In his final year as UN chief, Antonio Guterres has denounced the brazen violation of international law, which he says is setting a “perilous” precedent.
The erosion of international law, he lamented, is not happening in the shadows but is “unfolding before the eyes of the world, on our screens, live in 4K.”
The Secretary General of the United Nations addressed the 193-member General Assembly on Thursday, and vowed to make each day of this year count in pushing for a better world.
“A world marked by self-defeating geopolitical divides...brazen violations of international law...and wholesale cuts in development and humanitarian aid. These forces and more are shaking the foundations of global cooperation and testing the resilience of multilateralism itself,” he said.
Speaking in the backdrop of the recent US military action in Venezuela that ended with the capture of its President, Nicolas Maduro; the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; as well as other geo-political challenges, Guterres said the world is brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability, but reminded nations that the UN Charter is not “à la carte menu”.
The UN Charter is a “compact” that “binds us all”, Guterres said, adding that “we must adhere to the UN Charter – fully and faithfully. No ifs … no ands ... no buts.”
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“The Charter is the foundation of international relations – the bedrock of peace, sustainable development, and human rights,” he said, adding that the paradox of this era is that the times need international cooperation the most, but we seem to be the least inclined to use it and invest in it.
“Some seek to put international cooperation on deathwatch. I can assure you: we will not give up,” the UN chief, whose second five-year term at the helm of the world body comes to an end on December 31, 2026, said.
Emphasising that while he is honoured to serve as custodian of the Charter, Guterres reminded the 193 UN Member States and their leaders that “each one of you has signed up to be a custodian of the Charter, too”.
“When leaders run roughshod over international law – when they pick and choose which rules to follow – they are not only undermining global order, they are setting a perilous precedent,” he said.
The UN chief also lamented that the dangers do not stop with States or warring parties, but are being amplified by “bottomless” greed and inequality in a world where the top one percent holds 43 percent of global financial assets and the richest 500 individuals added $2.2 trillion to their fortunes in the last year alone.
“Increasingly, we see a world where the ultra-wealthiest and the companies they control are calling the shots like never before – wielding outsized influence over economies, information, and even the rules that govern us all.
“When a handful of individuals can bend global narratives, sway elections, or dictate the terms of public debate, we are not just facing inequality – we are facing the corruption of institutions and our shared values,” he said.
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