The UN Human Rights Council has had an inconsistent record on tackling the consequences of armed conflict. In 2023, it established a human rights monitoring mechanism on Sudan and extended human rights reporting on Russia. However, it failed to extend crucial mandates. These included the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, despite the conflict there having led to up to 600,000 civilian deaths and the commission’s warnings of an “acute risk of further atrocities”. They also included the Fact-Finding Mission on Libya, despite its conclusion that gross violations in the country have continued unabated with impunity. Some states actively opposed the extension of these crucial mandates and states that had previously supported their establishment abandoned this support in the face of resistance. There were at least signs that the UN was willing to address the dire threats posed by the unregulated development of autonomous weapon systems, which threaten to leave decisionmaking on life and death to AI-driven algorithms. The UN General Assembly adopted a widely supported resolution in December 2023 stressing the urgent need to address this issue. The UN Secretary-General and the International Committee of the Red Cross have called for states to conclude a legally binding treaty on autonomous weapon systems by 2026. Accountability for crimes under international law during armed conflicts has generally remained elusive and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has increasingly shown double standards and selectivity in the treatment of situations under its scrutiny. The Office of the Prosecutor closed its investigations in Kenya and Uganda and failed to open a previously announced investigation in Nigeria. However, ICC investigations have continued in a number of situations on which Amnesty International has documented crimes under international law. Notably, an ICC arrest warrant was issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for alleged war crimes, with an incumbent obligation on all ICC member states to arrest and surrender them, as confirmed by a high court in South Africa. The ICC Prosecutor belatedly issued statements confirming that the ICC’s ongoing investigation in the situation in Palestine would cover acts committed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on and after 7 October. In addition, the adoption in May 2023 of the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes and other International Crimes (Mutual Legal Assistance Convention) will open opportunities for victims of crimes under international law to pursue justice through national courts.5 All UN member states should take steps to reform the UN Security Council so that permanent members cannot use their veto power unchecked. They should sign and ratify without reservations the Mutual Legal Assistance Convention. They should address the root causes of conflicts, including racial and ethnic discrimination, and ensure the respect of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts, including the protection of civilians. They should strengthen UN institutions that play a preventative role, including the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures system, and bodies that investigate, report, and preserve evidence of crimes under international law. BACKLASH AGAINST GENDER JUSTICE Despite progress in some countries, the backlash against the rights of women, girls and LGBTI people has intensified. Many governments have undermined sexual and reproductive rights and LGBTI rights and failed to tackle gender-based violence. The State of the World’s Human Rights 17