UN Chief Decries 'Rule of Force' as Global Human Rights Facade Crumbles
Here's what they buried in paragraph 15: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently expressed concern over the global assault on human rights, citing widespread abuses in various conflicts. He stated that the "rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force," an assessment that, while dramatically phrased, conveniently sidesteps the deeper economic currents enabling such
impunity. The current global military expenditure, exceeding $2 trillion annually according to SIPRI, clearly illustrates where priorities truly lie, with a significant portion funneled into states actively engaged in or supporting these very conflicts. This performance at the Human Rights Council in Geneva overlooks how financial leverage and strategic alliances consistently undermine
international legal frameworks. Take, for instance, the consistent bypassing of international courts and sanctions by states deemed 'strategic partners' in the ongoing contest for global resources and influence. In 2018, the United States, under President Trump, notably imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her staff for investigating alleged war
crimes by American personnel in Afghanistan, effectively asserting its jurisdictional exceptionalism. This move sent a clear message: accountability is selectively applied, tailored to geopolitical convenience rather than universal statute. The Secretary-General's plea for member states not to view human rights as a selective menu ignores that for powerful nations, this menu has always been à la