UN Headquarters in New York. UN: YEAR IN REVIEW UN
Disregard for international law and a clear indifference to the lives of civilians has become one of the key trends of the outgoing year, marked by many conflicts, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said at one of the final press conferences of 2024. In addition to conflicts, the year was marred by natural disasters, many of which were caused by climate change. New technologies, including artificial intelligence, have developed rapidly, opening up new opportunities for the international community, but also creating serious problems.
Of course, it is impossible to list all the significant events and trends of the year in one article, but we have tried to recall many of the most important moments of the past 12 months.
Ukraine
November 19 marked 1,000 days since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory. More than 12,000 have died since February 24, 2022 Ukrainian civilians, almost 28 thousand people were injured.
In 2024, the war was characterized, in particular, by large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which lead to interruptions in electricity, heat and water supplies, which are especially acutely felt by the population in the winter months. Power outages, in particular, pose a serious threat to nuclear safety.
The UN also monitored reports of attacks near the Ukrainian-Russian border, including in the Kursk region of Russia. The UN opposes the spread of hostilities to new areas, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said in August, calling on all parties to act responsibly and ensure the protection of civilians.
At the end of the year, there were reports that North Korean troops had arrived in the conflict zone, Ukrainian troops had received permission to use long-range weapons supplied by their partners to strike Russian territory, and a Russian medium-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, hit the city of Dnepr.
At a meeting of the Security Council on November 27, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča said that the further use of ballistic missiles constituted a dangerous escalation and called on the parties to comply with international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
US and Russia: prisoner exchange, presidential elections
In 2024, elections at various levels were held in more than 60 countries. In this regard, the UN called for using this opportunity to overcome differences and solve current problems.
In March, Vladimir Putin was declared the winner of the Russian presidential election. Shortly after his re-election, the Russian leader agreed with the United States and other Western countries on a prisoner exchange. It took place on August 1 of this year. UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Russia Mariana Katsarova* commented on this event in an interview with the UN News Service: “We are happy, but, of course, we do not forget that at least 700, and by some estimates, more than a thousand political prisoners remain in Russia.” Katsarova called for their immediate and unconditional release.
“Today we must remember that this exchange and this release of political prisoners took place without Alexei Navalny. If he had survived, he should have been part of this exchange,” she added. The UN, we recall, demanded a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances of Alexei Navalny’s death.
On November 5, the Republican candidate Donald Trump won the US elections. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed gratitude to the people of the United States for their active participation in the democratic process.
“I congratulate President-elect Donald J. Trump and reaffirm my belief that cooperation between the United States and the United Nations is an essential pillar of international relations,” Guterres said.
Middle East
The bloody armed conflict in Gaza, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, continued in 2024. More than 45,000 people were killed in the strip. Most of the victims were women and children.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate this year. The delivery of aid to the enclave faced numerous obstacles. However, the sector managed to carry out a successful polio vaccination campaign, with more than half a million children under 10 vaccinated.
In April, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning Israel’s alleged use of starvation as a method of waging war in Gaza and calling for an arms embargo on Israel, and in June, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that the Israeli military’s use of extremely powerful bombs and the failure to distinguish between combatants and civilians in Gaza resulted in persistent violations of the laws of war.
On September 18, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding that Israel withdraw its forces from the occupied Palestinian territories, and on December 11, a document was adopted on a ceasefire in Gaza and support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Members of the Security Council, meanwhile, were unable to come to a common denominator. On November 20, the United States vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. “The Security Council is outdated and often paralyzed,” the UN Secretary-General said in one of his speeches.
On November 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who Israeli authorities said was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. They are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in late 2024. Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s longtime leader, was killed in an Israeli strike in September. The escalating fighting has resulted in civilian casualties and mass displacement, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes in Lebanon and tens of thousands of Israelis also forced to evacuate. There were reports of incidents in which peacekeepers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon were injured.
A ceasefire agreement based on the principle of implementing resolution 1701 with the assistance of UN peacekeepers came into force on November 27.
The escalation of the conflict in Syria at the end of the year led to the seizure of power in the country by rebels led by the organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, designated by the UN Security Council as a terrorist organization. The head of the UN said that Syria is experiencing a historic moment. “After 14 years of conflict that has led to countless deaths and destruction, the situation in the country is changing with incredible speed. The release of political prisoners, changes in the balance of power and calls for transition processes create a unique opportunity for a new era of peace, justice and reconstruction, but uncertainties remain,” he said.
