October. This is happening amid famine conditions in the city of Kadugli and risk of famine elsewhere, including Dilling, he said in a stark warning.

He deplored the proliferation of advanced military equipment across Sudan, particularly drones, saying “it is despicable that large sums of money are being spent on procuring increasingly advanced weaponry – funds that should be used to alleviate the suffering of the population.”

Another concern is the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict, including through the arming of civilians and recruitment and use of children. Civil society and journalists are also facing restrictions or being targeted through smear campaigns.

Focus on the Sudanese people

The UN rights chief concluded his remarks by calling on the warring parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, guarantee safe passage for people to leave conflict areas, and ensure unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

“Measures, such as humane treatment of detainees, accounting for and establishing the fate of missing persons, and releasing civilians detained for alleged ‘collaboration’ with the opposing party are also priority areas,” he added.

Mr. Türk repeated the plea that he made when he last visited Sudan.

“I urge all those involved to set aside entrenched positions, power games, and personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the Sudanese people,” he said.

“Again, I leave with a plea that human rights be central to building confidence and bringing this war to an end, to resuming the difficult task of building a sustainable peace.”

This is difficult, he acknowledged, “but certainly not impossible, with the resilience and power of the Sudanese people.”

*Name changed for protection purposes.

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US strikes in Caribbean and Pacific breach international law, says UN rights chief

Posted on November 3, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

More than 60 people have reportedly been killed in the continuing series of attacks since early September “in circumstances that find no justification in international law,” Volker Türk said in a statement.

He urged the US to halt its “unacceptable” operations and take measures to prevent the “extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats, whatever the criminal conduct alleged against them.”

Beyond the law

The United States has defended the operations as part of its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and terrorism, asserting that they fall within the framework of international humanitarian law.

Mr. Türk rejected that argument, stressing that countering illicit drug trafficking is a law-enforcement matter, governed by careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law.

He emphasised that the intentional use of lethal force is lawful only as a last resort when individuals pose an imminent threat to life.

Call for investigations

“Based on the very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to the lives of others or otherwise justified the use of lethal armed force against them under international law,” Mr. Türk said.

The High Commissioner called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations into the reported attacks.

While acknowledging the serious challenges posed by drug trafficking, Mr. Türk urged the US to ensure that all counter-narcotics operations respect international law, including the treaties to which it is party.

“The United States should investigate and, if necessary, prosecute and punish individuals accused of serious crimes in accordance with the fundamental rule-of-law principles of due process and fair trial, for which the US has long stood,” he concluded.

‘Warring world crying out for peace’ says UN chief as leaders gather in New York

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a renewed global push to end wars and divisions, stressing that “peace cannot wait” as the world observes the International Day of Peace.

“Lives are being ripped apart, childhoods extinguished, and basic human dignity discarded, amidst the cruelty and degradations of war,” Mr. Guterres said in his message for the Day. “All they want is peace.”

He noted that modern conflict is no longer confined to battlefields, with its consequences spilling across borders, driving displacement, poverty, and instability. “We must silence the guns. End the suffering. Build bridges. And create stability and prosperity,” he urged.

Theme Calls for Collective Action

The International Day of Peace was first established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 as a day devoted to non-violence and ceasefire. This year’s theme, Act Now for a Peaceful World, emphasizes the need for urgent action to prevent conflicts, counter hate and disinformation, and strengthen peacebuilding efforts, particularly through the involvement of women and young people.

Mr. Guterres underscored the close relationship between peace and sustainable development, pointing out that nine of the ten countries lagging most in development are also plagued by conflict. He warned against racism and dehumanisation, advocating instead for “the language of respect” and dialogue.

The observance comes on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level week, where leaders from across the world gather in New York to debate pressing global challenges, from ongoing wars and climate disruption to gender equality and the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence.

“The timing underlines the need for a concerted international push for peace, as divisions widen and instability grows,” the Secretary-General said. Concluding his message, he reminded nations and communities alike: “Where we have peace, we have hope. Peace cannot wait — our work starts now.”

UNDP: Peace and Development Intertwined

In a statement issued the same day, UNDP’s Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu stressed that peace is the foundation of development. Xu highlighted that in 2024, governments spent approximately US$2.7 trillion on military budgets, while only a small fraction—about US$47.2 billion, was allocated to peacebuilding and prevention efforts.

