Human rights outmuscled by ‘rule of force’ globally, UN chief warns
Al Jazeera
February 23, 2026
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council’s annual session in Geneva, highlighting a global regression in human rights and international law. He described how “the rule of force is outmuscling the rule of law,” with powerful nations and entities increasingly disregarding international norms. Guterres pointed to blatant violations in regions like Palestine, where he criticized the erosion of the two-state solution under Israeli occupation. He also referenced Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has claimed over 15,000 civilian lives, urging an end to the bloodshed. His remarks came as the international community faces growing challenges to human rights, from Gaza’s humanitarian crisis to Cuba’s potential collapse due to US sanctions.
Guterres emphasized that these violations are not isolated incidents but part of a broader trend where powerful actors deliberately and proudly push back against human rights. He warned that mass suffering is being justified, civilians are treated as bargaining chips, and international law is dismissed as an inconvenience. This shift, he said, is happening in plain sight, with the powerful leading the charge. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk echoed these concerns, describing a worrying rise in domination and supremacy worldwide. He noted that global competition for power and resources has reached levels unseen since World War II, with the use of force becoming normalized.
Turk highlighted how inflammatory rhetoric against sovereign nations is escalating tensions, leading to brutal violations of the laws of war and widespread civilian suffering in places like Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and Myanmar. He called on the international community to unite and create a strong counterbalance to autocratic trends, stressing that human rights cannot be allowed to erode further. Guterres’ speech, his final in-person address to the UN’s top rights body before the end of his second term, serves as a call to action for global leaders to prioritize human dignity and international law over power and force.
This issue matters deeply to readers interested in global politics and human rights because it underscores the urgent need to address systemic violations and protect vulnerable populations. The trends Guterres and Turk describe—rising autocracy
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 2/23/2026