UN official: Security Council Is “dysfunctional” - but UN is not

UN Official: Security Council Is “Dysfunctional” - But UN Is Not | GZERO World

Volker Türk, the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is surprisingly candid about one of his organization's most famous shortcomings.

The Security Council, which includes Russia as a permanent member, is "dysfunctional" on Ukraine, while the General Assembly has seen a sort of revival in how much it's been able to help the country.

In a GZERO World interview on the ground in Davos, Türk tells Ian Bremmer that believes it is critical that the Ukrainians, just as much as the Russians, abide by international human rights law. And he's been in close contact with the Ukrainian prosecutor general, who assures him he is investigating potential war crimes within his country's military.

"When you conduct hostilities," he explains, human rights law and international humanitarian law both apply.

Watch the GZERO World episode: Russia's tragic brutality and the humbling of the West

More from GZERO Media

Last week, Microsoft committed $15.2 billion to the UAE. This strategic investment expands cloud and AI infrastructure in the Middle East. It aims to boost regional innovation, economic diversification, and digital resilience. The move underscores tech’s role in shaping global competitiveness and security. A milestone for the UAE — and a signal of where the digital future is headed. Read the full blog here.

US President Donald Trump welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for bilateral discussions about trade and security on February 13, 2025.
India PM Office handout via EYEPRESS

After months of tensions between the world’s richest country and the world’s most populous one, it appears that the United States and India are on the verge of making a trade deal.

Members of the media gather outside Broadcasting House, the BBC headquarters in central London, as BBC Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness resign following accusations of bias and the controversy surrounding the editing of the Trump speech before the Capitol riots on 6 January 2021 in a BBC Panorama documentary.
(Credit Image: © Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire)

+26: Two BBC leaders, Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Head Deborah Turness, resigned on Sunday after it emerged that the British news organization edited footage of US President Donald Trump in a misleading fashion.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) heads back to his office following a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on November 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The shutdown of the Federal Government has become the longest in U.S. history after surpassing the 35 day shutdown that occurred during President Trumps first term that began in the end of 2018.
(Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)