UNDP further argued that development actors are crucial partners in stabilisation: by investing in justice, governance, and inclusive institutions, and by supporting women and youth roles in conflict-affected regions, peace becomes more durable.

Civil Society Voices

Labour unions, non-governmental organisations, and other civil society actors underscored that peace is not simply the absence of war but requires fairness and equality.

For example, Unifor, a large Canadian trade union, released a statement affirming that peace must rest on dignity, justice, and human rights. The union observed that civilians—in particular workers, health care personnel, families, children—bear disproportionate burden during conflicts. Unifor called for ceasefires, de-escalation of violence, and increased support for humanitarian and development agencies.

These actors also spoke out against trends of rising militarisation at the expense of essential services—health, education, housing—and warned that neglect in these areas undermines long-term peace and stability.

Beyond the UN Secretariat and civil society, organisations that represent countries or regions emphasised that peace must go hand in hand with democracy, human rights, and inclusion.

The Community of Democracies (CoD) reaffirmed its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). Its Secretary-General Thomas E. Garrett stressed that sustainable peace requires the meaningful participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups, and that democratic governance bolsters efforts toward reconciliation and enduring peace.

Several member states (implicitly through these organisations and joint statements) echoed that investing in peace-building, prevention, and inclusive development is not merely moral but pragmatic: peace is foundational to stability, prosperity, and human wellbeing.

Also Read: London’s Far-Right Rally Sends Shockwaves Through South Asian Communities

Haiti: UN relief chief implores ‘we have to do better’ to support gang-ravaged nation

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“I’m ashamed on behalf of the world that we cannot find it in ourselves to be more compassionate, to be more kind, to recognise what people here are going through,” said Tom Fletcher, who heads the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, during a visit to the Caribbean nation.

“I listened to people whose lives have been destroyed by brutal violence,” he said. “They are desperate for security, dignity, hope. I refuse to believe we cannot do better for them.”

A country of 11 million, Haiti continues to face a severe humanitarian and protection crisis amid a cholera outbreak and rising malnutrition rates.

Half of all Haitians face food insecurity and unprecedented levels of forced displacement which tripled last year to over one million people, according to an update by OCHA, which noted that large scale displacements have continued into 2025.

A baby is cared for at a health facitlity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

‘They don’t want to be here’

For more than a year, gangs have taken over large swaths inside and outside the capital, Port-au-Prince, raping, killing, pillaging civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, as well as kidnapping child recruits to fight.

“Right now, up to half of all armed group members are children,” OCHA stated. “Fear permeates daily life” as families are forced to leave their homes and seek shelter, food and safety.

“They’ve been displaced multiple times by violence,” said Mr. Fletcher, who met with authorities, partners and affected families living in makeshift shelters. “They want to live their lives like anyone else.

“They don’t want to be here. They want to rebuild their lives. They want education for their kids. They want healthcare they need. They need clean water.”

Living ‘in misery’

Some displaced families shared their plight, including Roudy Jean, who said “we need to be able to live in a normal way, like in the rest of the world.”

Cashmina Jean-Michel, a woman displaced by gang violence, said she once owned a beauty salon and employed staff, but lost it all.

“At 5am, there was a lot of shooting,” she recalled. “I lost everything, my belongings, my business, but the safety of my children was my absolute priority. I had no choice but to get them and run immediately. Today, I live in a very cramped space in misery, where I can only keep one of my children while the others must stay with friends.”

Many families have been displaced two or three times, the UN relief chief said.

The UN’s relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, meets a family in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Food and shelter shortages

Innocent Fagneau, vice-president of a site for internally displaced people like Mr. Jean and Ms. Jean-Michel, described current challenges.

“Now, with the quantity of people we currently have, this space was not designed for this use,” he said.

“There’s also a food problem at this site. The quantity of food we receive to distribute, for example, we finish the amount by noon, but what about 3 or 4pm? People should still be able to eat something.”

Rebuilding lives, overcoming despair

The OCCED’H youth centre provides rays of hope, specifically targeting adolescents and youth from communities affected by armed violence and those living in sites for internally displaced people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, where access to education and training opportunities is extremely limited.

The centre offers practical and vocational training to nearly 300 students, among them Phanie Sagesse, who is learning leather crafting.

“I love to develop my creative skills, and if you take leathercraft seriously and put all your heart in what you are doing,” she said, “it can help you achieve economic independence.”

