JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned that the global order is eroding as the rule of law is replaced by what he called "jungle law."
Urging a renewed commitment to multilateralism and accountability, Secretary-General Guterres stressed "the rule of law is the foundation of global peace and security" in the UN Security Council's open debate entitled "Reasserting the Rule of Law: The Path to Recovery of Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism."
Guterres reminded, in 2024, UN member states adopted the "Compact for the Future," which includes a commitment "to act in accordance with international law and meet obligations in good faith," but he warned "words are not matched by action."
"Around the world, the rule of law is replaced by the law of the jungle," he said, adding: "We see flagrant violations of international law and a blatant disregard for the UN Charter," as reported by Anadolu (27/1).
Regarding conflicts "from Gaza to Ukraine, from the Sahel to Myanmar, in Venezuela and elsewhere," Secretary-General Guterres stressed, "law enforcement is treated like an à la carte menu."
Furthermore, he underlined, countries that violate international law "without punishment" through "the use of illegal force, targeting civilian infrastructure, violations and abuses of human rights, the development of illegal nuclear weapons, unconstitutional changes of government, and the denial of life-saving humanitarian assistance."
"These violations set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other countries to do what they want, instead of what is required by international law," he warned.
Further, Secretary-General Guterres emphasized the unique authority of the UN Security Council, saying "In an era full of initiatives, the United Nations Security Council stands alone in the authority mandated by its Charter to act on behalf of all Member States in matters of peace and security."
"Only the Security Council can take decisions that are binding on all countries," he said, stressing "no other body or ad hoc coalition can legally oblige 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 UN Charter," he said.
"The responsibility is singular. The obligation is universal," he said, noting that reforms to the council were "very important."
Guterres' secretary-general then stressed the need to "ensure accountability and end impunity," calling for support for international justice.
"The International Criminal Court, the central institution of the international criminal justice system, must be able to operate independently," he said.
"There will be no sustainable or just peace without accountability," the UN Secretary-General concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
