LIVE: United Nations Human Rights council
At the 61st session marking the Human Rights Council's 20th anniversary, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and High Commissioner Volker Türk warned that human rights face a coordinated global assault by powerful actors replacing the rule of law with force. Both leaders cited catastrophic civilian tolls in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan while calling for urgent multilateral action to defend universal rights, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and launch a new Global Alliance to counter authoritarianism.