‘We have to be here’

On a visit to the youth centre, Mr. Fletcher said “we can find ways to push back against this crisis, against a sense of despair and deterioration because here…these young people, they are cutting hair, they’re doing manicures, they’re learning to pedicure, they’re making bracelets, they are learning to fix motorbikes. But, ultimately, they’re rebuilding their lives.”

He said the world must lend a hand in that regard.

“We can see that people can build back their communities as well, not just as individuals, but as a society, as Haiti, and ultimately, that’s why we have to be here,” he said. “That’s why the world must be here, helping them to rebuild from always despair from the ruins of their lives.”

‘This is not enough’

While UN agencies scramble to provide support and essential goods and services, Mr. Fletcher said more must be done.

To date, the humanitarian appeal for Haiti remains severely underfunded. Of the $908 million required to address urgent needs, only 11 per cent is funded, leaving a $800 million funding gap.

“This is not enough,” the UN relief chief said. “I can’t believe that we’re struggling so much to raise the funds necessary to support these families as they try to rebuild their lives, but we have to be there for them. We have to do better.”

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Nuclear watchdog chief announces breakthrough on Iran monitoring

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“Indispensable” monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ended in June, agency chief Rafael Grossi said, when Israel and US-backed airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear power installations.

At the time, the Iranian authorities confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site had been “impacted” without affecting existing radiation levels, the top IAEA diplomat said.

Practical step forward

Now, “practical modalities” have been agreed to allow the resumption of inspection activities in Iran, Mr. Grossi told the agency’s board of governors in the Austrian capital. “This is an important step in the right direction,” he continued, before expressing his gratitude to Egypt for brokering the deal.

The development follows the 28 August announcement by France, Germany and the UK of their intention to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days, under the so-called “snapback” mechanism contained in the Iranian nuclear agreement signed in July 2015 by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, in addition to Germany, the EU and Iran.

Working in partnership

The new agreement – which was preceded by weeks of technical discussions in Tehran and Vienna over verification activities of “all facilities and installations in Iran”– came despite the decision by Iranian lawmakers on 25 June to suspend cooperation with IAEA, a move approved by the country’s President one week later.

At the time, Mr. Grossi noted that this domestic decision did not alter Iran’s international nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) obligations.

Agreement remains in force

And earlier this week, he insisted that the NPT agreement remained in force as “the sole legally binding treaty governing the rights and obligations of the [IAEA] and Iran with respect to safeguards implementation in Iran”.

While acknowledging that his Iranian interlocutors had declared their willingness to remain part of the international non-proliferation movement, Mr. Grossi noted Tehran’s “concerns”.

Nonetheless, the deal – sealed by Mr. Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Cairo on Monday – “provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications and their implementation”, he insisted.

The agreement also “contemplates” reporting on all facilities targeted by Israel and the US in June “including the nuclear material present” in Iran, the IAEA chief continued.

“These practical steps…need to be implemented now,” he insisted. “There may be difficulties and issues to be resolved for sure, but we now know what we have to do and the elements at our disposal for these basic understandings to be implemented.”

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World News in Brief: UN chief condemns Russian attacks on Ukraine, Gaza crisis continues, protecting civilians in DR Congo

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Secretary-General António Guterres said it marked a “further escalation” of the conflict.

Authorities reported more than 80 civilian casualties, including a national non-governmental organization (NGO) worker and her two-month-old son in Kyiv.

Other affected cities included Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih and Kherson. Energy infrastructure was also hit, causing temporary power and water outages ahead of winter, with repair crews working to restore services.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable and must end immediately,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday at the regular news briefing in New York.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

Meanwhile, humanitarian support continues. On 5 September, UN agencies and partners delivered medical kits and hygiene supplies to roughly 1,000 people in several Donetsk villages, marking the tenth convoy to the region this year.

People seek food at a community kitchen in western Gaza City.

Gaza: Civilian toll continues to climb

Civilians in Gaza continue to face mounting deaths, displacement and famine as hostilities continue, with UN agencies warning that the window to prevent widespread starvation is closing.

According to local health authorities, some 67 people were killed and 320 injured in the past 24 hours, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March nearly 12,000 people have died amid repeated displacement and attacks.

“We continue to condemn all killings of civilians,” he said.

