The full-scale Russian invasion of the country began in February 2022 and “this year has seen intense attacks along the frontline, and massive airstrikes, largely in populated areas,” he told the Human Rights Council in Geneva. “In some towns in frontline communities, nearly all the housing has been damaged or...
Based on two years of independent investigations and analysis, the report reveals how oil and non-oil revenues are siphoned off through opaque schemes and politically connected contracts. Meanwhile, millions of South Sudanese are denied basic services. “Our report tells the story of the plundering of a nation: corruption is not...
The rights office, OHCHR, interviewed 314 witnesses who left the DPRK – more commonly known as North Korea – and consulted with several organizations and experts to evaluate the human rights conditions there since 2014. The situation has not improved, and in many cases has worsened, “bringing even more suffering...
“They burned everything,” said one witness of a shelling attack in the Zamzam displacement camp in war-torn Darfur. “They claimed they only wanted to fight soldiers, but they punished the whole community.” The war crimes and human rights violations perpetrated by all parties to the conflict between the military government...
In a statement released by his Spokesperson, the UN chief noted that the disaster driven by severe monsoon conditions had been exacerbated by climate change, impacting around 1.5 million people. Hundreds of thousands of people need humanitarian aid while more than 3,000 homes, over 400 schools and some 40 health...
“Nowhere is safe in Ukraine,” said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the UN Department of Political Affairs. Citing figures from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, he said civilian casualties reached a three-year high in June, with 6,754 civilians killed or injured in the first half of 2025...
Recalling his own experience living under dictatorship in Portugal, Mr. Guterres told participants at the Global Assembly of the international rights charity Amnesty International on Friday that the fight for human rights is “more important than ever”. He called on States to uphold international law and defend human rights “consistently...
Left vulnerable, communities then formed self-defence groups and Haitian security forces reinforced their operations and made small gains only to be rebuffed again by gangs. And at all stages of this cycle, human rights violations are being committed against civilians, according to a report released on Friday by the UN...
Digital technologies have the potential to drive progress and strengthen rights, including connecting people, improving access to health and education, and much more. But the pace of their evolution also poses serious risks, warned Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – from restrictions on free expression and privacy...
Escalating conflict in Ukraine In an oral update, Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, reported a sharp escalation in hostilities in Ukraine. Civilian casualties have surged, with April to June seeing nearly 50 per cent more deaths and injuries compared to the same period in 2024. “More...
In a stark briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering. Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said....
At least 48,384 individuals – mostly civilians – were killed in 2024, based on casualties recorded by OHCHR. “Behind every statistic is a story. Behind every data point, a person,” said UN rights chief Volker Türk. This alarming rise in civilian deaths exposes major failures to protect some of the most...