UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the Democratic Republic of the Congo's armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group to stop hostilities, citing recent civilian deaths. He called for an end to the use of explosive weapons in eastern DR Congo.

The UN reported a 40% increase in Ukrainian civilian casualties from Russian attacks between December 2025 and May 2026. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted long-range strikes, a deadly Kyiv attack, torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war, and attacks on energy infrastructure as key factors.

A framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel includes a clause requiring both nations to cease 'hostile or adverse actions' in international legal forums, raising concerns it could block accountability for alleged Israeli war crimes. Lebanese experts argue the provision undermines victims' rights to seek justice and reparations for violations, including civilian casualties and displacement since October 2023.

A bus bombing in southwest Colombia's Cajibio municipality killed 20 people and injured 36, with officials attributing the attack to dissident groups linked to 'Iván Mordisco' and the Jaime Martínez faction. The region, plagued by illegal armed groups vying for control of coca cultivation and drug trafficking routes, has seen over two dozen attacks in three days.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasized reparations as critical to dismantling systemic racism, citing colonialism's legacy. The UN adopted a resolution labeling the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, while cities like Evanston and Chicago explore reparations programs for historical racial harms.