The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted urgent needs for food, water and shelter.

“Our colleagues remind us that over 80 per cent of Gaza is either under displacement orders or within militarized areas,” Mr. Dujarric added.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that over 100 people, a quarter of them children, have died from malnutrition since famine was confirmed in Gaza governorate.

Humanitarian operations remain heavily constrained.

Only 11 of 24 coordinated missions were facilitated on Sunday, including fuel collection at crossings, while others were denied or cancelled. Humanitarians were able to distribute water in northern Gaza and collect food shipments from Kerem Shalom, Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings.

UN peacekeepers in DR Congo continue to protect population against ‘grave danger’

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to be protected against “grave danger” by United Nations peacekeepers, according to the head of UN Peace Operations.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix was speaking at the end of a mission to the DRC, where he visited the troubled Ituri and North Kivu regions.

Mr. Lacroix emphasised that hundreds of thousands of Congolese people, including displaced people, rely on the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO for daily protection, particularly in the areas of Fataki and Beni, in North Kivu, where joint operations with the Congolese armed forces continue against armed groups.

USG Lacroix on the role of MONUSCO

Dire situation continues

The security situation in the eastern DRC remains dire, despite diplomatic efforts to bring lasting peace to the country.

The DRC is currently facing one of the most acute humanitarian emergencies in the world, with food insecurity on the rise and 5.9 million Congolese currently internally displaced.

“People are protected here by our MONUSCO colleagues, and they are provided with humanitarian support and protection”, said Mr. Lacroix adding that the UN remains committed to supporting government efforts towards peace and stability in the country.

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UN rights chief denounces ‘glorification of violence’ and attack on rule of law

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“No one is safe when human rights are under attack,” Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council, warning that the rules of war “are being shredded”.

“Some States are becoming an extension of their ruler’s personal power,” he insisted.

In his customary address to the UN’s top rights forum at the beginning of a new session in Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights decried that “pro-war propaganda is everywhere”, from military parades to “ramped-up rhetoric” from leaders.

“Sadly, there are no peace parades or ministries of peace, he stressed, while calling for countries to stand firm against the growing “erosion” of international law.

The High Commissioner also defended the importance of standing behind multilateral accords as “the foundation of peace, our global order and our daily lives, from trade rules to the global internet, to our fundamental rights”.

World order at risk

Today, governments “are disregarding, disrespecting and disengaging” the existing rules-based world order that was established after 1945 to prevent another world war, the UN rights chief insisted, in a call for accountability.

The danger is that when States ignore violations of the law, “they become normalised,” Mr. Türk said. “When States apply the law inconsistently, they undermine the legal order everywhere. It is time for States to wake up and to act.”

Condemning the continued illegal detention of United Nations staff in Yemen as a “direct attack on the UN system”, Mr. Türk also called the United States’ withdrawal “from the Paris Agreement and from global bodies, including this Council…deeply regrettable”, noting that other States were following suit.

The High Commissioner also warned of the negative consequences of the decision by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to leave the Ottowa Treaty on land mines, while identifying the “new trend of disparaging” the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which all countries had agreed to a decade ago.

An A to Z of rights concerns

As is usual at the start of Council sessions, the High Commissioner highlighted situations of concern around the world, from Afghanistan – where the “erasure” of women and girls from public life “is almost complete” – to Haiti which is “plunging deeper into lawlessness; Nigeria, which is seeing a resurgence of Boko Haram extremism; and Syria – whose transition to peace remains “fragile”.

In Ukraine, following the largest drone assault of the conflict, Russia’s full-scale invasion “has turned even more deadly”.

In Sudan, besieged El Fasher is under constant bombardment and the risk of further atrocities remains, Mr. Türk said, while in Myanmar, four years since the military coup, people remain caught up in “a harrowing human rights calamity”.

Turning to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, “damning evidence” indicates continued “grave violations and abuses” by all parties to the conflict, the High Commissioner continued, while Gaza is now a “graveyard”, amid Israel’s “mass killing” of Palestinian civilians.

Where are steps to stop Gaza genocide?

“We are failing the people of Gaza…Where are the decisive steps to prevent genocide?” he asked. “Why are countries not doing more to avert atrocity crimes? They must stop the flow to Israel of arms that risk violating the laws of war.”

The Human Rights Council meets in three scheduled sessions every year at UN Geneva.

