{"id":211983,"date":"2026-05-28T20:11:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T20:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wars-and-geopolitical-divisions-constitute-dangerous-erosion-of-world-order-warns-un-chief-un-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T20:11:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T20:11:48","slug":"wars-and-geopolitical-divisions-constitute-dangerous-erosion-of-world-order-warns-un-chief-un-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wars-and-geopolitical-divisions-constitute-dangerous-erosion-of-world-order-warns-un-chief-un-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Wars and geopolitical divisions constitute \u2018dangerous erosion\u2019 of world order, warns UN chief – UN News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The UN Charter is facing one of its gravest tests in decades, Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that wars, arms races, climate shocks and the erosion of international law are placing intense pressure on the multilateral system established to prevent a third world war.
Addressing a high-level Security Council<\/a> debate convened by China, Mr. Guterres described the UN Charter<\/a> as \u201ca survival guide for humanity\u201d but said its core principles were now under \u201cprofound strain\u201d<\/strong> as geopolitical divisions deepen, and conflicts intensify across multiple regions.
\u201cWe now face the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the United Nations,\u201d he told<\/a> ministers and diplomats in the Council chamber, where more than 100 countries were expected to speak during the signature debate<\/a> chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Council President for May.
The meeting comes amid growing concern over the future of multilateralism and increasing tensions among major powers over the interpretation and application of international law.
Mr. Guterres warned that \u201ca dangerous erosion of respect for international law\u201d was unfolding, with fundamental principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and the prohibition on the use of force being \u201cchallenged or ignored.\u201d
\u201cViolations go unanswered. Impunity is spreading,<\/strong>\u201d he said.
The UN Charter is the founding document of the United Nations and the legal basis for the postwar international system.  
It sets out the core principles governing relations between States, including sovereign equality, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition on the use of force against another State.
The Charter also established the United Nations\u2019 six principal organs: General Assembly; Security Council; Economic and Social Council<\/a>; Trusteeship Council; International Court of Justice<\/a>; and the Secretariat.
Signed in San Francisco in June 1945 after the Second World War, the Charter entered into force on 24 October that year. It has been amended three times since \u2013 in 1963, 1965 and 1973.
Read more about the UN Charter <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong>
The Secretary-General pointed to a series of interconnected global crises that, taken together, were testing the resilience of the international system created in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Among them, he cited deepening geopolitical mistrust, accelerating military spending, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapons, attacks on human rights, widening inequality and the worsening climate crisis.
\u201cThese seven challenges are interconnected,<\/strong>\u201d he said. \u201cAnd they are testing the resilience of the Charter itself.\u201d
He also warned that divisions within the Security Council are undermining its ability to respond effectively to global crises.
\u201cToo often, this Council fails to act with unity and purpose,<\/strong>\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the Security Council is divided, the consequences are felt far beyond [this Chamber].\u201d
The Secretary-General referenced ongoing wars and rising tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, warning against further escalation.
He said he was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d by a recent Russian announcement that it intended to launch \u201cconsistent and systemic strikes\u201d against Ukrainian defence targets following reports of a Ukrainian drone strike on a college building and dormitory in Starobilsk, in territory occupied by Russia.
\u201cNow more than ever, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians,<\/strong>\u201d he said.
Mr. Guterres also cited Israel\u2019s announced expansion of operations in Lebanon, continued ceasefire violations in Gaza and uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Beyond the conflicts, the Secretary-General warned of what he described as a destabilising global arms race unfolding alongside cuts to development and humanitarian aid.
\u201cGlobal military spending is at record levels, even as deadly weapons get cheaper to produce and resources for development and humanitarian needs get slashed,<\/strong>\u201d he said.
At the centre of his remarks was a call to restore confidence in multilateral institutions through diplomacy, accountability and reform.
He urged Member States to invest more heavily in conflict prevention and mediation, uphold international law \u201cwithout selectivity\u201d or \u201cdouble standards\u201d<\/strong>, and reform global institutions to reflect modern geopolitical realities.
\u201cGlobal institutions must reflect today\u2019s realities \u2013 not those of 1945,\u201d he said, pointing to the absence of permanent African representation on the Security Council as \u201ca historic injustice\u201d that undermined the body\u2019s legitimacy and effectiveness.
Mr. Guterres concluded with a direct appeal to Council members to move beyond rhetoric and act collectively to preserve international peace and security.
\u201cThe world is watching \u2013 and demanding action, not just words,<\/strong>\u201d he said.
The <\/span>Security Council<\/span><\/a> is meeting for a high-level debate on strengthening the UN-centred international system amid mounting pressure on multilateralism and deepening geopolitical divisions. Discussions are expected to focus on defending the UN Charter, reforming global governance and restoring confidence in the Security Council\u2019s ability to respond to international crises.<\/span>
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Facebook Twitter Print Email The UN Charter is facing one of its gravest tests in decades, Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that wars, arms races, climate shocks and the erosion of international law are placing intense pressure on the multilateral system established to prevent a third world war.Addressing a high-level […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":211984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-211983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}