UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : OHCHR Volker Türk Press conference: UN Human Rights Day / End of Year Press Conference

Yeah, good morning, everyone.

It's very good to see so many of you familiar faces in the room, especially on Human Rights Day.

You all know the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volka Turk.

I will pass the floor to him immediately for his opening remarks and then of course, he'll take questions.

Thank, Commissioner.

[Other language spoken]

Good morning everyone.

Very happy to see you, especially on Human Rights Day.

That's always a good occasion to market also with the members of the media and with all of you.

So what can I tell you?

Human rights underfunded, undermined, under attack and yet powerful, undeterred.

Mobilising this year no doubt has been a difficult one, and one full of dangerous contradictions.

Funding for human rights has been slashed, while anti rights movements are increasingly well funded.

Profits for the arms industry are soaring, while funding for humanitarian aid and grassroots civil society plummets.

Those defending rights and justice are attacked, sanctioned and hauled before courts, even as those ordering the Commission of atrocity crimes continue to enjoy impunity.

Diversity, equity and inclusion policies that were adopted to address historical and structural injustices are being vilified as unjust.

The prognosis would be incredibly dire if these were the only trends, but the push back on human rights is facing push back from a Crown swell of human rights activism in Nepal, Serbia, Madagascar, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Paraguay, the Philippines, Indonesia, Tanzania, Morocco, Peru and beyond.

Mostly young people have taken to the streets and to social media against inequalities, against corruption or repression, in favour of freedom of expression and for their everyday essentials and in particular their rights.

People across the world have also been protesting against war and injustice and demanding climate action in places far from home, expressing solidarity and pressuring their governments to take action.

I urge governments around the world to harness the energy of these social movements into opportunities for broader transformational reforms, rather than rushing to suppress them or label them as extremist threats to national security.

They are in fact, the exact opposite of threats to national security.

On the challenges I had set out earlier, here's some data.

[Other language spoken]

Our resources have been slashed along with funding of for human rights organisations, including at the grassroots level around the world.

We are in survival mode and I was in Brussels yesterday during a meeting with human rights defenders and all of them, all the human rights defenders from around the world, told me how dire their situation is.

We have had my office has had about 90 million U.S.

dollars less than we needed this year, which means around 300 jobs have been lost and essential work has to be has had to be cut, including in our operation in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Tunisia and other countries.

At a time when the needs are rising.

Special Rapporteur country visits and investigative missions by fact finding bodies have also been reduced, sometimes drastically.

Crucial dialogues with states on their compliance with human rights treaties, the so-called treaty body system.

These sessions had to be postponed.

Last year there were 145 state party reviews, we are down to 103 this year and this has consequences.

They may not be seen immediately but they are going to be felt.

We see that all of this has extensive ripple effects on international and national efforts to protect human rights.

Meanwhile, anti rights and anti gender movements are increasingly coordinated and well funded, operating across borders.

According to the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, for example, almost $1.2 billion was mobilised by anti rights groups in Europe between 2019 and 2023.

This is there is significant money flowing into the anti rights agenda from funders based in Europe, Russia and the United States of America.

Such massive funding coupled with media capture and disinformation strategies have made the anti rights agenda a powerful cross regional force.

Another distressing data set is that from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Cypri.

It says, and it's the latest report, that arms and military service service revenues for the 100 largest arms companies reached a record of 679 billion U.S.

[Other language spoken]

Cypri has said demand was boosted by wars in Ukraine and Gaza, by global and regional geopolitical tensions and ever higher military expenditure.

There have been efforts this year to secure ceasefires and peace deals, which are certainly welcome.

However, 4 peace to be sustainable, human rights must play a central role.

There is a human rights imperative that needs to feed into any ceasefire and peace negotiation, from prevention to negotiation to monitoring to accountability, to recovery and peace building.

And we need to do a reality check in Gaza in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

And now, as we have just seen over the last couple of days between Thailand and Cambodia, agreements have yet to translate into effective protection of civilians on the ground.

Gaza remains a place of unimaginable suffering, loss and fear.

While the bloodshed has reduced, it has not stopped.

