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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

UN chief warns ‘rule of force’ is attacking human rights as world order shifts

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stand at the opening of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council at the United Nations office in Geneva on 23 February 2026. © AFP - FABRICE COFFRINI

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has issued a blunt warning that global human rights are under constant pressure, with powerful actors increasingly sidelining international law and deploying new technologies in ways that deepen inequality.

Opening the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world was witnessing a worrying shift away from legal norms towards raw power.

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