The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General has warned that the foundations of the international rules-based order are under increasing strain, urging countries to recommit to the principles of the UN Charter and strengthen global cooperation.
Speaking recently, Amina Mohammed described the UN’s founding document as a guiding framework for international relations and called on governments to defend multilateralism grounded in international law, solidarity and human dignity.
“The UN Charter is our moral compass,” she said, stressing that the world must renew its commitment to the values that underpin global cooperation.
Charter Principles Under Pressure
Mohammed pointed to UN resolutions affirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as longstanding support for a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians, as examples of the Charter’s principles being applied in practice.
However, she warned that the norms and legal foundations underlying such decisions are increasingly being challenged.
According to the Deputy Secretary-General, the erosion of these rules risks undermining the global system designed to prevent conflict and protect the sovereignty of nations.
Warning Over Erosion Of International Law
Mohammed cautioned that nostalgia for an era when powerful nations could bend rules to their advantage is threatening international cooperation.
She recalled remarks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who recently emphasised that the UN Charter cannot be treated as an “à la carte menu,” meaning countries cannot selectively follow international law only when it suits them.
The Deputy Secretary-General noted that smaller nations are often among the strongest defenders of the rules-based order because they understand how crucial international law is to protecting vulnerable states.
“If the rules do not protect the vulnerable, they protect no one,” she said.
Warning about the consequences of ignoring international norms, Mohammed said: “You either stand up for a rules-based order, or you pay the price of ignoring it. Yesterday the price was Venezuela, tomorrow it may be Greenland.”
Sustainable Development At Risk
Beyond geopolitical tensions, Mohammed warned that global progress on sustainable development is also under threat.
Rising geopolitical rivalry and economic disputes are jeopardising achievements made over decades, including reductions in poverty, improvements in maternal and child health and expanded access to education for girls.
Trade conflicts are restricting markets that once helped lift millions out of poverty, she said, while women’s rights in many parts of the world are facing renewed challenges.
She also highlighted a stark imbalance in global spending priorities. Military expenditure reached a record $2.7 trillion last year, while funding for development initiatives faces an estimated annual shortfall of $4.2 trillion.
Growing Inequality Highlighted
Mohammed also criticised the widening gap between the world’s richest and poorest populations.
She noted that while global wealth continues to grow, the benefits remain highly concentrated. The wealth of billionaires increased by roughly $2 trillion last year, while the poorest half of humanity controls only a tiny fraction of global wealth.
The Deputy Secretary-General pointed to recent international discussions on financing development as a pathway to address these inequalities. A UN conference held in Spain last year explored ways to create fiscal space for development, tackle the global debt crisis and reform international financial systems.
Call For UN Reform
Mohammed concluded by emphasising the need to modernise the United Nations itself to better respond to current global challenges.
The UN80 Initiative, a system-wide reform effort, aims to strengthen the organisation’s ability to deliver results despite limited resources and growing demands from member states.
She urged governments to support reforms that would allow the UN to operate more effectively and remain central to international cooperation.
“We need to reset the UN to preserve multilateralism,” Mohammed said, calling on countries to help build a stronger organisation capable of fulfilling the promise of the UN Charter in today’s complex global environment.
‘Dangerous nostalgia’ is a threat to multilateralism, UN Deputy Chief Warns added by Arun Kumar N on
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