Attacks by Israel continue, including on individuals approaching the so-called Yellow Line, residential buildings and IDP tents and shelters, as well as other civilian objects.

Access to the central services and goods remain severely inadequate.

In the West Bank, we're seeing unprecedented levels of attack by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians, forcing them from their land.

This is a time to intensify pressure and advocacy, not to sink into complacency for Palestinians.

Across the occupied territory, clashes between the DRC armed forces and the Rwandan backed M23 armed group continue.

Alongside Syria's human rights violations and abuses, civilians again are bearing the brunt.

Overnight, you will have seen there have been reports of thousands fleeing the densely populated S Kivu city of Ovira amid amid escalating clashes between the M23 and DRC armed forces backed by Vasalando militia.

This comes just days after the DRC and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to implement the June 2025 Washington Peace Agreement.

Over the years, we have documented outrageous violations against civilians in a Vera, including rape and sexual and gender based violence.

The risk of a broader regional confrontation appears to be increasing.

In Sudan, the brutal conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces continues unabated.

From Darfur and the Kordofan to Khartoum and Omdurman and beyond, no Sudanese civilian has been left untouched by the cruel and senseless violence.

I'm extremely worried, and I say it again, that we may see a repeat of the atrocities committed and Al Fasher in Kordofan.

In Ukraine, civilian harm has risen sharply.

Civilian casualties so far this year at 24% higher than the same period last year, largely due to Russia's increased use of powerful long range weapons in large numbers and it's continuing efforts across broad front to capture further Ukrainian territory by armed force.

Large scale attacks on Ukraine's energy system have caused emergency outages and prolonged daily electricity cups cuts, disruptions to water and heating services in many areas.

Urgent steps need to be taken to alleviate suffering, including the return of transfer children, the exchange of all prisoners of war and the unconditional release of civilian detainees held by the Russian authorities.

For any sustainable peace to be negotiated, it's important that confidence building measures are taken crowded in human rights, including steps to alleviate civilian suffering, promote accountability and preserve a basis for further dialogue.

And importantly, women need to be part of this process.

It is imperative that peace deals and ceasefires are secured and implemented in good faith and with full respect for international law, which can never be set aside for political convenience.

It is also critical to counter the demonisation of and hate mongering rhetoric against migrants and refugees in various countries.

Worryingly, we are seeing violent pushbacks, large scale rates, arrests and returns without due process, criminalisation of migrants and refugees and those who support them as well as the outsourcing of responsibilities under international law.

I urge states to embark on an evidence based policy debate on migration and refugees, refugee issues that are anchored in international human rights and refugee law.

In the course of many electoral campaigns this year, we've also seen a pattern of democratic backsliding, restrictive civic space and electoral violence.

Myanmar's upcoming military imposed election under quotation marks is accompanied by new waves of acute insecurity and violence, continued arrests and detentions of opponents, voter coercion, the use of of of extensive electronic surveillance tools and systematic discrimination.

I fear that this will process will only further deepen insecurity and fear and polarisation throughout the country.

There is unfortunately never a shortage of human rights challenges to face, issues to resolve and values to defend.

But what is heartening is that there are so many of us around the world attached to the same universal human rights values, no matter the noise, the gas lighting and the persistent injustices.

I am energised by the people who I've met across the world, including those who participate in social movements, particularly the ones who are led by young people.

They're writing the latest chapters in the time honoured struggle for our collective humanity and dignity.

Journalists, activists, human rights defenders have been at the forefront of the global movement for freedom, equality and justice.

Such perseverance has achieved landmark victories for the rights of women, migrants, people discriminated against on the basis of dissent, minorities, our environment and so much more, and we will continue to persevere.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

We'll take questions three at a time and I'll start in the room.

Please identify yourself, you're the news out that you represent and try to limit yourself to one question if you can, so that everyone gets a chance to ask.

We'll start here.

Thank you very much.

Couldn't talk to Christiane Ulrich, German Press Agency.

You were talking about the anti rights and anti gender movements.

Can you be a bit more specific?

Who exactly are you talking about and who is funding these?

You were talking about them being increasingly well funded.