Continuing his tour d’horizon of country situations of concern in addition to thematic issues, Mr. Türk maintained that progress sought by his office, OHCHR, to protect the rights of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China has “yet to materialise”.

In West Africa, meanwhile, restrictions on LGBTQ+ people are growing in some countries considering criminalising consensual same-sex relations, the High Commissioner said, just as the rights of migrants and refugees are being increasingly violated.

Asylum alert

“Iran and Pakistan have forcibly returned millions of Afghans to their country and India has also deported groups of Rohingya Muslims by land and sea,” he insisted.

Similarly, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and other European countries “have also sought to limit the right to seek asylum”, Mr. Türk insisted. He took note of concerns about the United States’ reported agreement with El Salvador, South Sudan, Eswatini, Rwanda and others, to deport third country nationals, and underlined Kuwait’s decision to revoke citizenship for thousands of people in recent years, “leaving many stateless”.

Poll appeal

On imminent national elections across Africa, Mr. Türk also cited serious concerns over polling preparations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

“In many of these countries, the authorities are resorting to harassment, exclusion or detention of opposition leaders; restrictions on media freedom; bans on peaceful protest; and crackdowns on human rights defenders,” he said.

The UN rights chief also urged the Ethiopian authorities to ensure conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections, amid concerns about arbitrary detentions of journalists.

As part of the UN’s efforts to improve and promote human rights everywhere, Mr. Türk urged all countries to do more so that “every child – whether a future farmer, digital worker, doctor or shopkeeper” understands that human rights “are our birthright”.

He added: “The vast majority of people around the world are crying out for human rights and freedoms…No one is safe when human rights are under attack. Abuses committed against one group are always part of a broader pattern of oppression and lead to the wider erosion of fundamental freedoms”.

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UN chief hails ‘remarkable example’ of Papua New Guinea as he concludes historic trip

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Flanked by the country’s Prime Minister, James Marape, Mr. Guterres echoed comments he made during a speech in the national parliament on Wednesday, in which he described Papua New Guineans as “champions of multilateralism and international solutions.”

The Secretary-General noted that, in a world where “we see democratic values being put into question,” the country – where some 800 languages are spoken – retains a preference for solving problems peaceably through dialogue.

Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Papua New Guinea’s rainforest (file)

Time for climate justice…

The climate crisis has been high on the agenda throughout the visit, with Mr. Guterres leaving the capital to visit a rainforest region and discuss the problems caused by the changing climate with civil society representatives.

Addressing the media in Port Moresby, the UN chief expressed gratitude and solidarity with Papua New Guineans, for how they are addressing an existential challenge not of their own making.

“Papua New Guinea does not contribute to climate change,” he pointed out. “Papua New Guinea has a negative emissions record, due to an enormous carbon sink: the admirable forests of this country and the ocean.”

He said it was time for the international community to recognise that countries like Papua New Guinea deserve climate justice and support to build resilience against the “devastating impact of climate change.”

Papuan conservationist Alfred Masul is replanting mangrove trees to build resilience against climate change (file)

…And economic justice

The country’s ability to adapt to the increasingly volatile climate and develop its economy is also hampered, declared Mr. Guterres, by its designation as a middle-income country – which means that it does not have access to the kinds of concessional funding, such as grants, low interest loans and debt relief, that are available to low-income nations.

This, he said, is “an injustice that must be corrected.”

Part of the issue, according to the Secretary-General, is the outdated nature of the international financial architecture (a recurrent theme during his mandate). The institutions created over 75 years ago, need to be reformed “in order for developing countries like Papua New Guinea to have a much stronger voice and a much stronger influence in the way decisions are taken,” he argued, “and a much higher access to the resources that are essential for the development of the country.”

UN chief hails ‘remarkable example’ of Papua New Guinea as he concludes historic trip

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Papua New Guinea’s rare cloud forests are a high elevation rainforest characterised by low-level cloud cover. (14 June 2011)

Time for climate justice…

Addressing the media in Port Moresby, the UN chief expressed gratitude and solidarity with Papua New Guineans, for how they are addressing an existential challenge not of their own making.

Local conservationist Alfred Masul is replanting mangrove trees in Papua New Guinea to build resilience against climate change.

…And economic justice

This, he said, is “an injustice that must be corrected.”

