New York: UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres on Thursday decried unprecedented "attacks" on the foundational principles of the United Nations during a speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the signing of the organization's charter. Addressing member states, Guterres highlighted the pressing threats facing the global community.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Guterres emphasized the increasing "threat or use of force against sovereign states" and the widespread "violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law." He also cited the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the exploitation of essential resources like food and water, as key areas of concern. Despite outlining these issues, Guterres refrained from naming specific parties responsible for the violations.
Guterres further elaborated on the inconsistency with which the UN Charter is being upheld, noting, "We are also observing a familiar pattern: adhering to the Charter when it suits us, and ignoring it when it doesn't. The UN Charter is not optional. It is not an a la carte menu." In his plea for a return to the core values enshrined in the Charter, he asserted, "We cannot normalize these violations of the Charter's fundamental principles."