[Other language spoken]

Lost your Swiss news agency?

Thanks for that usual press conference.

A few days ago, the Trump administration unveiled a new national security strategy, which looks like an attempt to interfere in the democratic life and the the civic space and civic liberties of hundreds of millions of cities and throughout Europe.

How concerned are you by that?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Mr Turk, for the press conference.

Antonio Proto from FS Spanish News Agency.

[Other language spoken]

Do you believe that an international mechanism should be created to investigate the US attacks against alleged drug traffickers, which appeared to involve multiple human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and disproportionate use of force?

And more broadly, what is your position on the US government's open threats of military action against Venezuela?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, my Commissioner, over to you.

Look on the anti rights and if you like anti gender movement that we see it is indeed one of my biggest warriors because we have detected some of this in various parts of the world.

What I have referred to is indeed the the European Parliamentary Forum which which did and I would refer you to the report and we can share it with you which have documented this and they have been able to document it in terms of the funding that goes into it.

But this is I think just the tip of the iceberg.

We have heard around the world that a lot more funding goes into well organised cross regional strategies to push back on gender issues and more broadly on on human rights issues.

And it affects in particular gender equality L GB TIQ plus sexual reproductive rights, rights of migrants and refugees, but also climate action.

And what I think we need to be aware of is that there is this well funded way of doing it.

And that's why I refer to that particular report.

And we need to be very vigilant about it because it also is a distraction from the very normative system that has been established at the moment that we have.

And that is non ideological because sometimes human rights are seen as an ideology, but they're not, they're not partisan.

They are the normative framework of our social contract.

And we need to be very careful when this part of the social contract is in jeopardy.

On the issue of of the just he recently issued national security strategy.

When it comes to Europe.

I mean, Europe is a continent that not least given the history of the continent, has benefited precisely from the promotion and protection of human rights.

It was one of the first continents to establish it.

In fact, it's still the first continent to establish a human rights system that is the strong, one of the strongest in the world, because you have a European Court of Human for Human Rights in Strasbourg, European Convention for Human Rights.

And that convention has served Europe extremely well because it has precisely dealt with some of the issues, some of the dilemmas that are often discussed in this transatlantic relationship of late, including issues of freedom of expression.

When it comes to freedom of expression, it's absolutely clear there are limits to it when it comes to hate speech, harmful disinformation, the incitement to violence.

So I hope that all those who look at that strategy and you analyse it are doing it very much in recognition of the incredible path that Europe and in particular the European Union have had over the last couple of decades to build indeed a continent that is built on peace, human rights and dignity with all the issues that there are.

As always, there are issues, but it's important to honour that incredible achievement for humanity.

When it comes to Venezuela, and in particular not so much Venezuela, I mean, obviously concerned about the tensions that there existed, that exist.

It's clear that I mean, my overarching concern is the human rights issues in Venezuela themselves.

I have been extremely vocal about how we see the situation.

We also know that any escalation is not in the interest of anyone.

And so my our call is always for de escalation, for finding a way to deal with this through constructive engagement between the two countries.

When it comes to the carrier, I mean the events especially that what you refer to in the Caribbean, I, as you know, I've been extremely clear.

I consider them a violation of international law, in particular human rights law.

I have asked for prompt independent investigations.

We have seen a debate now in the US, in Congress as well about these strikes, and I hope that they will lead to a prompt, serious investigation that is independent so that we can get to the bottom of of what has happened there.

[Other language spoken]

I've then got Jamie and Muhammad and we'll come to you.

[Other language spoken]

Sorry if I'm cutting in on anyone.

I wanted to ask about Sudan.

I also want to ask about the Trump administration, but I'll restrict myself to 111 question the can.

Can you tell us a little bit about the an update that you might have about the fate of these 10s of thousands of people who were not able to flee the RSF attacks on El Fasher?

And could you explain your current thinking about the phrase, whether or not crimes against humanity have been committed there?

I know that some special rapporteurs have used that language.

What's the state of your reflection on that?

And just in general the the types of crimes that you've documented so far in El Fasher because you've mentioned of course Kordofan that you're fearful that it may be be the next El Fasher.

