Human Rights Watch has urged world leaders attending the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York to defend human rights and strengthen accountability for grave international crimes.
The UN General Assembly will hold its annual high-level debate in New York from September 22 to 28, 2026.
Leaders and foreign ministers from the UN’s 193 member countries will attend the meeting.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will deliver the first speech on September 22, followed by US President Donald Trump.
Leaders of Türkiye, France, the United Kingdom and Japan will also speak on the first day.
Human Rights Watch said leaders should oppose efforts to weaken the UN and other institutions that protect human rights and support accountability for serious international crimes.
“The UN and other international organizations created to protect human rights are under attack from countries that had pledged to defend them,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.
HRW urges action on global crises
Furthermore, Charbonneau called on all UN member countries to condemn efforts by the United States, Russia, China and other governments to weaken the international human rights system and reduce avenues for accountability.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate virtually for the second year in a row. The US refused to grant him and other Palestinian officials visas to travel to the UN headquarters.
Issues expected to feature prominently at the General Assembly include the global impact of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, continuing Israeli forces’ abuses against Palestinians in Gaza, settler violence in the West Bank and alleged Russian violations of the laws of war in Ukraine.
Leaders are also expected to discuss the risks linked to artificial intelligence and climate change.
Sudan, Congo and other crises
World leaders should also demand accountability for ongoing atrocities and human rights abuses in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Haiti, Afghanistan and elsewhere, Human Rights Watch said.
HRW said governments should work together to confront what it described as an escalating assault on human rights. It also called for stronger protection of international laws and institutions created to uphold those rights.
Human Rights Watch said its World Report 2026 called for governments committed to human rights to form a coalition to resist efforts by the US and other powers to weaken international law.
ICC faces pressure over war crimes cases
Human Rights Watch said the US has announced a campaign to “dismantle” the International Criminal Court as the Trump administration seeks to protect US and Israeli officials from the court’s scrutiny.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The court said it issued the warrants on November 21, 2024.
The US campaign includes sanctions against ICC officials and judges, three Palestinian human rights groups and a UN expert, according to Human Rights Watch.
The ICC also has investigations into alleged crimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Ukraine. It has also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Following the development, Human Rights Watch urged governments to publicly support the ICC and people working with the court to seek justice.
The organisation said countries should also take steps to reduce the impact of US sanctions on international justice.
Human Rights Watch and three other human rights organisations have sued the Trump administration in a US federal court over sanctions targeting the ICC.
UN urged to protect equality
Human Rights Watch also called on UN member countries to resist efforts to weaken the rights of refugees and migrants, women and girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The organisation urged governments to defend existing protections for equality and nondiscrimination. It also warned against efforts by some countries to remove established international norms on gender equality from UN mandates, including Security Council decisions.
World leaders should also commit to properly funding and staffing the UN’s human rights work, HRW said.
The organisation said the UN has faced a liquidity crisis for years. It linked the problem largely to the US refusal to pay its full assessed contributions and the cancellation of most voluntary contributions.
US, China owe UN billions
The US recently paid $800 million in dues to the UN, a fraction of the roughly $4 billion it owes, according to Human Rights Watch.
China has also repeatedly worsened the UN’s liquidity problems by failing to pay its dues on time.
Other countries also have outstanding payments, while the US and China account for nearly half of the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets.
Countries should also condemn efforts by some governments to avoid or weaken UN sanctions regimes, sanctions monitoring panels and arms embargoes, Human Rights Watch said.
Next UN chief faces key challenges
The UN Security Council has been holding informal “straw” polls for candidates seeking to replace Antonio Guterres as UN secretary-general when his second five-year term ends on December 31.
Human Rights Watch said the next UN chief should make human rights a priority and strengthen UN peacekeeping to protect civilians.
The next secretary-general should also find ways to push governments to pay their assessed dues and voluntary contributions in full and on time.
Member states should consider stronger ways to hold governments accountable when they fail to meet their obligations.
The UN General Assembly has 193 member states, with each state represented and given one vote. The Assembly also plays a role in appointing the secretary-general on the recommendation of the Security Council.
New treaty on crimes against humanity
Countries will soon negotiate a new treaty aimed at preventing and punishing grave human rights abuses.
Crimes against humanity include murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearance, extermination, enslavement and apartheid, among other acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a population.
Human Rights Watch urged UN member countries to support the treaty, describing such crimes as among the gravest offences under international law.
“World leaders should use the UN podium to speak out forcefully against efforts by some major powers to trample on human rights and make it easier to get away with atrocities and other grave crimes,” Charbonneau said.
He added that the UN and international human rights system could survive the current pressure only if governments took urgent action to defend them.
External links
Human Rights Watch — UN and Human Rights
United Nations — General Assembly 81st Session
International Criminal Court — Netanyahu and Gallant case
