In Geneva on Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk delivered a stark admonition as he opened the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, warning that the “rules of war are being shredded – with virtually no accountability,” a phrase that captures mounting global concern over the erosion of international norms. Türk decried a growing tolerance for violence, and a retreat by some states from the multilateral system, amplifying a dangerous disregard for human rights and the international order.
Highlighting a series of conflict zones where this breakdown is most pronounced, he condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, continuing atrocities in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the harrowing military actions in Myanmar, and ongoing suffering in Gaza. In a related address, Türk singled out Gaza’s civilian toll, pointing to widespread human rights violations and the obstruction of humanitarian aid; he said mounting evidence of mass killings means Israel “has a case to answer before the International Court of Justice”—though he stopped short of labeling the situation as genocide.
In eastern Congo, a newly released UN report reveals “systematic” atrocities, including gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, summary executions, and mass killings carried out by both government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Such actions potentially amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, deepening the global crisis of accountability and rule-breaking in conflict zones.