[Other language spoken]

My name is Mohammed from a reporter of Turkey's another news agency.

My question is about Gaza and Israel and the following day Israelis actions in Gaza, the effectiveness of international law being questioned worldwide.

What do you think needs to be done to regain this trust?

And ensure Israelis accountability and.

What is the role of the UN and the Member States in this regard?

[Other language spoken]

I also want to ask about Gaza, especially.

We are it's been said that we are close to the second phase of the ceasefire.

Hamas officials have said that more pressure must be put on Israel to reach an agreement on the Phase 2.

And also after the ceasefire, we see about 400 people being killed.

So we'll have the evaluate that.

And also there has been Israel's military chief saying that the yellow line that device goes under Donald Trump's ceasefire plan is new border now.

And what is your comment on that?

[Other language spoken]

Look, on Al Fasher, I have been, we have been able to send teams to chat, but also to the north, to North Sudan.

So we had a chance to interview witnesses from what happened in Al Fascia independently from each other, which I think for us is very important because as you know, we have a very strict methodology when it comes to documenting human rights, serious human rights violations and atrocity crimes.

And the pattern that emerges that thousands of people had been killed when in within a very short period of time, end of October.

We don't know the exact number, but it we are talking about thousands, not just hundreds, we're talking about thousands of people that have been killed.

There were summary executions.

There were people who were trying to leave Al Fasher, who were killed when they tried to leave.

There were very strong in, I mean, there were witness statements about rape and gang rape, including in front of family members.

There were attacks also, and there was abductions for ransom.

There was widespread looting.

So yes, we're talking about very serious atrocity crimes, war crimes for sure, potentially also crimes against humanity.

We are talking about very, very, plus there is the ethnically motivated violence that has come into play as well, which then puts us into the territory of, of, of crimes against humanity.

So yes, we have an extremely serious situation.

Let's also not forget that there were 18 months of siege and that siege was brutal with people not being able to eat much and with famine being declared.

My worry is that the international community watches what's happening now in Kordofan and we cannot allow a repeat of this absolutely horrific situation in in Kordofan.

And we really need to see an all out effort to see a cessation of hostilities, to see a cessation to, to and to to come back to not by peace agreement, but also civilian rule because we don't have civilian rule.

Let's not forget that as well on, on Gaza and Israel.

I mean, of course, international law is international law.

It doesn't get changed because it's not respected or when it's breached in a massive way.

Unfortunately, that's what it is.

We are, we are actually, we should be very grateful that we have international law, including international militarian law and international rights law because it gives us a base and a measure to assess situations and accountability is critical.

We very often forget about accountability and in particular in this case, but in any other case as well, accountability also means beyond the domestic side because as you know, we have had our issues with the domestic accountability mechanisms in Israel that we don't think are working.

We need international accountability.

And as you know, they're ongoing.

There's an ongoing ICC process and and that's very important and that's the one way for us to make sure that international law actually works.

And international law, if it's not applied and if it's not working in one situation, we should be all very worried because others will use the fact that international law was not respected and will point to it.

And we have heard this from even other belligerent parties.

They point to a different situation and they say, well, international law was was breached here.

Why can't I do it here either?

So we have a very real issue.

That's what international law is all about.

Yes, we have worried about the current situation because the bloodshed that we saw in the carnage that we saw in the past has indeed is, is, is is no longer there.

But as I mentioned, we have over 350 attacks that we recorded since the ceasefire and they were all in the vicinity of the so-called yellow line with at least 121 Palestinians killed, including seven women, 13 children and many other injuries.

So we we have, we're continuing to document this and to monitor it very carefully.

And yes, we call on all parties to respect the ceasefire and to ensure that we can indeed move to the next phase.

[Other language spoken]

The yellow line, yes.

Well, the Security Council resolution is very clear about not calling anything a border or anything else.

It is about a territory that needs to be respected in its entirety.

Thank you in the back please.

[Other language spoken]

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[Other language spoken]

I'm also and so I I just mentioned that we have seen a deterioration in in Haiti.

If you look just at the numbers for this year.

[Other language spoken]

We have seen a deterioration just also in rural areas outside Port-au-Prince.