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Amid escalating attacks in Gaza, UN rights chief calls on US to withdraw sanctions against Palestinian rights groups

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The measures announced on Thursday target Al-Haq group, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, in relation to their support of the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following other sanctions imposed by the US Government in June on renowned Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) Addameer.

“For decades now, these NGOs have been performing vital human rights work, particularly on accountability for human rights violations,” that is “all the more important when international humanitarian and human rights laws are being violated systematically in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”.

Mr. Türk urged the US to immediately withdraw its sanctions “as well as the ones imposed earlier on the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, and on multiple Judges and Prosecutors of the ICC.”

He added that the sanctions will have a “chilling effect” not only on civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but potentially worldwide.

Attacks, famine spread across Gaza

The ongoing Israeli offensive to take full control of Gaza City further intensified on Friday, increasing civilian casualties and attacking facilities on which they depend to survive, the UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing at UN Headquarters.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces attacked a high-rise building that they say was used to launch attacks against them, damaging tents sheltering displaced people nearby, according to initial information collected by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).

“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that in the north, people are simply exhausted; they can’t afford to move south, not only because displacement sites are overcrowded, but also because transport can cost up to $1,000,” Mr. Dujarric said, announcing that nearly 41,000 people have been displaced from Gaza City since 14 August.

‘Catastrophe Israel could have prevented’: WHO chief

Reminding that the offensive is running alongside the spread of famine, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was “a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented and could stop at any time.”

Starvation ‘will not make Israel safer’

“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated. Doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts.”

Since the conflict began in October 2023, at least 370 people have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including more than 300 just in the past two months, according to the UN health agency, which said the lack of food and clean water and cramped living conditions are leaving people with weakened immune systems.

It’s also exposing the population to more disease, with more than 100 cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, including 11 deaths, reported in the last month.

“The most intolerable part of this man-made disaster is that it could be stopped right now,” he said.

“People are starving to death while the food that could save them sits on trucks a short distance away. And for what? The starvation of the people of Gaza will not make Israel safer, nor will it facilitate the release of the hostages.”

While WHO is doing the best it can to alleviate suffering in Gaza, supporting medical evacuations of over 7,640 patients, more than 15,000 others need urgent specialised care, including 3,800 children.

More than 700 people have died while waiting for evacuations, Tedros said, calling for countries to “open their arms to these critically ill patients” and on Israel to allow people to be treated in the nearby West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“Above all, we call on the Government of Israel to end this inhumane war,” he said. “If it will not, I call on its allies to use their influence to stop it.”

UN chief calls for justice and ‘real change’ for people of African descent

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

In a message released ahead of the Day, Mr. Guterres honoured the “extraordinary” contributions of people of African descent across every sphere of human endeavour. The Secretary-General also recognised the “long shadows” of slavery and colonialism, which include systemic racism, unequal economies and societies, and the digital divide (between those who are able to benefit from digital technology, and those who don’t have access).

Mr. Guterres hailed the Global Digital Compact – adopted in 2024 as part of the Pact for the Future, which promotes a multilateral system that reflects today’s realities and delivers for everyone, everywhere – as a step forward, citing commitments to tackle discrimination and hate speech in digital technologies. “White supremacy and dehumanising narratives,” wrote the UN chief, “are amplified by social media, and, too often, racial bias is encoded in algorithms.”

“Eighty years after the United Nations Charter reaffirmed the equal rights and inherent dignity of every human being, and sixty years since the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he concluded, “it is long past time to right historic wrongs.”

The Gateway to Freedom: International Memorial to the Underground Railroad in Detroit, Michigan, dedicated in 2001.

A decade of action

This year’s International Day is the first to take place during the second International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2034. The decade, which embraces the theme “People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development,” aims to highlight the importance of acknowledging the rights and contributions of people of African descent. Mr. Guterres has called for the next ten years to drive “real change,” including working towards a United Nations Declaration on the full respect of people of African descent’s human rights.

The first Decade saw more than 30 countries change their laws and policies to tackle racial discrimination and address specific issues faced by people of African descent – in some cases for the first time. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, was created, and new International Days were launched to celebrate the contributions of the diaspora, including those of women and girls.

Building on the progress made between 2015 and 2024, the second Decade seeks to amplify global efforts toward justice and development for individuals of African descent and create a more equitable future, in which the aspirations and rights of people of African descent are fully recognised, honoured, and celebrated.

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