El Ciudadano
Original article: «El derecho internacional está bajo un asalto sin precedentes en un mundo cada vez más armado»: Alto Comisionado de la ONU para los DDHH
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered a grim assessment to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighting a global crisis characterized by increasingly devastating wars for civilian populations, repression of civic space, cuts in aid, and the growing use of new military technologies.
«We face very serious challenges regarding human rights. An unprecedented and brazen assault on international law is causing atrocious human suffering,» Türk asserted in his global update. Nevertheless, he emphasized that «the daily work for human rights continues to provide protection, dignity, and opportunities for millions, even if it often goes unnoticed in headlines.»
«Human rights are improving lives, healing divisions, and creating opportunities,» Türk stated.
The Drone War Creates “A New Circle of Hell”
One of the most significant points raised was the changing nature of warfare. The High Commissioner stated that in Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and Myanmar, the increasing use of drones is amplifying risks for civilian populations.
«We are witnessing a global shift in the way wars are fought(…) The drone war is creating a new circle of hell,» Türk remarked.
In Sudan, his Office documented over 1,000 civilian deaths due to drone attacks between January and May 2026. In Ukraine, it verified that more than 7,000 civilians were killed or injured in the first five months of the year, surpassing the same period in any of the previous three years.
The reality of lethal autonomous weapons is already present, the High Commissioner asserted, calling on states to update legal frameworks to require human oversight and ensure accountability: «Autonomous weapons must not become a license to commit heinous crimes,» he stated.
The closing of civic space was another key issue in the update. According to preliminary data from the Human Rights Office, around 950 human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists were killed or forcibly disappeared in 2025, more than double the number from a decade ago.
Censorship is also on the rise, the High Commissioner’s Office warned, having recorded over 800 journalists and media workers imprisoned worldwide, including citizen journalists and human rights bloggers.
«In my last global update, I spoke about the authoritarian manual. That manual is growing thicker every day,» Türk asserted, denouncing the rising use of transnational repression against government critics and human rights defenders, as well as the misuse of international mechanisms to pursue them across borders.
Read the full report from the High Commissioner HERE
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