UN chief calls for stronger action to prevent mass atrocities amid rising global conflicts

UNITED NATIONS, July 7– UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned that rising global conflicts, impunity and emerging technologies are increasing the risk of mass atrocities, urging the international community to act “before warning signs become mass graves.”

“We see widespread violations of international law and a growing sense of impunity,” Guterres said in remarks to the UN General Assembly on the Responsibility to Protect, delivered by his chef de cabinet, Earle Courtenay Rattray.

“The Responsibility to Protect commitment is more vital than ever,” he said. In 2025, the world faced more than 120 conflicts that have become “more protracted, more complex, and more interconnected,” said Guterres.