UN chief calls for restoration of int'l rule of law

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on member states to recommit themselves to the full respect of international law.

"The rule of law is a cornerstone of global peace and security. The key to friendly relations among the countries and regions of the world. And the beating heart of the United Nations Charter," he told a Security Council open debate on international rule of law. "For 80 years it has helped humanity avoid a third world war and eased the human toll in countless smaller conflicts."

The UN Charter and other instruments of international law have contributed to a collective security system that is robust and resilient. The system prohibits the threat or use of force, and binds all states, large and small, to the same rules, and respects the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states, Guterres said.

"For smaller and less-powerful countries, and those suffering from historical inequities and the damaging legacies of colonial rule, international law is a lifeline promising equal treatment, sovereignty, dignity and justice. And for powerful countries, it is a guardrail defining what is acceptable, and what is not, in times of disagreement, division and outright conflict," Guterres said.

The founders of the UN understood that global problems can only be solved by wielding not the weapons of war, but the tools of diplomacy, supported by a system based on international law; by dialogue, not the zero-sum rhetoric of division, and by collaboration, not geopolitical competition, he said.

He warned that around the world, the rule of law is being replaced by the law of the jungle, with flagrant violations of international law and brazen disregard for the UN Charter.

"We see States flouting the rule of law with impunity: Through the illegal use of force, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, human rights violations and abuses, the illegal development of nuclear weapons, unconstitutional changes of government, and the denial of lifesaving humanitarian aid," Guterres said. "These violations set dangerous precedents, encouraging other countries to do what they want, instead of what they are required to do under international law. They breed mistrust and division among nations. And they undermine people's faith in our ability to find solutions together."

Guterres called on member states to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, make full use of the dispute-settlement mechanisms spelled out in the UN Charter to prevent conflicts from starting in the first place, and promote the use of fair, independent judicial proceedings.

The Security Council stands alone in its UN Charter-mandated authority to act on behalf of all member states on questions of peace and security. It adopts decisions binding on all, and no other body or ad-hoc coalition can legally require all member states to comply with decisions on peace and security. Only the Security Council can authorize the use of force under international law, as set out in the Charter, he noted. "Its responsibility is singular. Its obligation is universal." ■