The UN Security Council hosted a special hearing on May 26 on the topic: “Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.” It was chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as part of China’s rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of May.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the hearing by noting that the UN Charter “is a survival guide for humanity—a promise born from the devastation of two world wars, a commitment that the force of law must prevail over the law of force.” He then warned that these are now “under profound strain,” referencing dangers such as the “erosion of respect for international law,” “geopolitical divisions are deepening,” “conflicts are proliferating and intensifying,” and “global military spending is at record levels.” “Together, we must summon the political will to uphold” the principles of the UN, he insisted. While the UN should be reformed to “reflect today’s realities,” he noted, “no reform, institutional or structural, can substitute for political will. The Charter is clear.”
The UN Charter “remains humanity’s best hope for peace,” Guterres concluded.
Wang Yi then spoke, and began by recognizing that “the international situation is undergoing the most complex and profound changes since the end of World War II.” “The giant ship of human civilization is sailing into dangerous waters,” he went on, “and world peace and development is at a crossroads.” Reminding the Council that the UN had itself been born “from the ashes of World War II,” Wang declared: “The challenges before us are testing the international community’s commitment to safeguarding peace, its resolve to stand up for justice, and its courage to take bold reforms.”
Wang then laid out five points of focus for restoring the UN’s mission and principles:
1. Reinvigorate UN Charter for stronger leadership. The UN “is the biggest common denominator of the post-war international community. The root cause of the chaos in today’s world is not that the Charter’s spirit is outdated, but that the international order… [is] not being effectively upheld and observed.”
