The ninth Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued an appeal for peace on his first day.

The SG said “Civilians are pounded with deadly force. Women, children and men are killed and injured, forced from their homes, dispossessed and destitute. Even hospitals and aid convoys are targeted. No one wins these wars; everyone loses. Trillions of dollars are spent destroying societies and economies, fueling cycles of mistrust and fear that can last for generations. Whole regions are destabilized and the new threat of global terrorism affects us all. On this New Year’s Day, I ask all of you to join me in making one shared New Year’s resolution:

Let us resolve to put peace first”

2016 was a challenging year for human rights defenders across the Middle East as government repression was brutal and reached an all-time high with continuing restrictions of political freedoms and widespread abuses by the police and security forces against those viewed as dissenters.

International Council Supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights echoes the SG’s appeal and calls up on the authoritarian regimes in the Middle East mainly Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to seriously consider and act up on this New Year’s resolution/appeal from Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

We will continue our work towards promoting respect for human rights across the Middle East.

Wishing for peace in 2017