I'm also concerned about the use of drones by a private military company that the government is using.

And we have again seen an impact on people with killings over 700.

And we, we absolutely need to make sure that the arms embargo is respected.

And we've seen too much arms flowing into, into Haiti still.

But also when it comes to the multinational security support mission and now the Gangreb suppression force that was adopted by the Security Council.

We will, I mean, we hope that there will be accelerated efforts to, to set it in train.

I think it's a very slow process, much too slow, unfortunately.

And we also need to make sure that in the implementation that human rights safeguards are fully respected, because when it comes to law enforcement operations, that needs to be part of the of the package.

[Other language spoken]

And then in the back.

[Other language spoken]

Jeremy launch for the French national radio over there.

If I may, I will ask my question in French as well.

And if you can respond in French that's perfect.

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You see with the parade, the fact finding missions, the the country missions get more effective.

No worries, Catherine.

Please go ahead with Catherine.

[Other language spoken]

German public radio and TV.

[Other language spoken]

Yesterday, the European Union decided.

To considerably weaken their supply chain act.

What's your reaction about it?

How does it impact human rights worldwide?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, High Commissioner.

[Other language spoken]

This is Mr Liang from China Economic Daily.

My question is related with the interaction and convergence between human rights and business activity, which we have seen accelerated under your leadership of your good office.

My question in particular is in view of the fact that this year a lot of effort has been put into pushing forward the drafting of a legally binding instrument to law to regulate on human rights the activities of transnational business and enterprises.

In view of the fact that a lot of effort has been put into this effort this year, how may I have your comment on the progress we have on the ground now and how you foresee this effort with further progress in the next year in view of the fact that this binding nature, legally binding nature, is something quite innovative and revolutionary?

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

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[Other language spoken]

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[Other language spoken]

The next one on the on the fact finding mission commissions of inquiry.

At the moment we are between 50 and 60% funding, which means that we are less able to document or the fact funding missions and commissions Inquirer are less able to document human rights violations.

It has already had massive impact, for instance, for example, on the Commission of inquiry on DRC, which we cannot fund at all.

At the moment we do not have the funds to set in train the Commission of inquiry for DRC.

So it has indeed very serious consequences.

We hope that with the next budget cycle that we would be able to do so.

But the moment this is, this is not possible.

The on the Supply Chain Act.

I mean, I as I understand it, because the discussions are still ongoing, because there is this trilogy within, within the European Union.

You probably saw that I took a public position on this omnibus resolution process which wanted to make sure that those who decide on these things within within the European Union are fully aware of the guiding principles on business and human rights.

And we have had a lot of companies approach us, especially mid sized companies who in a way want the predictability that comes from the business and human rights agenda.

And they really embrace human rights because they see it in the long term business interest to have a human rights compliant supply chain, for example, because they also know that their reputational risks could potentially be affected if for example, they undertake activities where indeed violations happen, for example, Labour standards and so forth.

So we saw the current debate from worryingly, because we hope that indeed they will take into account the standards that have been achieved.

And it's not only US civil society and high Commissioner's Office, it's also many companies that approached us from, from that perspective, human rights and business activities.

I mean, this is absolutely an area, area of that we really need to work on.

And we, we had a couple two weeks ago the forum on business and human rights here in Geneva over 4000, I think even probably some 5000 participants because we had 1000 of them online.

It shows an incredible interest on the part of the business community to work on the human rights front.

We also see, and you mentioned the legally binding instrument.

[Other language spoken]

But I do hope that indeed we would see a legally binding instrument.

It's one area where non state actors, in this case businesses can exercise a lot of power, especially tech companies.

I mean, let's look at the the the very big tech companies, they sometimes have budget that go even beyond the gross domestic income of an industrialised nation, which means they can exercise a lot of power.

And human rights are the guard rails, but human rights are also the inspiration to do good and to influence technological development.

So yes, business and human rights extremely important from our perspective.

[Other language spoken]

I'll take one more, two more questions in the room and then I've got Olivia waiting very patiently online from Reuters and two others online.

And then I think it'll have to be a wrap.

