United Nations human rights chief Voker Türk has expressed dismay at the extent to which warring parties in many settings have overstepped the bounds of what is acceptable and legal, "trampling human rights at their core." Moreover, data collected by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) shows that the number of civilian deaths in armed conflicts skyrocketed by 72 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.
Türk presented his global update on human rights around the world as the UN Human Rights Council opened its fifty-sixth regular session on Monday, which runs from June 18 to July 12. The High Commissioner for Human Rights said it pained him to begin the global update with the cruelty of war. Since last March, when he spoke of the right to peace, conflicts had only intensified.
“Killings and injuries of civilians have become a daily occurrence. Destruction of vital infrastructure a daily occurrence. Devastating and reckless. Children shot at. Hospitals bombed. Heavy artillery launched on entire communities,” he said.
Last year, data collected by the OHCHR reveals that the number of civilian deaths in armed conflict rose by nearly three quarters.
“Horrifyingly, the data indicates that the proportion of women killed in 2023 doubled and that of children tripled, compared to the year prior,” Türk said.
Turning to the war in Gaza, Türk said he was appalled by the disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law in the conflict.
“There has been unconscionable death and suffering. More than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured since 7 October, as a result of the intensive Israeli offensives,” Türk said.
“Since Israel escalated its operations into Rafah in early May, almost one million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced yet again, while aid delivery and humanitarian access deteriorated further,” he added.
Türk also reiterated his Office's serious concerns that war crimes and other atrocity crimes have been committed since the conflict erupted in Gaza on October 7, and called for the binding decisions of the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to be respected.
“Israel’s relentless strikes in Gaza are causing immense suffering and widespread destruction. The arbitrary denial and obstruction of humanitarian aid have continued, and Israel continues to detain arbitrarily thousands of Palestinians. This must end,” Türk said, who also called on Palestinian armed groups to release hostages.
He noted the dramatic deterioration of the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the worrying escalation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, with more than 90,000 people displaced in Lebanon and more than 60,000 displaced in Israel.
The High Commissioner highlighted numerous other human rights situations and issues around the world, including some of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
“The recent ground offensive by Russian armed forces into Ukraine’s Kharkiv region has destroyed entire communities. Residents, many of them older people, hid in basements, without electricity, water, or adequate food, as the area came under intense attacks by explosive weapons with wide area effects,” Türk said of the situation in Ukraine.
He also noted that repeated waves of large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure have destroyed 68 percent of Ukraine's power generation capacity, bringing the system to a dangerous tipping point, especially before winter.
Sudan was being destroyed by two warring parties and affiliated groups, who stoked inter-ethnic tensions, denied humanitarian assistance, arrested human rights defenders, and cast aside the rights of their own people.
“I put both Generals on notice for their own responsibility in the commission of possible war crimes and other atrocity crimes, including through sexual violence and ethnically motivated attacks. They are ultimately responsible for the impact of their actions on civilians, including massive displacement, impending famine, and an intensifying humanitarian disaster,” the High Commisioner said.
During his mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April, Türk said he witnessed the immense suffering of civilians in the east, including those living in camps for internally displaced persons, where attacks by armed groups such as the M23, ADF, CODECO and others continue.
“Violence must end. Efforts of the Government, and regional and international actors, must focus on bringing about peace, security, and trust. Hate speech and messages targeting people based on their ethnicity must stop and the perpetrators brought to justice,” he said.
“Accountability is key. And the private sector, including businesses that extract resources, must also assume their responsibilities.”
While the intensity of hostilities in the Syrian civil war had decreased compared to previous years, there was no apparent end to the conflict in sight, Türk noted.
"With ongoing killings of civilians, destruction of civilian objects, sexual and gender-based violence, and arbitrary arrests and intimidation of peaceful protesters. Deaths in custody, particularly in areas under the control of pro-Government forces, persist," he said.
“Syrian returnees continue to face risks, such as arbitrary arrest and detention and extortion, both in areas under the control of pro-Government forces, and in areas controlled by non-State armed groups.”
In countries that had experienced military takeovers, including the central Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, transitions to democracy had been protracted, without meaningful national dialogue processes and with increasing restrictions on civic space.
“Civilians bear the brunt in the fight against non-state armed groups. A militarized approach alone will not yield sustainable results. The social contract between the transitional authorities and the people must urgently be restored,” Türk said.
South Sudan was exhausted by intercommunal violence and revenge killings, widespread attacks on civilians, extrajudicial executions, conflict-related sexual violence, food insecurity, and large-scale displacement.
“All these challenges are exacerbated in a fragile pre-electoral context. I urge the Government to prioritize accountability, address localized violence, enhance the protection of civilians, investigate all alleged violations, and bring perpetrators to justice,” the High Commissioner said.
In Haiti, decades of marginalization, poor governance, corruption and arms trafficking had contributed to endemic gang violence, he said, calling for the urgent deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, with human rights safeguards, to support the national police and bring security to the Haitian people.
In all these crisis situations, there was an urgent need to find the way back to peace, in line with the United Nations Charter and international law. Türk also noted, that the gap between humanitarian funding requirements and available resources stood at US$40.8 billion, with humanitarian appeals funded at an average of 16 percent only.
“Contrast this with the almost US$2.5 trillion in global military expenditure in 2023, a 6.8 percent increase in real terms from 2022. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009,” he said. “In addition to inflicting unbearable human suffering, war comes with a hefty price tag.”
The far-reaching environmental impact of war and conflict was also undeniable, adding to the immense challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“61 million people in Southern Africa are affected by El Niño-induced drought and extreme weather worsened by climate change. Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have declared a state of disaster, with more countries likely to follow”, he warned.
“I echo the humanitarian community’s warnings of a looming crisis in the face of imminent harvest failures.”
Türk stressed that the climate emergency disproportionately affected the world’s poor and most marginalized, notably in small island developing States, the least developed countries, and landlocked developing countries.
The High Commissioner also spoke about the human rights situation and developments in many other countries and regions of the world.
Further information
Full text: "We must urgently find our way back to peace", says High Commissioner Volker Türk as he presents his global update to the 56th session of the Human Rights Council, speech by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, delivered June 18, 2024
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/06/we-must-urgently-find-our-way-back-peace-says-high-commissioner