Polish ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski told a General Assembly commemorative session that the Charter remains the “cornerstone of international law” and must be respected by every state.
Poland, he said, speaks as “the first nation to resist aggression in 1939” and a founding UN member determined to uphold the principles of sovereign equality and “nothing about us without us.”
He urged accountability for violations of the Charter, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine as “a flagrant breach of its fundamental rules,” and pressed members to stand by freedom, democracy and human rights.
“To meet the Organization’s goals we need an efficient UN system, better prepared for complex, evolving global challenges,” he added.
U.S. delegate McCoy Pitt recalled UN successes in easing conflict and poverty but said the body has “lost its founding mission,” allowing wars to persist.
Washington, he said, will back a UN that “serves member states, respects sovereignty and believes peace is achievable,” while cutting inefficiency, excess spending and off-mandate initiatives.
Speakers from several regions demanded reforms to make the UN more transparent and accountable, expand under-represented voices and shift military spending towards development.
Without change, one warned, the Organization risks becoming “a jungle that secures no one.”
The UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by 50 nations in San Francisco; the United Nations now counts 193 members.
(jh)
Source: PAP