Human Rights' Focus On Fact, Law & Compassion Particularly Crucial In The Fog Of War, Türk Tells Journalists In New York

Statement by Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

New York, 17 October 2024

Good afternoon, it’s good to see many familiar faces here.

I took up my functions as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights exactly two years ago today – a mandate that has only grown in importance since then.

We are in a particularly dangerous period in history, when disregard, disrespect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law is reaching a deafening crescendo.

Respect for human rights, the rule of law, accountability – these are matters of international peace and security. What is essential – now more than ever – is to ensure that human rights permeate every discussion at the UN.

Human rights bring a focus on fact, on law and on compassion – a focus that is particularly crucial in the fog of war.

This has been painfully stark in the Middle East over the past year.

Today’s findings by the IPC – the recognized authority on food security – are beyond terrifying. They show that the number of people at catastrophic levels of hunger is expected to double in the coming months, and the risk of famine persists across the whole of Gaza.

The world cannot let this happen.

This crisis is principally the consequence of decisions made by the Israeli authorities. It is in their power to change the situation – urgently. I have previously warned that starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited by international humanitarian law. It constitutes a war crime. As the occupying power, Israel has the specific obligation under IHL to bring into Gaza the necessary foodstuffs, medical supplies and other articles, and to facilitate humanitarian relief by all means at its disposal.

Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is that there is only a trickle of aid getting into Gaza. There are reports that Israeli forces are preventing humanitarian aid from accessing the north, exacerbating the already desperate humanitarian and medical needs.

Israel’s evacuation orders appear designed to cut off North Gaza completely from the rest of the territory, as bombing and other attacks continue. There are serious concerns about a large-scale forcible transfer of civilians, not meeting the requirements of international law for evacuation on imperative military grounds. Forcible transfer of a large part of the population of North Gaza would amount to a war crime.

I call on Israel immediately to facilitate the massive influx of humanitarian aid that is needed across all parts of Gaza.

Meanwhile, Palestinian armed groups continue to hold hostages – now for over a year, in flagrant violation of international law. They must be immediately and unconditionally released.

Moving to Lebanon: months of exchanges of missiles between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the Israel-Lebanon border have escalated into spiralling violence of much greater scale, and even greater danger, with Israeli troops now present in Lebanon.

Attacks against UN peacekeepers are in breach of international law – and may also constitute war crimes.

In Lebanon, Israel’s daily strikes on residential buildings in urban areas are taking an appalling toll on civilian lives, with significant numbers of casualties, destruction and displacement. Hezbollah also continues to fire rockets into Israel, where many thousands are displaced from their homes

The risk of a full-fledged regional remains very high – one that could engulf the lives and the human rights of millions of people.

This illogic of escalation must end.

A ceasefire, an end to the occupation and a return to the negotiating table – only these can advance the rights of Palestinians, Israelis, people in Lebanon, across the region and beyond to live in peace and security.

Wars and extreme violence devastate people’s lives and leave legacies of trauma, loss and grievance for generations to come.

In Ukraine, nearly 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion, we continue to see terrible devastation, characterised by recurring human rights violations and war crimes. July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022, as documented through the work of my Office on the ground – and, with the ongoing attacks on crucial energy infrastructure, I fear for Ukrainians this coming winter.

In Sudan, the warring parties, affiliated groups and regional actors continue to compete for influence and power, forcing a staggering 10 million people to flee their homes, and leaving more than 25 million people facing acute hunger. The situation is desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes. I urge States to cease military and financial support for the warring parties, and to continue mediation efforts towards an immediate cessation of hostilities.

In Haiti, my Office has documented that more than 3,950 people have been killed as a result of gang violence so far this year, with another 1,834 injured and 1,150 kidnapped.

In Myanmar, air and artillery strikes on civilians, mass arrests and reports of extrajudicial killings in blatant breach of human rights and humanitarian law continue unabated, amidst stifling impunity.

Nobody has been made safer by this violence, waged by men in power. Every week, it seems, red lines are crossed, lives are destroyed, the environment damaged, extremism is fuelled, and cycles of destruction, impunity, injustice and pain continue.

War can only truly end when respect for human rights re-establishes reason, justice and compassion.

As I told the General Assembly’s Third Committee yesterday, investment in human rights is investment in peace, and it is more essential now than ever.

When my Office rings warning bells – as we have, over many years, for all the situations I referred to above, the international community needs to listen and act to avert catastrophe. I also count on you, as journalists covering the discussions at the UN, to continue to insist that promotion and protection of human rights of people always take centre stage.

© Scoop Media