Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the principal United Nations body mandated to promote and protect human rights. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is led by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who is appointed by the UN Secretary-General. OHCHR monitors human rights situations worldwide, reports on violations, supports the work of the Human Rights Council and other UN human rights bodies, and provides technical assistance to governments and civil society. Its work covers issues such as torture prevention, refugee rights, discrimination, and the protection of human rights defenders.
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UN verifies over 15,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties in first eight months of 2026, a 55% increase year-on-year
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the UN verified 15,280 civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine in the first eight months of 2026, an average of more than 400 per week and 55% higher than the same period in 2025. Türk described the war as a growing human rights catastrophe and called Ukraine a "laboratory of drone war," while documenting widespread sexual violence attributed primarily to Russian forces.