The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, considered the global positive trend toward the abolition of the death penalty to be undermined by a significant increase in executions in a small number of countries, including Saudi Arabia.
In his speech, which provided a global update during the opening of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 9, 2024, Türk stated that these executions have led to a steady rise in the number of people known to have been executed worldwide.
Türk noted that human rights themselves are not in crisis, but the political leadership necessary to make them a reality is. He explained that there are forces in the world that play a role in seizing or holding on to power at the expense of human rights. He emphasized that "state capture" in its various forms constitutes an abuse of power with dire consequences for human rights.
Türk highlighted that despite significant progress over the past 30 years, there is still a concerning decline in several areas, including gender equality and violence against women. He also pointed out that racism and discrimination still prevail in societies.
Türk mentioned that societies are constantly evolving by nature, but instead of embracing this evolution creatively, there are attempts to stifle freedom of expression, assembly, association, and free press.
The speech affirmed the continued support of the High Commissioner's office for victims worldwide, calling for the rejection of new oppressive realities and a bleak future, and urging adherence to human rights as the path to a more peaceful, just, and fair world.