Amid Relentless Conflict, Crisis, UN Remains Beacon of Hope, Its Charter a Survival Guide for Humanity, Leaders Stress at Ministerial-Level Security Council Debate
In a world exhausted by conflict and crisis, the UN, despite its imperfections, remains a beacon of hope, foreign ministers from around the world reaffirmed today in the Security Council.
Today’s open debate on “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centred International System” takes place at a time when the world is seeing “the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the United Nations”, as Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his briefing.
The expansion of conflict “in scale and complexity” was one of seven interconnected “here-and-now threats” he identified. The other challenges include a dangerous erosion of respect for international law, deepening geopolitical divisions — which often paralyse the Security Council — and an accelerating arms race. Further, human rights are under full-scale attack, the link between peace and development is under increasing pressure as inequalities widen, and the climate crisis is speeding up.
Global Institutions Must Reflect Today’s Realities, Rebuild Public’s Trust
The international community must invest far more in preventing and resolving conflict, he said. He called attention to the tools available for this: “negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, regional arrangements, fact-finding and the good offices of this Organization”.
Global institutions must reflect today’s realities, not those of 1945, he said, adding that “the absence of permanent representation for Africa [on the Council] is a historic injustice”. “But no reform — institutional or structural — can substitute for political will,” he said, urging all Council members to rebuild trust through leadership and compromise. He added: “The world is watching.”
Michael George DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the United States, stressed the need to refocus the UN on its core mission of maintaining international peace and security. Washington, D.C., is pushing to streamline bureaucracy, eliminate duplication and demand accountability. “US foreign policy is no longer beholden to a network of international institutions that are often driven by transnationalism that seeks to dissolve individual State sovereignty,” he said. His country is working to defend freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and resolve crises in Gaza, Haiti, Sudan and elsewhere. “What we are working towards is not a rejection of multilateralism but putting clarity and results over inefficiency and hollow words,” he concluded.
“The law of the jungle is resurging,” warned Wang Yi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, Council President for May, speaking in his national capacity. Stressing the need to stop “glorying the history of aggression”, he called for all Member States to align their actions with the spirit of the UN Charter and reject exceptionalism. This is particularly vital for “major countries” who act as an example for others. “What comes with Security Council membership is not privileges but responsibilities,” he said, adding that unilateral military actions that circumvent the Council are unacceptable.
Revitalize Multilateralism to Safeguard Neutrality, Rights of Small, Developing States
Many countries who are not members of the Council took the opportunity to participate today. “Small States […] often see the consequences of major decisions earlier than the great Powers themselves,” said Petr Macinka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. “Any Power that begins to believe it represents the only rightful future for humanity gradually loses the ability to respect others,” he said, adding that this turns cooperation into obedience. “What smaller nations seek is a world in which even great Powers are capable of accepting limits to their own power,” he said.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, added that “major Powers carry particular responsibility” as their actions “shape confidence in the system itself”. He underlined the importance of strong regionalism and “mini-lateral” cooperation, pointing out that “smaller, flexible and issue-based cooperation” can often deliver practical outcomes.
Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends of Neutrality, highlighted the General Assembly’s recent resolution on neutrality, which “recognizes that neutrality can embody responsibility rather than indifference”.
“Having endured decades of conflict and suffering, Cambodia deeply cherishes peace,” Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of that country said. Revitalizing the UN-centred multilateral system is essential to safeguard the security of small and developing countries, he said. He was among the several speakers who stressed the primacy of the UN Charter, the Organization’s founding document.
Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liberia, recalled that her country was “one of only four original African signatories” to the UN Charter. Recalling how UN peacekeeping created the space for peace in her country, she said this experience has shaped its understanding of Article 1 of the Charter. That Article defines the maintenance of international peace and security as one of the UN’s purposes. Several speakers today also highlighted Article 2, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.
Greece’s delegate said this is neither a preference nor a recommendation. “When that principle is violated with impunity or with implicit acquiescence of the powerful, every member of this body is weakened,” she warned.
Ministers Trade Barbs over Military Aggression, Sovereignty Breaches
The representatives of Denmark and Latvia condemned the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine. France’s speaker added: “This erosion of the law is something which we also see taking place in the Middle East,” as well as in Sudan, the Great Lakes region and Libya, where foreign interference has deepened internal conflicts. “The Council shares some responsibility in this weakening of international rules,” he added, citing blockages, delayed action and the rising use of vetoes.
George Zurabashvili, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, said that 20 per cent of his country’s sovereign territory remains “under occupation due to Russia’s ongoing military presence”. He noted that Article 23(3) of the UN Charter requires parties to a dispute to abstain from voting on related decisions, noting its particular importance in cases involving threats or use of force against a State’s territorial integrity or political independence.
However, the representative of the Russian Federation said that Western States are trying to advance “some kind of rules-based order” that they designed but insist is universal. Pointing to “remilitarization” in Germany and Japan, he said that the countries defeated during the Second World War are now seeking “plausible pretexts for rewriting its outcomes”.
Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, called for a collective effort to bring peace to Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Lebanon. “Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted energy markets and vital shipping lanes, halted food and medicine supplies and disrupted international trade,” he said.
Pakistan’s delegate, highlighting his country’s efforts to resolve that crisis, warned against the selective application of agreed principles. “When powerful States act outside the law, smaller States are left to wonder whether the Charter protects all nations equally,” he observed.
Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, said the international community must address the genocide against Palestine and the imperialist aggression against Iran. Highlighting the United States’ “morally outrageous” criminal charges against Raúl Castro and its energy blockade against Cuba, he asked the Council to “at least try” to fulfil its primary mandate. “Let Cuba live in peace”, he appealed.
“For us, the Pandora’s Box of the collapse of international law was opened in 1999 with the aggression against our country carried out without the decision of the UN Security Council,” said Marko Đurić, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia. “Once you show that the UN Charter does not apply equally to all, then no one can convincingly claim that the principles of international law are universal,” he continued. Pablo Quirno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, added that when the UN’s ability to preserve peace weakens, it “begins to dilute the relevance that gave meaning to its creation”.
Security Council Reform Must Correct Historic Injustice Suffered by Africa
Somalia’s delegate said that his continent continues to grapple with the enduring challenges of neocolonialism. “Africa’s experience and aspirations must be central to any effort to revitalize the UN system,” he said. The continent is home to more than a quarter of the Organization’s Member States and must have greater representation, including two permanent seats on the Council, he said. Amon Murwira, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe, also called for Member State-driven reform to corrects this historical injustice.
“The UK supports permanent representation for Africa, alongside permanent seats for Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan,” the representative of the United Kingdom said. The ability to deliver a fit-for-purpose UN will be a particularly important consideration in the selection of the next Secretary-General this year, he added.
“The Security Council is not a closed club,” said Zheenbek Kulubaev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. “It is not a space reserved only for those who have more power.” Speakers from Azerbaijan to Germany echoed the need for Council reform.
Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, asked for more transparency in the Council — its members must not bypass their unique responsibility by prioritizing their national interests. Noting Colombia’s contributions to highly complex conflict resolution processes, including its own, she said that dialogue is indispensable — a key message from several speakers today.
The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo drew attention to Council resolution 2788 (2025), which urged States to effective leverage means for peaceful dispute resolution, such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration and judicial settlement. Manuel Tovar-Rivera, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, called for strengthening the Organization’s role as a forum for dialogue. Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, added: “Dialogue is not a sign of weakness.”