UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the global “rule of law” is being outmuscled by a “rule of force” during his opening address at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 23, 2026.
Guterres stated that human rights are under a “full-scale attack” globally, occurring in plain sight and often led by those with the greatest power.
He decried a world where mass suffering is “excused away” and international law is treated as a “mere inconvenience”.He warned that technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence, is being wielded to suppress rights, deepen inequality, and target marginalized communities.
Guterres specifically voiced outrage over the continuing war in Ukraine, noting over 15,000 civilian deaths in four years, and condemned violations in Occupied Palestinian Territory, where he claimed the two-state solution is being “stripped away in broad daylight”.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk echoed these sentiments, noting that “domination and supremacy are making a comeback” and that the use of force to resolve disputes is becoming normalized at a rate not seen in 80 years.
Guterres urged world leaders to stop treating the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a “menu” where they pick only the parts they like.
By Anthony Solly
