UN Human Rights

The United Nations #HumanRights office is led by High Commissioner @volker_turk. Follow us on FB, IG & TikTok at unitednationshumanrights.

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

@volker_turk says the resumption of US-Iran hostilities is a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond, with grave human rights risks. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is very alarming as it is a vital lifeline for millions. He urges an immediate return to the ceasefire.

https://t.co/80uJKt7gwG

[Claudia Fuentes Julio @UNHumanRightsNY]

Honoured to join @UNHumanRights in New York!

Human rights often do not reach the international agenda, but they should.

I look forward to working with @volker_turk, @dabokunda, colleagues and partners worldwide to bring human rights to the centre of global action.

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

Participation is not an option—it is a human right.

To accelerate progress on the #GlobalGoals, we must:

✅ Defend advocates & protect civic space

✅ Move from consultation to co-creation

✅ Invest in meaningful participation

That is how we rebuild trust, strengthen multilateralism and leave no one behind.

#HLPF2026

https://t.co/SwY5YGexeZ

[Volker Türk @volker_turk]

Today, we remember and honour the victims and survivors of the Srebrenica genocide and their families. I will never forget the harrowing stories I heard during my time in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let those voices guide us as we work to ensure such horrors are never repeated.

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

Across Tanzania, Indigenous environmental defenders are protecting both nature and human rights.

We are helping them connect, organize, and access the support they need to keep doing this vital work.

https://t.co/C5Bje2474Q

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

Aid cuts are forcing many women's organizations in humanitarian settings to reduce or suspend life-saving services, new @UN_Women report shows.

At least 1 million women and girls have lost access to critical support since January 2025. The consequences extend far beyond humanitarian response. The dismantling of women’s organizations is not happening in a vacuum but against a global backlash on the rights of women and girls. https://t.co/INbODwb09Q

[UN Women @UN_Women]

A new @UN_Women report paints a bleak picture:

At least 1 million women and girls have lost access to critical support as funding cuts dismantle women’s organizations working in humanitarian crises.

🔗 See our press release:
https://t.co/N1tDTghbgU

#ForAllWomenAndGirls

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#SriLanka prison violence: families of inmates & prison officers killed & injured deserve to know truth & see accountability.

Prompt, independent & transparent investigations must be carried out into Negombo violence & reprisals. Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka should be given unfettered access to all prisons.

https://t.co/oCLibD18Pa

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#DRC: @volker_turk deplores the civilian impact of recent clashes in the east.

"I urge the Congolese armed forces and the M23 to immediately step back from further violence and urgently act to de-escalate tensions."

https://t.co/Y7R9cLtXyW

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

The power of sport must be used to promote equality, dignity & respect, not hatred or dehumanization. Language that dehumanizes people because of their race or ethnic origin has no place in sport or public discourse. @KMbappe #NoToHate

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

The racist, dehumanising remarks against @KMbappe by Paraguayan Sen. Celeste Amarilla are despicable, regrettably not isolated.

States & sports organisations must prevent acts of racism & discrimination, and ensure independent and effective accountability. Social media must also prevent and address racial discrimination on their platforms.

https://t.co/TVawwmw3Qo

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

In 2019, Botswana's High Court struck down laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations. The landmark ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2021, recognizing that the laws violated the rights to liberty, privacy, dignity and non-discrimination.

Botswana's experience is a reminder that legal victories can transform lives but lasting equality requires more than changing laws. As Letsweletse Motshidiemang, who brought the legal challenge, says, "The struggle is not over." Building societies where everyone can live in safety, dignity and without discrimination also means changing hearts, attitudes and systems.

https://t.co/zcsEvYywLZ

[Volker Türk @volker_turk]

Ukraine: Russia’s horrifying attack in the early hours of Thursday is another tragic reminder of why this senseless war must end.
Human rights need to guide efforts to secure lasting peace.

https://t.co/zGnJtGN3Fv

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#Ukraine war is cutting deep physical & psychological wounds and must end - @volker_turk tells @UN_HRC.

"I urge renewed efforts to negotiate a sustainable peace, grounded in human rights... Accountability for all these horrific violations is essential.”
https://t.co/jC8tBwvpUm

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#Sudan: @volker_turk issues red alert on El Obeid, warning another human rights catastrophe is unfolding.

“The international community cannot allow a repeat of widespread atrocities”

https://t.co/lka3B1drTR

[Volker Türk @volker_turk]

Sudan: I am issuing a red alert that needs to land on the desks of Heads of State and government around the world.
We need action at the highest level to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and other places in Kordofan.

https://t.co/w3bcNFyem3

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#BurkinaFaso: UN Human Rights country office to shut down by 30 Nov 2026. @volker_turk deeply regrets authorities’ decision indefinitely suspending in-country operations. "This has directly impacted our ability to continue to fully implement our mandate” https://t.co/ZRf89s7Qen

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

What would you do if your loved one was taken away, and no one would tell you where they are for 40 years?

This agony is not unique to Honduras. All over the world, families trapped by enforced disappearance grow old waiting for closure.

We mark 20 years of the UN Convention Against Enforced Disappearance. Grief never fades, and victims’ right to answers never expires.

Full story: https://t.co/vxxPe68Hfy…

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#France: At end of his 2-day visit, @volker_turk welcomes fruitful exchanges with President @EmmanuelMacron, other senior leaders & @UNESCO on centrality of human rights to solutions for national & global problems.

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

Human rights make counterterrorism more effective.

At @UN #CTWeek, we urge States to integrate human rights into security planning, assess the human rights impact of counter-terrorism measures, and rely on robust, disaggregated data to guide responses.

https://t.co/vIEOMO6nng

https://t.co/f7JW7DIu31

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

Every year, an estimated 21 million adolescent girls in low and middle income countries become pregnant. Protecting adolescents’ rights means creating the conditions in which every girl can shape her own future: https://t.co/3Ks3uaHUjL