Volker Türk is accused by UN officials of silencing genocide in Gaza

Published at: 12/09/2025 03:17 PM

Around 500 officials of the United Nations (UN) rebelled against the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Türk, accusing him of refusing since the beginning of the Israeli aggression in Gaza to use the term “genocide” to publicly recognize the crimes committed by Zionism, despite the warning of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The workers sent a strong letter demanding that the Office use the word “genocide” in its statements. As they noted, Türk's omission dilutes Israel's legal responsibility and undermines the body's credibility as a guarantor of international law.

The Staff Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR Staff Committee), in accordance with Article 3 (1) (a) of its mandate, writes to convey the opinions and concerns of staff members to the High Commissioner and senior management regarding the public position and the legitimacy of the Office with regard to the situation in Gaza.

The staff of various departments of the Office of the High Commissioner (hereinafter, the “affected personnel”) expressed their deep dismay at the magnitude and nature of the reported violations and their impact on the civilian population, in particular women and children, and expressed concern that the Office's approach could undermine their credibility as a leading defender of human rights for everyone, everywhere.

Based on information provided by UN mechanisms and independent experts, affected personnel consider that the situation in Gaza meets the requirements of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and believe that the Office should reflect this assessment more clearly in its public statements.

On the other hand, and with reference to the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICC) on interim measures in the case of South Africa against "Israel" and, subsequently, in the Rafah case, which confirmed that the rights claimed under the Convention, namely, the right of Palestinians in Gaza to protection against acts of genocide and related prohibitions, are reasonable and require preventive measures and humanitarian assistance.

Mazo News Team