Acknowledging what he called “dizzying geopolitical uncertainty”, marked by conflict in Gaza, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres urged the Council to “hold the line” on human rights, warning that these rights are under “full‑scale attack… often led by those who hold the greatest power”.
On Ukraine specifically, Guterres noted that Tuesday, February 24, will mark four years since Russia’s full‑scale invasion, a war that has killed more than 15 000 civilians. “It is more than past time to end the bloodshed,” he insisted. His remarks were followed by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, who emphasised that any ceasefire or peace agreement must put human rights and justice at the centre.
Echoing these concerns, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said human rights are “not a spectator sport”, adding that for Member States, ambassadors, ministers and UN officials, “silence is a choice… and it has consequences”.
“History teaches us that large systems rarely collapse in one dramatic moment; they erode slowly, rule by rule, commitment by commitment, with those who should defend them choosing instead to stay silent. Until one day, what seemed permanent simply vanishes,” she warned.
Baerbock highlighted the plight of Afghan women, who, under a new reported Taliban edict, may be beaten by their husbands, provided there are no visible marks.
“We should remember once and for all that appeasement in the face of the most severe human rights violations never prevails,” she said. “We are witnessing a dramatic backlash not only against women’s rights but also human rights more broadly, and the erosion of standards once believed to be set in stone.”
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
