INTERNATIONAL
UN chief warns law cherry-picking undermines global order as Board of Peace forms
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that undermining international law endangers global order as the UN defends its role amid scrutiny of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. - REUTERS/Filepic
UNITED Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned world leaders against selectively applying international law, cautioning that doing so risks undermining global order, as questions swirl over U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed "Board of Peace."
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In a post on social media on Wednesday (January 21), Guterres said the U.N. Charter remains "the foundation of international relations" and warned of the dangers when leaders "run roughshod over international law, picking and choosing which rules to follow." Such behavior, he said, sets a "perilous precedent" and erodes shared values and institutions.
Guterres' remarks came a day after Trump, who has often criticized the U.N. as ineffective, played down concerns this week that he might want his board to replace the world body, saying: "I believe you got to let the U.N. continue because the potential is so great."
U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the secretary-general remained focused on strengthening the organization's effectiveness and its core mission of peace, grounded in international law. Haq pointed to the launch of the UN80 Initiative aimed at improving efficiency and said the organization would continue to address the root causes of conflict to achieve sustainable peace.
Asked whether the Board of Peace posed a challenge to the U.N., Haq said it was too early to assess the initiative, describing it as "amorphous." He noted that the Security Council has endorsed the Board's limited role on Gaza and said the United Nations would continue to abide by that resolution.
Haq added that the U.N. was not worried about parallel groupings, citing decades of coexistence with regional organizations and defense alliances. He said Guterres would continue engaging with member states and institutions worldwide, including upcoming visits to the African Union and European Union, to advance multilateral cooperation.
The Board of Peace initiative, which comes amid a growing transatlantic rift over Greenland, tariffs and other issues, has drawn a cautious response from some close U.S. allies who are often uncomfortable with Trump's belligerent, unilateralist, "America First" approach to international diplomacy.
Canada said it has agreed "in principle" to join but that the details were still being worked out. Other key U.S. allies including Britain, Germany and Japan have not yet taken a clear public stance, though a German government spokesperson said Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not attend a signing ceremony for the board at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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AI Brief
- Guterres said ignoring international law sets a dangerous precedent and stressed the UN Charter remains the basis of global order.
- The UN emphasised strengthening its mission and said it is too early to assess Trump's Board of Peace, which currently has a limited Security Council-endorsed role.
- Allies show mixed reactions to the Board, with Canada open in principle while others like Germany, Britain and Japan have yet to take a clear stance.
In a post on social media on Wednesday (January 21), Guterres said the U.N. Charter remains "the foundation of international relations" and warned of the dangers when leaders "run roughshod over international law, picking and choosing which rules to follow." Such behavior, he said, sets a "perilous precedent" and erodes shared values and institutions.
Guterres' remarks came a day after Trump, who has often criticized the U.N. as ineffective, played down concerns this week that he might want his board to replace the world body, saying: "I believe you got to let the U.N. continue because the potential is so great."
U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the secretary-general remained focused on strengthening the organization's effectiveness and its core mission of peace, grounded in international law. Haq pointed to the launch of the UN80 Initiative aimed at improving efficiency and said the organization would continue to address the root causes of conflict to achieve sustainable peace.
Asked whether the Board of Peace posed a challenge to the U.N., Haq said it was too early to assess the initiative, describing it as "amorphous." He noted that the Security Council has endorsed the Board's limited role on Gaza and said the United Nations would continue to abide by that resolution.
Haq added that the U.N. was not worried about parallel groupings, citing decades of coexistence with regional organizations and defense alliances. He said Guterres would continue engaging with member states and institutions worldwide, including upcoming visits to the African Union and European Union, to advance multilateral cooperation.
The Board of Peace initiative, which comes amid a growing transatlantic rift over Greenland, tariffs and other issues, has drawn a cautious response from some close U.S. allies who are often uncomfortable with Trump's belligerent, unilateralist, "America First" approach to international diplomacy.
Canada said it has agreed "in principle" to join but that the details were still being worked out. Other key U.S. allies including Britain, Germany and Japan have not yet taken a clear public stance, though a German government spokesperson said Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not attend a signing ceremony for the board at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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