The selective use of the UN Charter was criticized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who stated that it is not an a-la-carte menu.
He spoke at a UN General Assembly event on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter’s signing. “Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before: the threat or use of force against sovereign nations; the violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law; the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; the weaponization of food and water; the erosion of human rights,” it said.
“On and on, we see an all-too-familiar pattern: follow when the charter suits, ignore when it does not,” he continued. “The United Nations Charter is mandatory. The menu isn’t a la carte. The foundation of international relations is it. Violations of its most fundamental precepts cannot and should not be accepted as normal.
According to Guterres, the UN Charter is a statement of optimism and the cornerstone of global collaboration for a better future.
“The charter has equipped us with the means to save lives, alter the course of history, and provide hope to the world’s most hopeless regions. Additionally, we can directly link the United Nations’ establishment to the avoidance of a third world conflict,” he continued.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Guterres emphasized the need of respecting and recommitting to international law in both words and actions, saying that upholding the goals and objectives of the UN Charter is an ongoing mission.
“On this anniversary, I urge all member states to live up to the spirit and letter of the charter, to the responsibilities it demands, and to the future it summons us to build — for peace, for justice, for progress, for we the peoples,” he stated.
The world body’s founding document, the United Nations Charter, was approved at the San Francisco Conference on June 25, 1945, and delegates signed it the next day.
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