Amid Widening Global Fault Lines, Power of Law Must Prevail over Law of Power, Secretary-General Urges, as General Assembly Kicks Off High-Level Debate
A world increasingly divided by war, geopolitical rivalry and disregard for international law confronted the growing chasm between values and reality today, as global leaders gathered in New York to open the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“The fault lines in our world are widening,” warned Secretary-General António Guterres, as he declared that “cracks have become canyons”. In his final address to the Assembly, Mr. Guterres said that humanity’s future would be shaped by how it responds to four great tests of power: war, inequality, climate change and artificial intelligence.
He said that conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar demonstrate “what happens when power gets out of control”, as force outpaces diplomacy and accountability erodes. Pointing to the need for institutions capable of responding to today’s growing crises, he stressed: “Our shared future will be forged by whether humanity can govern power wisely.”
“The greatest power”, he added, “is not the power to dominate — it is the power to build a future that works for everyone.” And, underscoring that “the power of law must prevail over the law of power”, he pledged to continue defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and “championing the conviction that peace is possible” during his remaining 100 days in office.
Key to Rebuilding Trust in the UN: Realism, Reform and Inclusion
Khalilur Rahman (Bangladesh), President of the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, then recalled that the UN emerged from humanity’s darkest hour as a forum where nations could choose diplomacy over devastation. Eight decades later, it unites 193 Member States under one roof; yet, conflicts from Gaza and Sudan to Ukraine and Myanmar have exposed serious inadequacies.
“Outside these walls, people are not asking whether the United Nations still exists — they are asking whether it works,” he said. International law, civilian protection and humanitarian access cannot be applied selectively, he emphasized, adding: “Trust is not given — it is earned.” Rebuilding it requires realism, reform and inclusion, and the Security Council must “step up” when peace and security are threatened.
Correcting Longstanding Injustice: Put Africa at the Table, Not on the Menu
In this, correcting Africa’s long-standing underrepresentation is essential, he observed, emphasizing: “Africa needs to be at the table, not on the menu.” Addressing that imbalance, he stressed, is a question not only of fairness and justice, but of the Organization’s credibility. “When the Council is unable to act on important matters, the effectiveness of our organization as a whole is called into question,” he observed.
As world leaders took the podium, statements on the erosion of international law were coupled with warnings that multilateralism can only retain its credibility if representative international institutions act when and where peace and security are threatened.
Expanding Security Council Membership Crucial to End Current Paralysis
The “stable post-cold war era” is now a thing of the past, with innocent civilian lives being lost around the world daily due to a shifting balance of power and intensifying geopolitical competition, observed Takaichi Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan. The UN is but a “vessel”, she added, and responsibility for its contents lies with Member States. “Rather than lamenting the institutional fatigue”, Member States should vigorously advance reform, she urged, which includes expanding the number of permanent and non-permanent Council members so that the organ reflects current realities.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, spotlighted the consequences of the Council’s current paralysis. “We are all held hostage by the inaction of the Security Council failing to fulfil its role,” he said, stressing that generations of Palestinians will carry the pain and trauma caused by the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. He added: “Threatening civilizations with extinction will not bring stability to the Middle East.”
Greatest Shame of Twenty-first Century: Gaza Genocide
And nowhere was the erosion of the international order starker than in the Middle East, as King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan stressed that the international community has the tools — sanctions, asset freezes, embargoes, diplomatic isolation — when it comes to Israel. However, he said that “resolutions end where they begin — on paper”. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye, underscored that Gaza “has become the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time”.
Similarly, Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressed that the genocide in Gaza is “humanity’s greatest defeat in the twenty-first century”. He added that, just as “the world did not respond adequately” to the aggression against his country, it is not doing so today to the situations in Ukraine and Gaza. “The future of humanity”, he underscored, “does not lie in policies of violence and human-rights violations.”
Remedies for a World in Disorder: Invest in Conflict Prevention, Human Rights, Sustainable Economies
Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, offered “remedies for a world in disorder”. First, renewed adherence to the rule of law is critical. “We must not grow indifferent to wars and human suffering,” he added, urging Governments to invest in conflict prevention, human rights and sustainable economies. “We need dignified foreign policy, and that starts here — at the United Nations,” he said.
However, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, stated: “There can be no talk of a just international order as long as Palestine remains a blind spot within it.” Further, he underscored that “the law must apply equally to all”. And the consequences extend beyond the flashpoint, he warned, as instability in the Gulf increases prices for food and medicine that affect people far beyond the region.
Small States Cannot Be Collateral Damage in Larger Powers’ Competition
“Small States must never become collateral damage in the competition among larger powers,” urged Sylvanie Burton, President of Dominica. Concurring, Mathew Antonio Patrick Herminie, President of the Seychelles, stressed that “small and vulnerable States should never bear the collateral economic costs of conflicts in which they have no part”. He added: “Small States like ours do not seek strategic competition — we seek shared solutions.” As such, he rejected normalized, protracted conflicts as well as selective application of international law.
However, the credibility of international law “also depends on who has a voice in applying it”, observed Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, as international institutions wielding that law currently “preserve an unequal distribution of power”. The Council “still reflects the world of 1945”, and he underscored: “Africa seeks its rightful place because the Council cannot be fully legitimate or effective while an entire continent remains permanently absent from its highest level of decision-making.”
Promise of Regional Cooperation
Some spotlighted the opportunities offered by regional cooperation, with Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, pointing out that nearly six decades of partnership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have demonstrated that countries can transform suspicion into trust, confrontation into dialogue, division into cooperation and individual strength into collective strength. Spotlighting the Vietnamese military and police personnel serving the UN, he said they are “carrying our nation’s aspiration for peace to places where peace remains fragile”.
“The geopolitical crisis brought on by the turbulence in the international order has reminded us of the cherished value of multilateral cooperation and international norms,” observed Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea. As States cannot solve crises like that in the Red Sea alone, he urged “countries with the capacity and willingness to supply global public goods to join hands and broaden the scope of cooperation”.
As United States Contemplates ‘Big Decision’ on Iran, France Warns against Returning to Law of the Jungle
United States President Donald J. Trump, meanwhile, said he is contemplating “a big decision” — whether a deal will be made with Iran “that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before” or if “I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again”. And, spotlighting his country’s actions in Venezuela, he said that the United States — if necessary — would use its “unmatched military might” to secure its vital national interests.
“There cannot be peace without justice,” said Emmanuel Macron, President of France, as he put a question to the Assembly: “Do we want to live under this state of affairs — with a return to the law of the jungle — or do we want to live in a civilized international society?” Warning that the “Geneva Convention is being dismantled” and reaffirming France’s support for the International Court of Justice, he declared: “We simply cannot accept this new order of impunity which some are trying to erect.”
Dialogue Not a Sign of Weakness, Rather a Bridge to Peace
For his part, Guy Parmelin, President of Switzerland, said that his country’s neutrality goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to international law. “Our experience”, he said, “has also taught us that dialogue is not a sign of weakness.” Engaging in dialogue means maintaining contact when positions begin to diverge, and Switzerland will continue to provide spaces “where those who are no longer on speaking terms can, when circumstances permit, resume dialogue”, he pledged. “A bridge does not require the two banks of a river to become alike — it simply allows us to cross from one to the other,” he observed.
As for the UN, he said that “multilateralism will only retain its credibility if it is also able to evolve”, urging Member States to preserve open dialogue rather than erect more barriers and “reform our institutions, rather than accept their gradual demise”.