UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan

"Human rights are under a full-scale attack around the world, the rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force," Antonio Guterres told the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council's annual se

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres painted a grim picture of the state of human rights globally, opening the annual UN Human Rights Council conference with a strong declaration about an 'all-out assault on human rights'.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized the growing prevalence of 'the law of the strongest' globally, stating it leads to widespread attacks on human rights.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated that Africa should be granted a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

President Nikos Christodoulides has written to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirming that the country’s EU council presidency and the upcoming parliamentary elections “in no way affect” the immediate resumption of substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem. In his letter, Christodoulides expressed readiness to meet Guterres in March to advance the peace process and outlined a […]

Generalni sekretar Ujedinjenih nacija Antonio Guterres upozorio je da su ljudska prava širom svijeta pod ozbiljnim napadom, ukazujući na raširena krše

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that human rights are being overshadowed by the 'rule of force' globally, specifically highlighting 'blatant violations of human rights, human dignity and international law' in Palestine.

• Pakistan asks international community to reject provocative decision allowing takeover of occupied land as state property • EU calls annexation illegal, Arab nations denounce ‘threat to peace efforts’ • Israel imposes restrictions, deploys police around Al-Aqsa JERUSALEM / ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan denounced the latest Israeli move to convert areas of the West Bank into “state property”, the UN chief called upon Tel Aviv to reverse its new, “unlawful” policy allowing registration of the occupied land in the occupied territory as state property. Israel’s foreign ministry claimed the measure, approved late on Sunday, would enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes” but the move drew strong condemnations from across the globe for its violation of international law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this new measure was destabilising and unlawful, according to a statement by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Pakistan also denounced the step as a clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Islamabad urged the international community to reject the decision, said a statement issued by the For­eign Office spokesperson. It added that the occupying power continued to disregard international law and its provocative actions undermined the prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region. “Pakistan calls on the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law,” the spokesperson added. ‘Undermine peace efforts’ Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan also criticised the move as illegal. The measure is “aimed at impo­sing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank” that would undermine peace efforts in the region, Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the actions “undermine efforts to restore calm and thr­e­aten to exacerbate the conflict,” according to a statement released by the royal court. The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move. “This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control,” EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. “We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law.” The Ramallah-based Palest­inian Authority called for inte­r­national intervention to prevent the “de facto beginning of the annexation process and the undermining of the foundations of the Palestinian state”. Israeli anti-settlement watc­­h­dog Peace Now called the measure a “mega land grab”. Jonathan Mizrachi, the NGO’s co-director, told AFP that the move would attribute new resources for land registration. “There was a lot of ambiguity regarding the land, and Israel decided now to deal with it,” Mizrachi said, adding that the grey area over Area C land ownership was likely to be used against Palestinians. “A lot of land that Palestinians consider theirs, they will find out it’s not theirs under this new registration process,” he said, believing the move would further the Israeli right’s annexation agenda. Changing demography Palestinians see the West Bank as foundational to any future Palesti­nian state, but many on Israel’s religious right want to take over the land. The latest Israeli initiatives come in the wider context of increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to rights groups. “We are witnessing rapid steps to change permanently the demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping its people of their lands and forcing them to leave,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a recent statement. US President Donald Trump has opposed Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, saying stability in the territory helps keep Israel secure. However, he has held off from dire­ctly criticising the new Israeli measures, despite the international outrage. Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law. Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Al-Aqsa restrictions Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramazan, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound. Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Islam’s third-holiest site. Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, adding that thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers. Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem. The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55. Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026

The United Nations is reportedly facing a severe financial crisis, with its Secretary General Antonio Guterres stating the institution cannot pay its bills, highlighting a need for restructuring.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his final address to the UN's top human rights body, expressed concern over the global erosion of human rights and the increasing prevalence of the 'rule of force'.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the worldwide erosion of the rule of law, attributing it to the 'law of the strongest' and a large-scale assault on human rights, with AI also playing a role.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that global human rights are under a full-scale attack as the 'rule of force' increasingly overtakes the rule of law.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced Israel’s decision to designate parts of the occupied West Bank as “state property.” 'The Secretary-General condemns the...