Guterres: Human rights are fundamental for world peace

By Christopher Wells

At the opening of the UN’s Human Rights Council on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is becoming “less safe by the day,” with “the rule of law and the rules of war” being undermined throughout the world.

“From Ukraine to Sudan, to Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gaza, parties to conflict are turning a blind eye to international law, the Geneva Conventions, and even the United Nations Charter,” Guterres said.

The Secretary-General noted, too, the lack of unity from the UN Security Council, especially with regard to 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.”

Human rights and humanitarian law are clear

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, Guterres insisted, “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.”

Peace and security rooted in human rights

To that end, he announced a new UN “Agenda for Protection” in collaboration with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, committing UN bodies to “act as one to prevent human rights violations and identify and respond to them when they take place.”

Similarly, he said, governments around the world “must step up 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 recommitment.”

In particular, the Agenda for Peace, which will be discussed during the Summit, “applies a human rights lens to preventing and ending violence in all its forms.”

Human rights are a constant

Guterres concluded his remarks by noting that “Our world is changing at a dizzying speed.” Although “the multiplication of conflicts are leading to unprecedented suffering,” he said “human rights are a constant. They give cohesion to our quest for solutions. They are fundamental for our hopes for a world in peace. “

And he invited everyone, “together,” to take “this opportunity to further peace and human rights for everyone, women and men alike.”