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Info Service on UN Sustainable Development (May26/04) Penang, 28 May (Kanaga Raja) -- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the United Nations Charter's core purposes and principles - long seen as "a survival guide for humanity" - are under acute strain, as respect for international law erodes, geopolitical divisions deepen, and violent conflicts multiply and intensify across regions. Addressing a high-level United Nations Security Council debate on 26 May, the UN chief also said that human rights are facing a full-scale assault worldwide, with civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights being deliberately and openly rolled back, resulting in severe and far-reaching harm for individuals, communities, and entire societies. In the debate on upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system, Mr Guterres said the United Nations Charter is a survival guide for humanity - a promise born from the devastation of two world wars, a commitment that the force of law must prevail over the law of force, that international disputes must be settled by peaceful means, and that all States - large and small - must act in conformity with the principles of justice and international law. For decades, the values and principles of the UN Charter have helped deliver: placing guardrails on a nuclear arms race, negotiating an end to devastating wars, advancing human rights, supporting decolonization, fostering development across the globe, and above all, preventing a Third World War. However, the UN chief pointed out that today, the purposes and principles of the Charter are under profound strain. "HERE-AND-NOW THREATS" In this context, the Secretary-General drew attention to seven here-and-now threats, the first being that the world is witnessing "a dangerous erosion of respect for international law." The core principles - sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, the prohibition of the threat or use of force - are being challenged or ignored, Mr Guterres said, adding that violations are going unanswered and impunity is spreading. Secondly, he said that geopolitical divisions are deepening, mistrust is growing, consensus is harder to achieve, and that too often, the Security Council is failing to act with unity and purpose. "When the Security Council is divided, the consequences are felt far beyond [this Chamber]," he emphasized. Third, the UN chief noted that conflicts are proliferating and intensifying. "We now face the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the United Nations." He also pointed to growing external interference, including the provision of weapons such as drones, which now frequently target civilians and civilian objects. The UN chief also warned that violence "is expanding in scale and complexity" in several ongoing conflicts, including in the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond. In particular, he expressed deep concern over the recent announcement by the Russian Federation on launching consistent and systemic strikes against Ukrainian defense enterprises in Kyiv - as well as against decision-making centres and command posts - following reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on a college building and dormitory in the Ukrainian city of Starobilsk, presently occupied by the Russian Federation. Now more than ever, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians, and that risks making the search for peace even more distant, prolonging the suffering of people, he stressed. In this regard, Mr Guterres also cited Israel's escalation of its operations in Lebanon, the constant violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, and the uncertainty surrounding the negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the conflict in the Gulf. Fourthly, the Secretary-General pointed to the "accelerating and destabilizing" arms race. "Global military spending is at record levels, even as deadly weapons get cheaper to produce and resources for development and humanitarian needs get slashed," he said. Meanwhile, new technologies - including artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons - are advancing faster than the world's capacity to govern them. These trends create new and uncharted risks to international peace and security, said the Secretary-General. Fifth, pointing out that human rights are under full-scale attack, the UN chief said that the world is seeing civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights being pushed back deliberately, strategically, and even proudly. "The consequences are devastating - for individuals, communities, and entire societies", he said, underlining that when human rights fall, everything else tumbles. Sixth, the UN chief underscored that the link between peace and development is under increasing strain, where inequalities are widening, many developing countries are overwhelmed by debt and lack the access to sufficient financing, and the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping further out of reach. He reminded the Security Council that there can be no peace without development, and no development without peace. Seventh, the UN chief warned about the accelerating climate crisis, saying it is a driver of instability, a multiplier of threats, and an increasing source of tension within and between nations. "These seven challenges are interconnected. And they are testing the resilience of the Charter itself. Together, we must summon the political will to uphold it," said Mr Guterres. He said Member States have already recognized the need for action. In the Pact for the Future, they reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to act in accordance with international law, including the Charter and its purposes and principles. They also acknowledged a central reality: "our multilateral system must be strengthened to meet the demands of today's world." In this regard, the UN chief urged Member States to invest far more in preventing conflict before it erupts or escalates including supporting national peace-building efforts, upholding international law, and fundamentally reforming global institutions to reflect today's realities and not those of 1945. He said nowhere is this more urgent than in this Council. A Security Council that does not reflect the geopolitical realities of today's world cannot fully deliver on its responsibilities. For example, Mr Guterres said that the absence of permanent representation for Africa is a historic injustice, as it undermines the credibility of the Council as well as diminishes its effectiveness. "Reform is about restoring credibility and better ensuring that this Council can act - decisively and inclusively - to uphold the Charter." The Secretary-General urged Member States to strengthen the broader multilateral system through a review of peace operations to ensure they are fit for the future, improve coordination with regional organizations, greater inclusion, reform of the international financial architecture so that it reflects the global economy of today, and global cooperation on emerging challenges, including the governance of artificial intelligence. He said: "The Charter remains humanity's best hope for peace. But it is only as strong as the commitment of those responsible for upholding it. The world is watching - and demanding action, not just words." +
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