[Other language spoken]

Yeah, thank you for taking my question.

[Other language spoken]

You must of course be aware about the fact that there are a lot of reports stating that UAI is arming the RSF parliamentary force.

Have your teams on the field been able to verify these accusations and what's your point of view on the on the issue?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

On the the cuts that you outlined there, would you describe them as disproportionate in terms of how the cuts have landed on the the human rights office versus other areas of the the UN?

And and secondly, if you may just outline your concerns from what you saw in the last couple of months in Gaza, particularly in Gaza City in terms of the extent of air strikes and and demolitions in the area in the lead up to the ceasefire and what in particular human rights concerns that has sparked among your team.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Ravina, and thank you for the opportunity.

[Other language spoken]

I'm here and my question is about Lebanon and the huge gap between the numbers you gave on November 27 of killed in Lebanon.

You mentioned 127 Lebanese who were killed, while the health, the, the Ministry of Public Health mentioned 300, three, 33 civilians killed in Lebanon.

Of course, after the ceasefire, Lebanon respected totally the ceasefire and including Hezbollah which also respected the ceasefire.

So who are those 200 peoples who were killed and not mentioned in your report?

Why they are they are not mentioned?

And do you consider killing Hezbollah fighters who are not fighting anymore in Lebanon?

Do do they receive?

Is it OK to kill them or not?

Are they considered as civilians including to the according to the international law?

How do you consider them?

Another question on other attacks on Lebanon, For example, on ITO in, in the north of Lebanon, 23 people were killed during an attack, Israeli attack.

And you mentioned that you will investigate this attack and other attacks also similar to 1 to the one on Ninel Helwy, the Palestinian camp where around 13 children were killed while playing basketball.

Is there any investigations about those attacks and if you can give us any updates?

[Other language spoken]

Look on Sudan, I think what is most urgently needed is respect for the arms embargo and and that is currently not the case.

I mean, I, I just looked at the fact finding mission report of SEPTA.

I mean the fact finding mission report on Sudan and their report of September 2025.

And they talk about, they have actually received allegations that the parties, both parties and the affiliated militias obviously use arms, ammunition and unmanned aerial vehicles produced in eight States and that at least 16 states finance manufacturer or facilitated weapons transfers.

They have not been able to provide details of of that, but they are and I discussed it with them.

They're actually looking into this, I mean in order to get the evidence.

This is not so easy.

But it is also true that arms as far as I know, there's only one still functioning factory that could produce arms.

But the type of arms that we have seen that become more and more sophisticated, especially on the drone.

When it comes to some of these drones, they obviously come from outside and there are not only companies, but there are obviously interests to to fund either party and and provide them with arms.

And yes, that is one of the very, very neuralgic points that need to be addressed.

And I hope that there will be more focus on it.

We we have this division of labour with the fact finding mission on this point.

I mean, they will investigate this further.

But of course, if we have any information that we can verify and bring to the table, we will do so.

Then the issue of funding, sorry, what's the funding?

Yeah, the funding on the funding.

And I mean, if I look at my colleagues in the UN system, all of them have been massively affected.

If I just look at the humanitarian front, I mean, I think I, I saw the latest figures from UNHCR, 3.4 billion, UNDP 4.5, UN women 600 million.

So all of them, we're all affected when it comes to the human rights system.

We have a very complicated budget structure because we depend both on the regular budget assessed contributions and there we have the liquidity crisis and we have extra budgetary funding.

We have been disproportionately affected in the way in the sense is that if you cut what is already very scarce and if you cut this even further, then obviously it has a huge impact.

And in particular, when it comes and I, I want to make a strong plea for also human rights defenders, human rights organisations, grassroots organisations on the ground in particular, who all telling us that they will not be able to do their work anymore.

And that is where the danger lies.

Because if, if you, if you don't have the people who actually are defending human rights on a daily basis on the ground, and then a weakened safety net that comes from the international system, yes, it will weaken human rights enormously.

And things will happen as a result that we could have prevented if we had a much stronger system.

So yes, I'm, as I said, we are in survival mode when it comes to human rights.