Climate Change and Pollution
The past year was marked by extreme weather events and natural disasters, including floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Typhoon Yagi in the Philippines, China and Vietnam, landslides in India, Hurricane Helena in the United States and floods in Spain. Many of these disasters may be linked to global warming, the UN believes.
In the first half of December, the International Court of Justice held hearings to consider a request for an advisory opinion on the obligations of states in the area of climate change. They were attended by 98 states and 12 international organizations.
The launch of this process was made possible by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in 2023: it was in this document that countries requested an advisory opinion from the Court. The request raised key questions: what are the obligations of states under international law to protect the climate and what are the legal consequences for states whose actions or inactions have caused significant damage to the environment.
The past year also saw three global meetings around the world based on three key international agreements on environmental protection: the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29), the Biodiversity Summit in Cali, Colombia (COP16), and the session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (COP16).
The Future Summit
On September 22, world leaders, civil society representatives and experts gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York for the Future Summit.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for change: “We cannot build a future fit for our grandchildren with systems created for our grandparents.”
More than 140 leaders spoke at the summit. Delegations adopted a groundbreaking Pact for the Future. They also agreed on a Global Digital Compact.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence, the opportunities and challenges associated with its use, remained one of the main themes this year. On September 19, the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence (HLABAI), established by the head of the UN, presented a global action plan to address the risks associated with AI and to harness its potential for all.
It proposes that the international community take a number of measures, including laying the foundations for a global AI governance architecture based on international cooperation.
The UN recalls that out of 193 Member States of the Organization, only seven are participants in initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence governance. 118 countries, mostly in the Global South, do not take part in any related processes.
Representatives of the Advisory Body propose, in particular, the creation of an International Scientific Expert Group on AI and a Global AI Capacity Development Network.
More than 2,000 people from all regions of the world took part in the preparation of the report.
Suppression of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
In 2024, the human rights situation in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate. This primarily affected women and girls.
Over the summer, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities passed the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, which severely restricts women’s presence in public places and completely strips them of their autonomy. “This is completely unacceptable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calls for the immediate repeal of this outrageous law,” said UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.
The new law requires women to wear full coverage, including the face, when outside the home, and bans transport companies from transporting women unless accompanied by a male relative. Women are also now banned from singing, reciting poetry, or reading aloud in public places. Women and men who are not related by blood may not look at each other.
At an event dedicated to Afghanistan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly political debates, Meryl Streep gave an emotional speech: “Today in Kabul, a cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat can sit on the porch and warm its face in the sun. She can chase the squirrel into the park. Today in Afghanistan, the squirrel has more rights than the girl, because public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban. A bird can sing in Kabul, but a girl or a woman cannot.”
Streep called on the Sunni community and the international community as a whole to influence the situation.
Kazakhstan Passes Law Criminalizing Domestic Violence
On April 15, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on women’s rights and children’s safety. According to the law, beatings and intentional infliction of light, moderate and severe bodily harm are now criminal offenses in the country. If the violence and cruel treatment were directed at minors, the possibility of reconciliation between the parties is excluded.
The UN expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for adopting a law protecting victims of domestic violence. “This is a step forward in eliminating gender-based violence,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Michaela Friberg-Storey.
Protests in Georgia
The end of the outgoing year was marked by mass protests in Georgia, which began after the decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union until 2028. The demonstrations were marred by violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the country’s authorities to respect and protect the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. In a statement, the UN chief human rights defender spoke of the use of “disproportionate” and in some cases “unjustified” force by the police in dispersing demonstrations.
“All those responsible for violations must be held accountable, and allegations of ill-treatment of detainees must be investigated,” Türk said.
Civil Aviation Safety
The end of 2024 was marred by two air disasters: the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau in Kazakhstan and the crash of a Jeju Air airliner in South Korea. The tragic incidents claimed the lives of 217 passengers and crew members.
The UN Secretary-General expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the survivors.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said it was ready to support the investigation into the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane by sending an expert to work on site as an observer as part of the international investigation team.
International Tourism Rebounds
Amid conflicts and natural disasters at the end of the year, there was some positive news from the World Tourism Organization. On 4 December, its representatives said that global tourism, which had been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, was expected to fully recover by the end of 2024.
The strong number of international arrivals recorded – 1.1 billion – in the first nine months of 2024 was driven by strong tourism demand in Europe, resilient performance in major markets worldwide, and continued recovery in the Asia-Pacific region. Improved air connectivity and visa facilitation in several countries also supported international travel.
*The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a pro bono basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.