HC Türk Opens The Human Rights Council: “We Need The Politics Of Wisdom, Rooted In Facts, The Law, And Compassion”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
Remarks opening the 58th session of the Human Rights Council

Geneva, 24 February 2025

M. le Président,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,

The international system is going through a tectonic shift, and the human rights edifice we have built up so painstakingly over decades has never been under so much strain.

Today we mark the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine – at a time of escalating civilian casualties, continued wanton destruction of urban areas, and speculation about the war’s trajectory.

Any sustainable peace must be anchored in the rights, needs and aspirations of the Ukrainian people, in accountability, and in the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The decisions made today – whether they foster justice or impunity – will shape what follows.

In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, where the suffering has been unbearable, I repeat my call for an independent investigation into grave violations of international law, committed by Israel in the course of its attacks across Gaza, and by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

Any sustainable solution must be based on accountability, justice, the right to self-determination, and the human rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians. Any suggestion of forcing people from their land is completely unacceptable.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

Beyond Ukraine and Gaza, conflicts and crises are tearing communities and societies apart, from Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Social tensions are rising as inequalities and injustices breed resentment, often directed at refugees, migrants and the most vulnerable.

Perversely, the richest one percent control more wealth than the majority of humanity. 

The climate crisis is a human rights catastrophe, crushing lives and livelihoods. Its cascading impacts on food security, migration, health, energy and water threaten human rights now and for generations to come, particularly for women and girls.

Meanwhile, digital technologies are widely misused to suppress, limit and violate our rights through surveillance, online hatred, harmful disinformation, harassment and built-in discrimination. 

Artificial Intelligence brings new speed and scale to these threats.

The splintering of social media platforms into self-selecting channels that cater to their audience contributes to the isolation of individuals, the atomization of societies, and the loss of a shared public space.

And in some quarters, human rights are being shunned, vilified and distorted. 

This is the backdrop against which my Office and the broader human rights ecosystem, including this Council, are working to promote and safeguard the rights of everyone, everywhere.

Last year, for example, my Office contributed to the release of over 3,000 arbitrarily detained people. We took part in some 11,000 human rights monitoring missions; observed nearly 1,000 trials, and documented some 15,000 situations of human rights violations around the world.

In addition to daily interventions with governments, we issued about 245 statements, shining a light on human rights concerns in some 130 countries.

Our teams on the ground are supporting countries to improve their laws and institutions, and to adopt social and economic policies that reinforce cohesion and address injustice.

We contributed to human rights-based approaches to sustainable development, taxation and public spending, from Cambodia to Jordan and Serbia.

Support to my Office is a low-cost, high-impact investment. I call on you to go the extra mile to make sure my Office, your own national human rights institutions, and human rights Non-Governmental Organizations can continue to do this essential work.

Excellencies,

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, despite setbacks, we have made steady progress. Freedoms expanded, particularly for oppressed communities. There was widespread understanding that human rights are the foundation of effective governance, sound economic policies, and social cohesion. 

Today, we can no longer take that basic understanding and progress for granted. 

The global consensus on human rights is crumbling under the weight of authoritarians, strongmen and oligarchs. By some estimates, autocrats now control around one-third of the world’s economy – more than double the proportion 30 years ago.

Leaders cite national security and the fight against terrorism to justify gross violations.

Hypocrisy, double standards and impunity have also played a part.

Regional powers that are neutral or hostile to human rights are growing in influence.

Everywhere, we see attempts to ignore, undermine, and redefine human rights; and to create a false binary that pits one right against another in a zero-sum game. There are concerted efforts to chip away at gender equality, and the rights of migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and minorities of all kinds.

But human rights, from the right to food and adequate housing, to the rights to health, education, and freedom of speech – are for everyone.

We need an all-out effort by everyone, to make sure that human rights and the rule of law remain foundational to communities, societies and international relations.

Otherwise, the picture is very dangerous.

In previous centuries, the unrestrained use of force by the powerful, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, population transfers, and child labour were commonplace. 

Dictators could order atrocity crimes consigning vast numbers of people to their deaths.

Be aware: this can happen again.

But we are far from powerless to prevent it.

Our tools are the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the body of international law; and the institutions that work to implement them – including this Council, my Office, courts and judiciaries, civil society, independent journalists, and human rights defenders around the world. 

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, 

Today, we need an alternative vision. We need the politics of wisdom, rooted in facts, the law, and compassion.

First, human rights are about facts.

That is why my Office is monitoring, documenting, and reporting on violations and abuses in war zones and crises around the world.

I will provide details in my Global Update next week. In addition to Ukraine and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, examples include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria, where my Office has been documenting abuses and raising the alarm for many years.  

Or Afghanistan, where we are reporting on the impact of gender apartheid on women and girls.

Or Haiti, where my team has reported on the devastating impact of illicit flows of weapons.

Never underestimate the power of factual, legal and moral clarity. Facts on their own can and must prompt action. When the red flags go up, they must trigger an immediate response.

That is why the work of this Council, and the other human rights mechanisms, is so important.

While we cannot say exactly how much death and suffering have been prevented by these efforts, we know they make a difference.

Second, human rights are about the law, which is a brake on power, privilege, and unrestrained profit. Some things are not for sale.

Our international legal frameworks and institutions, including the International Criminal Court, are fundamental to ensuring justice and achieving accountability for the most serious crimes, preventing future violations, and making the world safer for everyone.

Equally important are strong institutions at the national level, to protect vulnerable people and enable everyone to participate more fully in cultural, religious, social, economic and public life.

It is imperative that we stand up for these institutions when they come under attack. 

Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

Finally, human rights are nothing without compassion – the glue that unites us in our common humanity.

We rarely hear about compassion from today’s leaders. But some of the most successful visionaries throughout history, including Nelson Mandela and Eleanor Roosevelt, have led through their remarkable compassion.

Human rights go beyond thought leadership, to heart leadership. They tap into some of our most cherished ideals about how people should treat each other, and the meaning of human dignity.

Because of that, they are wildly popular.

Human rights have been central to movements for equality and justice throughout history, from the anti-slavery, anti-racism and anti-apartheid struggles to the labour movement, from decolonization to the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, marriage equality and the LGBTIQ+ movement, Black Lives Matter, the indigenous rights movement, the disability rights movement, the climate justice movement, and beyond. 

Human rights have universal power to move people to action.

In countries where human rights are not widely respected, people will risk their lives to defend them. And I want to pay tribute to brave human rights activists and defenders everywhere.

This is why even the most repressive governments often use the language of human rights to try to justify themselves. They know that human rights abuses trigger revulsion and reduce their power and influence.

Upholding human rights makes eminent sense for stability, for prosperity, for a better common future.

Human rights are a winning proposition for humanity.

We will continue to promote protect and defend them around the world, with humility, determination, and indomitable hope.

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