And I hope there it's a bit of a wake up call to everyone around the world to see that that we're not becoming weaker but but actually end up stronger on Lebanon.

[Other language spoken]

So we actually, this is quite when we issue data ourselves, we have a verification process and that verification process always lags behind the actual data.

And that's what comes with with this.

We are still in the, we are actually in the process of doing it as we speak.

So we will come up to, to numbers that we are verifying and, and we then always use the numbers that come from, from official from the official statistics.

But we, we, we actually go into this and that's extremely important.

You, I think we have also dealt with the issue of of what happened in the North from from what I understand.

And and you also asked the question about if someone seizes armed activities and and lays down arms, yes, then they are not to be considered combatants.

Yeah, sorry.

Well, and that's why we emphasise very much that international humanitarian law is very clear about this.

They are not to be killed if they are no longer combatants.

Well, frankly, we hope that no one is killed anyway.

But unfortunately, in a situation of war, that's what it is.

Time we just have John and Amen online.

Olivia, I'm sorry I won't be able to give you a follow up question because High Commissioner will have to leave.

But if you do have any follow up questions, please do get in touch and we can send you written responses or one of the spokespeople will be very happy to handle them.

John and then Amen, please, John, Go ahead.

Yes, good morning, High Commissioner.

I was wondering, say, if you could comment on the decision by the Australian government to ban the use of social media by adolescents and what are your concerns?

You mentioned the late John Ruggie.

Are we seeing an increase in social and corporate social irresponsibility rather than responsibility?

[Other language spoken]

High Commissioner.

I have the question, you mentioned that armed and military services the revenue boosted by the war in Gaza and there is the several NGOs wrote report that talk on Israeli testing the new, new weapons in in Gaza.

And my question is if your office have any investigation on that and if you have any comment on countries that intend to purchase this weapons?

[Other language spoken]

Actually just realised I forgot to answer one question from one journalist about, you know, what are the, what, what do we see in terms of human rights impact in the situation Gaza, I actually met yesterday, a Palestinian who, who, who is working on mental health issues.

And the response, I mean, what he described to me about the most serious mental health crisis that one can imagine after what had happened is, is extremely acute.

I mean, what he described was harrowing in terms of trauma.

Basically everyone is traumatised and especially children, you can imagine and, and, and, and women.

And I have had a chance to talk to some of my colleagues who have lost family members who, who mentioned to me what this means.

And, and I can, I mean, only talk about the extreme trauma that I saw in, in the in them as well.

So on Australia, well I think it's we know how difficult it is for societies to grapple with the issue of how to keep children safe online.

And we have had the social media platforms launched now quite a few years ago, but I don't think at the stage when they were launched that human rights due impact assessment was actually done.

So we're actually catching up with the technological developments.

So countries are going to try different things.

And it's not only, by the way, Australia, it's also, we have a similar law in California.

We have draft laws also in Europe.

It's very important to keep monitoring what works, what doesn't work.

But it is also very clear from a human rights perspective that the best interest of the child has to be taken into account in all of this, including the protection and safety concerns that children face.

What then the best method is, is I think what we're actually experiencing as as we speak.

So it's, it's very important I when it comes to broader issues of corporate responsibility, I, I have to say, as I said, I was very encouraged by the fact that we have so many people come to our business and human rights forum and we have seen a lot more interest than ever before.

So there's sometimes a bit of a disconnect between what we hear, including on the part of governments and what actually those who are actively engaged want the same.

By the way, on climate, I mean, there's a, we are going back into climate denial in the US, for example.

But if you look at the companies that want to do the right thing, they are actually doing the right thing and they they have moved on.

They know that in the interest of good business, you will have to take into account climate impact and environmental impact.

And sorry, the last question was sorry on Gaza, yes, I, I, I mean, obviously our, our office as you know is monitoring, documenting.

I have no specific information on what what you have just mentioned.

And we will, we will ask, ask him about that.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Commissioner.

We'll get back to you on that.

And sorry, Jamie, Olivia, please approach us afterwards.

Thanks very much everyone.

[Other language spoken]

OHCHR Volker Türk Press conference: UN Human Rights Day / End of Year Press Conference - 10 December 2025