Human rights are the foundation of effective governance and of international cooperation, Türk highlights at the Summit of the Future

Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this side event, co-organised by Costa Rica, South Africa, the European Union, Action for Sustainable Development and CIVICUS.

We find ourselves at a decisive moment. 

Growing, unbearable suffering of millions in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and so many other places.

Deepening inequality in a world of such abundance, with wealth concentrated in the hands of so few. 

The triple planetary crisis wreaking havoc, mostly on those who are least responsible.  

Disinformation spreading like wildfire, suffocating facts and, as a result, reducing people’s ability to make free and informed choices. 

The relentless pursuit of short-term gain that benefits the few – but never the future.

We have seen, when it comes to respect international law, outrageous assaults, including the killing and detention of humanitarian and human rights workers, in flagrant violation of international law. 

And unrelenting attacks against the very institutions of multilateralism that were set up to defend this body of law.

So, the question is, and I mentioned it also to the Security Council yesterday in the debate on the Middle East and Lebanon, 

Is this our new normal? Is this the future that our children and their children dream of? 

There is another option. We can change course and reconnect with our common humanity, nature and our planet.

Human rights can guide us on this path. 

Too often misunderstood; and too often instrumentalised – human rights are the foundation of effective governance and of international cooperation. 

Based on a universal normative framework, they allow us to take stock and take action. 

They encompass our past, our present and our future.

They offer a clear-eyed chronicle of our world. Of what is happening - to women in conflict; at ballot boxes across the globe; in our schools and hospitals; to children experiencing the online world. 

And they provide a roadmap to make sure we do better: they help predict future conflicts and provide tools to prevent them. They help achieve justice for victims of violations – accountability, redress and reparation. And they help make development truly sustainable by ensuring no one is left behind. 

They challenge repressive power and unhealthy power dynamics; they flip the orthodoxy, they galvanize action.

Their transformative power is extraordinary – and they are fundamental to achieving equality and lasting peace for present and future generations. 

Excellencies,

Human rights are not in crisis, I hear that much too often. What is really in crisis is the political leadership needed to make them a reality is. 

This Summit of the Future – all of us gathered here – is a precious window of opportunity. Such openings to chart a better future are rare, so we must seize it and make it mean something.

We must acknowledge the weaknesses of our current multilateral system, with honesty and humility – because parts of our system are outdated or inadequate. 

With all the issues the world faces, with transboundary nature, it is absolutely key to must reinvigorate multilateralism. 

This is not going to be an easy task. 

But we know that with human rights being the cornerstone of international cooperation, and the universal framework, we can translate through the human rights cause the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

It means commitment to meaningful, open, transparent, frank, and open conversations, especially in the face of staunch disagreement. 

It means to commit to putting people front and center, and implementing the full spectrum of human rights: civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, the right to development and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, without discrimination of any kind.

It also means supporting the human rights mechanisms, the system itself, including my Office, so we are able to continue our work with impartiality, with objectivity, and non-selectivity: from advising on anti-discrimination laws, promoting inclusive economies, protecting much needed civic space; to ensuring people’s rights are at the forefront of the development and regulation of new technologies; and pushing for climate justice. 

I invite you all to embrace the opportunities offered by a healthy human rights ecosystem.  Support it. Reinforce it. Invest in it. 

At a tiny fraction of the resources so readily devoted elsewhere, it represents an extraordinary return on investment.

For people everywhere. 

For future generations. 

And for our planet.