UN Rights Chief Warns Against Normalising Use of Force

The UN rights chief raised alarm Friday over the growing acceptance of force to resolve disputes, noting that armed conflicts have nearly doubled since 2010.

“We must not revert to violence as an organising principle,” Volker Turk said while briefing the United Nations Human Rights Council on global rights situations.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that threats and the use of force to settle disputes are becoming more frequent and increasingly normalised.

“The number of armed conflicts has almost doubled since 2010, now reaching around 60,” he said. “The world is becoming a far more dangerous place.”

Turk highlighted relentless competition for power, often pursued at the expense of human rights. “Players compete for control over land, energy, attention. But to what end? Dominating the global economy? Accumulating more power? Deploying AI in space? Power should serve other purposes,” he said.

He criticised leaders who exploit authority for personal gain, subjugate others, and fail to act decisively to reverse dangerous trends. Some, he added, are even undermining institutions meant to ensure global safety, including the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and this Council.

Turk cited attacks on hospitals as a stark example. “A decade ago, an attack on a hospital triggered global outrage. Today, there are an average of 10 attacks per day on healthcare facilities.”

He concluded, “The world cannot stand by while the foundations of international humanitarian and human rights law are dismantled before our eyes.”