GENEVA – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk voiced alarm over what he described as the growing normalization of the use of force to resolve disputes, warning that armed conflicts worldwide have nearly doubled since 2010.

Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk said the “threat and use of force to solve disputes is becoming more frequent and normalised.”

“The number of armed conflicts has almost doubled since 2010, to around 60,” he said. “The world really is becoming a more dangerous place.”

Türk cautioned against reverting to violence as “an organising principle,” pointing to intensifying global competition for power.

“Players compete for control over land, energy, attention. But to what end?” he asked. “Dominating the global economy? Accumulating more power? Putting AI into space? Surely power must serve other purposes.”

He criticized leaders who, he said, use power for personal or political ends and undermine global institutions meant to uphold accountability and peace. Türk cited attacks against the United Nations system, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

The UN rights chief also raised concern over increasing attacks on medical facilities in conflict zones.

“A decade ago, an attack on a hospital triggered a global outcry,” he said. “Recent figures show there are now an average of 10 attacks per day on healthcare.”

Türk warned that international humanitarian and human rights law is being eroded, urging political leaders to take urgent steps to reverse current trends.

“The world cannot stand by as the edifice of international humanitarian and human rights law is dismantled before our eyes,” he said.