United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning that the global rules-based order is eroding, as states increasingly ignore international law and replace it with what he described as the “law of the jungle.”
Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council, convened at the initiative of Somalia, the Council’s rotating president, Guterres said the rule of law remains the cornerstone of international peace and security and the “beating heart” of the United Nations Charter. Yet, he warned, that foundation is now under severe strain.
Across multiple regions from Gaza and Ukraine to Afghanistan and beyond the Secretary-General said international law is being treated like an “à la carte menu,” with governments choosing to comply only when it suits their political or military interests.
He pointed to the unlawful use of force, attacks on civilian infrastructure, widespread human rights violations, and the systematic obstruction of humanitarian assistance as evidence of a dangerous global trend. Commitments to international law, he said, are being ignored with growing frequency, weakening global stability and trust among nations.
Referring implicitly to Afghanistan, Guterres highlighted the consequences of institutionalized impunity, where the absence of accountability has allowed human rights abuses particularly against women and girls to persist, while humanitarian access remains constrained and basic freedoms are eroded. He warned that such situations exemplify how the collapse of the rule of law entrenches suffering and isolates populations from international norms and protections.
“These violations set dangerous precedents,” Guterres cautioned, “encouraging impunity and undermining confidence between states.” He stressed that when international law is selectively applied or openly disregarded, the entire global system is weakened.
The Secretary-General urged all member states to honor their legal obligations, including the peaceful resolution of disputes, respect for sovereign equality, and the protection of fundamental human rights. He emphasized that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through force or coercion, but through dialogue, negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy.
Guterres also underscored the critical role of independent and impartial judicial mechanisms in holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. Without accountability, he said, lasting and just peace is impossible.
As conflicts deepen and humanitarian crises expand, the UN chief called on the international community to recommit to the principles of the UN Charter, warning that failure to do so risks normalizing lawlessness and further destabilizing an already fragile world order.
