The people’s pursuit of dignity, equality and justice is unwavering

Civil society, Global, Global governance, Headlines, Human rights, International justice, IPS UN: Inside the greenhouse, TerraViva United Nations

Opinion

UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at the opening of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Meanwhile, Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks (below) at the opening of the high-level segment of the Human Rights Council. Credit: UN Photo/Violaine Martin

GENEVA, Feb 24, 2026 (IPS) – Fierce competition for power, control and resources is unfolding on the world stage at a pace and intensity not seen in the last 80 years.

People feel unmoored, anxious and insecure. The gears of global power are changing; the consequences are unclear. Some are signaling the end of the world order as we know it.

But today I want to talk about another world order. One that is organized from the ground up and unbreakable. A fundamental system of how people relate to each other, based on our inherent worth, our hopes, and our common values.

I am referring to people’s pursuit of dignity, equality and justice. This search is innate to what makes us human: being free, being heard and having our basic needs covered.

And it is a strong counterweight to the top-down autocratic tendencies we see today. The use of force to resolve disputes between and within countries is becoming normalized.

Inflammatory threats are launched against sovereign nations, without taking into account the fire they could light. The laws of war are being brutally violated.

Mass civil suffering – from Sudan to Gaza, Ukraine and Myanmar – is unfolding before our eyes. In Sudan, all parties need to be held accountable for all violations, particularly war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher. Such atrocities must not be repeated in Kordofan or anywhere else. All those with influence must act urgently to end this senseless war.

The situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Palestinians continue to die from Israel’s fire, cold, hunger and treatable diseases. The aid allowed is not enough to meet the enormous needs. There are concerns about ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel is accelerating its efforts to consolidate illegal annexation. Any sustainable solution must be based on two States living side by side in equal dignity and rights, in accordance with UN resolutions and international law.

Tomorrow marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four endless and agonizing years. Civilian casualties have skyrocketed and Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure could constitute international crimes. The fighting needs to end, and I urge a focus on human rights and justice in any ceasefire or peace agreement.

In Myanmar, five years after the military coup, the terrible conflict is claiming even more civilian lives and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The recent elections organized by the military have only deepened the people’s desperation.

In most of today’s violent conflicts, journalists, health and humanitarian workers are targeted, in flagrant violation of international law. These actions must not be allowed to become the new normal.

States must be persistent objectors to violations of the law, seeking accountability and clearly denouncing these heinous crimes consistently and without exception.

Meanwhile, violence and tensions are resurfacing in some countries, including South Sudan and Ethiopia. And authorities in Iran have violently repressed mass protests with lethal force, killing thousands of people.

I will provide more details on these and other country situations in my global update later this week. Events around the world point to a deeply worrying trend: domination and supremacy are returning.

If we listen to the rhetoric of some leaders, what lies behind it is the belief that they are above the law and the United Nations Charter. They claim exceptional status, exceptional danger, or exceptional moral judgment to pursue their own agenda at any cost. And why wouldn’t they try, when they are unlikely to face consequences?

They build and sustain systems that perpetuate inequalities within and between countries. Some use their economic influence as a weapon. They spread disinformation to distract, silence and marginalize.

A tight cabal of technology moguls controls an enormous proportion of global information flows, distorting public debate, markets and even governance systems. Corporate and state interests devastate our environment, stealing the earth’s riches for their own benefit.

But at the same time, people don’t watch all this from the sidelines. They are activating their power, from scratch. Especially women and young people are leading these movements.

They claim their right to basic living conditions, a fair salary, bodily autonomy, self-determination, to be heard, to vote freely and many other rights. From Nepal to Madagascar, from Serbia to Peru and beyond, people demand equality and denounce corruption.

Neighbors and communities defend each other, sometimes even risking their lives. People are protesting war and injustice in places far from home, expressing solidarity and pressuring their governments to act.

They see human rights as a practical force for good, and they are right. Human rights are anathema to supremacy: they are a direct challenge to those who seek and cling to power. That is what makes human rights radical and that is what gives them strength.

They are universal, timeless and indestructible.

Human rights did not magically appear with the Universal Declaration of December 10, 1948.
People have been seeking freedom and equality long before these principles were codified in national or international agreements.

At the end of the 18th century, the slaves of present-day Haiti rose up against colonial rule, in the name of racial equality. The American and French revolutions challenged unaccountable authority. The abolitionist movement was a rejection of the transatlantic slave trade, the most brutal system of subjugation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, women united to demand the right to vote. The fight for gender equality continues. After the bloodshed of two world wars and the Holocaust, the United Nations Charter reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person.

The 20th century marked the beginning of a period of decolonization, which reaffirmed the right to self-determination. People mobilized to end racial segregation, for labor rights, and to protect the rights of LGBT people.

Mothers marched together to seek justice for their missing children, from Argentina to Sri Lanka to Syria. And young people raised their voices for climate justice.

Human rights are the common thread of all these movements. And we don’t take their achievements for granted. Tyranny will seize any opportunity and exploit any opportunity. We must continue to defend human rights, in solidarity with each other.

When we come together, we wield more power than any autocrat or tech billionaire. The fight for human rights can never be derailed by the whims of a handful of leaders with reactionary and supremacist agendas.

While some states are weakening the multilateral system, we need bolder and more united responses.

First of all, this means denouncing violations of international law, regardless of their perpetrators. Too often, speaking out against violations committed by one party is considered siding with the enemy. In reality, it defends universality and the search for justice for all.

The alternative – selective and fragmented responses – weakens international law and harms us all.
The entire human rights ecosystem is designed to promote universality and ensure coherence. This includes the tools mandated by this Council. I condemn all attacks against them.

Second, we need a greater commitment to accountability. This includes strengthening the International Criminal Court and encouraging domestic prosecutions under the principle of universal jurisdiction. We need to increase the cost of violating international law.

Third, let us build coalitions to defend what unites us and defend equality, dignity and justice for all. We must protect the diversity of the human family and demonstrate what we gain by standing together.

In the coming weeks, we will launch a Global Alliance for Human Rights to capture the energy and commitment that is palpable everywhere.

It will be an inter-regional multi-stakeholder coalition made up of states, businesses, cities, philanthropists, scientists, artists, philosophers, youth and civil society.

It will confront vertical domination with solidarity and support from the grassroots. He will represent the silent majority that wants a different world. Human rights are not political currency and are not available to anyone.

Our future depends on our joint commitment to defend the rights of all people, at all times and everywhere.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1167015

IPS UN Office