Amnesty Demands UN Leader Defend International Law

Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard is in New York for the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly from September 22 to 26. She is meeting senior UN officials to press for a leader who will robustly defend human rights and international law.

Callamard argues the United Nations faces one of its most critical moments since its founding over eighty years ago. She cites genocide, war, climate collapse, inequality, anti-rights movements, corporate power, and unregulated AI as converging crises. The Security Council is paralyzed, she states, while powerful nations undermine the UN with political, financial, and diplomatic pressure.

The Call for a Defiant Leader

The next UN Secretary-General must be a staunch defender of international law, according to Amnesty's position. Callamard said the leader must "confront the powerful bullies and predators that stalk the international stage." They must resist geopolitical pressure and condemn atrocities impartially. The selection cannot be a closed-door compromise resulting in a mere consensus manager. The next Secretary-General must be someone with the conviction and the know-how to mount a robust and effective defence of human rights and the UN Charter, Callamard stated.

Key Crises on the Agenda

During her visit, Callamard will focus on multiple specific human rights violations. These include international responses to what Amnesty terms Israel's genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. She will also address US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which the organization labels unlawful and constituting war crimes.

Other priorities are Iran's internal repression, described as including crimes against humanity, and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The situations in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where critical minerals extraction is linked to abuses, are also highlighted. Amnesty links violence against artisanal miners in the DRC to the M23 armed group with Rwandan support.

A Focus on Palestinian Territories

On September 24, Callamard will speak at a side event titled "When Atrocities Persist: International Responsibility and the Occupied Palestinian Territory." The event is co-hosted by Amnesty International, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. It is open to media and will be held at the Japan Society in New York.

Broaching AI and International Justice

Beyond armed conflicts, Callamard's agenda includes the need for a global, binding, and transparent regulatory model for artificial intelligence. She will also critique the Trump administration's continuing attacks on international justice institutions. The visit shows a broad advocacy push for a UN leader willing to challenge power across a spectrum of civil and political rights issues.