Turk said he was “horrified” by reports that Russia allegedly used fully autonomous drones that killed three Ukrainians last month. Ukraine has also reportedly tested similar weapons.
“I join calls for an urgent ban on weapons that can take human life without human intervention,” he told Council members.
Turk also warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year, is causing more civilian casualties and the destruction of critical energy infrastructure. Reports of dead and wounded are also coming from Russia.
More than 60 wars
The High Commissioner also expressed deep concern about the growing number of armed conflicts and the weakening of international law in the world as a whole.
There are more than 60 conflicts taking place across the planet today, a level not seen since the end of World War II.
Turk is alarmed by the renewed fighting between the United States and Iran and its broader geopolitical and economic implications. According to him, there continue to be reports of civilian casualties, including at a wedding in the Iranian province of Hormozgan.
Gaza and the occupied West Bank
Speaking of the Middle East, Turk condemned the ongoing Israeli strikes on Gaza and restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as plans forced displacement of Palestinians and the dehumanizing rhetoric of some senior Israeli officials.
He also condemned the executions and torture reportedly carried out by armed groups linked to Hamas.
Regarding the occupied West Bank, Turk called for action against annexations, Israeli settlement expansion and arms transfers that may contribute to violations of international law.
“The international community must redouble its efforts to achieve a lasting peace in which Palestine and Israel live side by side, with dignity and equal rights,” Turk said, noting that words of condemnation cannot reflect the full scale of pain and suffering suffered by the peaceful population.