Against the recent contention and lack of peace in many parts of the world, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has issued a sobering reminder urging nations to embrace equality and justice.

In a statement addressing the growing threats to freedom, Türk called for urgent collective action to defend what he described as 80 years of hard-won human rights achievements.

“We must safeguard 80 years of progress on freedom, equality and justice,” he said, noting how “history has shown time and again that no one is safe when human rights are under attack.”

HUMAN RIGHTS: A GLOBAL FOUNDATION UNDER THREAT

The  remarks come amid rising authoritarianism, conflict, and erosion of civil liberties across continents. He warned that human rights are not merely aspirational ideals, but the foundation of global peace and stability, stated that “human rights are a beacon of hope in the search for a better world that rejects violent conflict, brutality and injustice.”

A CROSSROADS FOR HUMANITY

His statement serves both as a warning in a time where crises from war to inequality— are testing global unity, Türk urged nations and individuals not to be complacent.

The human rights system, he suggests, is not just an institutional legacy, but a living safeguard for every person’s dignity, freedom, and safety.