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 and universally, even or especially when inconvenient”, urging collective action to restore global trust, dignity and justice.
‘A moral crisis’
Mr. Guterres painted a stark picture of a world in turmoil, citing multiple ongoing crises, foremost among them, the war in Gaza.
While reiterating his condemnation of the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel, the Secretary-General said that “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since”.
“The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,” he said.
“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community. The lack of compassion. The lack of truth. The lack of humanity.”
Key takeaways from the address
- Gaza – “A moral crisis that challenges the global conscience”
- Ukraine – Call for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and resolutions
- Authoritarianism – A “global contagion”, with political repression, attacks on minorities and shrinking civic space
- Climate justice – Bold action needed to cut emissions; clean energy transition must uphold human rights
- Digital threats – Concern over algorithmic spread of hate and falsehoods; manipulation via social media
- Call to action – “Human rights are the solution, foundation of peace and engine of progress”
UN staff ‘neither dead nor alive’
He described UN staff in Gaza as working in “unimaginable conditions”, many of them so depleted they “say they feel neither dead nor alive”.
Since late May, he noted, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food – not in combat, but “in desperation – while the entire population starves”.
“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”
Ready to scale up aid
Mr. Guterres said the UN stands ready to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations “as we successfully did during the previous pause in fighting”, but called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire”, the unconditional release of all hostages and full humanitarian access.
“At the same time, we need urgent, concrete and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution,” he stressed.
He also spoke about other conflicts, including Sudan as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where he called for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
Secretary-General Guterres (left) addresses Amnesty International’s Global Assembly via video link.
Rising authoritarianism
The Secretary-General warned that authoritarian tactics are on the rise globally.
“We are witnessing a surge in repressive tactics aiming at corroding respect for human rights,” he said. “And these are contaminating some democracies.”
Political opposition movements are being crushed, accountability mechanisms dismantled, journalists and activists silenced, civic space strangled and minorities scapegoated.
Rights of women and girls in particular are being rolled back, most starkly, he said, in Afghanistan.
“This is not a series of isolated events. It is a global contagion.”
Weaponization of technology
He decried the growing weaponization of digital platforms, saying algorithms are “boosting the worst of humanity, rewarding falsehoods, fuelling racism and misogyny and deepening division”.
He called on governments to uphold the Global Digital Compact adopted by countries at the UN General Assembly last September and to take stronger action to combat online hate and disinformation.
Activists outside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as the Court delivers its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change.
Climate justice is human rights
Turning to climate, Mr. Guterres described the environmental emergency as a “human rights catastrophe”, with the poorest and most vulnerable communities suffering most.
He welcomed the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s advisory opinion this week, affirming that climate change is a human rights issue and that States have obligations under international law to protect the global climate system.
But, he cautioned against a transition to clean energy that sacrifices human rights.
“We cannot accept a clean energy future built on dirty practices…We cannot accept enormous violations of human rights, many of them against children, in the name of climate progress.”
He called for urgent emissions cuts, a just transition away from fossil fuels and real financing for developing countries to adapt, build resilience and recover from loss and damage.
A legacy of activism
The Secretary-General concluded by praising Amnesty International’s decades of activism, calling its work “indispensable” to the global human rights movement.
“When you stand for human rights, you stand with what is right,” he told delegates.
“Your courage continues to change lives. Your persistence is shifting the course of history. Let’s keep going. Let’s meet this moment with the urgency it demands. And let’s never, ever give up.”
Founded in 1961, Amnesty International is a global human rights movement that campaigns to end abuses and promote justice. The organization has long worked in collaboration with the United Nations, participating actively in the development of international human rights law and mechanisms.
Today’s speech by Mr. Guterres is first-ever address by a UN Secretary-General to Amnesty International’s Global Assembly, the charity’s highest decision-making body. The UN chief spoke via a video link to the event in Prague.