Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, will attend the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York City from September 18 to 24, focusing on urgent global human rights issues. Her visit will address international responses to Israel’s actions in Gaza, the Trump administration’s attacks on international justice institutions and sanctions against Palestinian NGOs, as well as ongoing crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Sudan. She will also highlight the Women, Peace and Security agenda and examine the relevance of the UN and the multilateral system through the UN80 initiative.
Callamard emphasized that as the UN turns 80, it faces crises both internally and externally amid a world marked by armed conflicts, rising inequality, climate challenges, authoritarian practices, and widespread violations of migrant, refugee, women’s, and LGBTI rights. She stressed that the UN was founded to uphold universal principles such as human dignity and equality, yet many of the countries that championed these principles are now neglecting them.
During her visit, Callamard will explore pressing questions about the UN’s future, the role of international and grassroots civil society organizations, and how multilateral institutions can address global human rights challenges. She highlighted the urgent need for strong political action to end Israel’s actions in Gaza, describing the situation as an ongoing genocide and a system of apartheid against Palestinians. Callamard called for diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel in line with UN General Assembly resolutions.
Amnesty International will publish a report on September 18 identifying 15 major companies from the US, China, Spain, South Korea, and Israel that are contributing to or linked with Israel’s violations of international law. The briefing will include calls for states and companies to fulfill their obligations under international law and human rights standards.
