A senior United Nations human rights official says the scale of destruction in Gaza amounts to genocide, adding that the UN is hampered by deep structural failures that have weakened its ability to respond to global crises.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said on Saturday the body’s shortcomings extend far beyond the Palestinian crisis and include dozens of unresolved crises that have yet to reach the UN agenda.
She said similar limitations affect the work of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, both of which sit within the UN system, and argued that restoring order requires enforcement of international law and implementation of ICJ rulings.
She said what is happening in Gaza amounts to genocide, a reality she believed many Western governments continue to reject. Albanese also criticized the UN Security Council, saying it operates under power structures rooted in an earlier global order and cannot be reformed as while as the veto remains in place.
The official warned that the UN risks losing relevance if it fails to adapt and take practical steps to address crises on the ground.