The UN Charter turns 80 today, 26 June 2025. Has anybody noticed and should anybody care? It is already eight full decades since the Charter was signed, on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco. It was supposed to mark the start of a new era of peaceful cooperation, economic and social progress with human rights for all after the death and destruction of World War II.
The Charter has remained the constitutional document of organized humanity ever since. Its authority, though, has been challenged by developments in international politics throughout these years. Wars small and big have continued, thankfully not engulfing the whole world, till now at least. Economic development has advanced but with increasing inequalities between and within countries, while the planet has paid a heavy price for rapid industrialization and is reacting, notably through climate change. Gender equality and other social issues have been progressing, not without setbacks, though, and unequally in terms of geography again. Instead of a world enjoying shared well-being in its ethnic and cultural richness, there have been divisions between East, West and the Non-Aligned during the Cold War, and again between Global North and Global South, or between the West and the rest, or between the G7 and the BRICS, however one wants to cut it at a certain point. What is clear is that we are now going again through a period of increased intolerance, tension and conflict, with advanced technologies from AI to nuclear weapons increasing the speed and raising the stakes of an eventual system collapse.
Where is the UN Charter in all this, other than the often dishonest references to it by national or regional leaders, who claim self-defence for pre-emptively attacking others, who speak shamelessly “on behalf of the international community” and attempt to determine singlehandedly what is consistent with international law and what is not? Collective bodies are paralyzed, notably the UN Security Council, where the vetoes cast by its permanent members, especially the “P3” (China, Russia, US), allow wars of aggression and actual genocide to continue in Ukraine, Gaza, the broader Middle East, Sudan, and beyond. General Assembly resolutions, adopted by a majority of the world’s countries, seem to strike the right balance in terms of who carries the main blame and what should be the course of action to redress injustices. Unlike the resolutions of the Security Council, though, when it acts under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the General Assembly resolutions are not binding on the world’s states. This inability of the UN’s intergovernmental machinery to produce authoritative results is coupled with a risk-averse Secretary-General, who pontificates and appeals but otherwise does precious little to actually tackle global issues, not traveling to hotspots, not even sending envoys, nor establishing fact-finding missions or convening leaders or experts to address pressing issues.
If we are at this sad state of affairs after so many decades of multilateral practice, what can one expect from the UN and its Charter at this time of authoritarian political leaders and super-rich individuals, sometimes the two-in-one, who control powerful militaries, finance and high tech? Well, like any constitutional document, the UN Charter is as good (or bad) as those who implement it. In the case of the UN Charter, that means the world’s states and other powerful actors like multinational corporations and technology companies, but also the individual world citizens. In its Final Provision the constitution of the Hellenic Republic says “Observance of the constitution is entrusted to the patriotism of the Greeks who shall have the right and the duty to resist by all possible means against anyone who attempts the violent abolition of the Constitution”. The UN Charter may not have such a clause explicitly written into it, but the spirit should be the same. Let the silent majority of decent people raise their heads and demand a return to constitutional order and decency, ethical governance and respect of international treaties and agreements. International politics should not be allowed to drift outside the sphere of ethics and humanity, as it is too influential for peace, resilience, the well-being and the future of us all, and of generations to come.
In this spirit, several of us former UN officials at various levels have come together to sign a Call to leaders, institutions and citizens around the world for a return to the purpose and processes of the UN Charter, as you can see here: https://www.foggs.org/prg/call-un-charter-at-80 We still feel bound by our oath to serve the United Nations and the world as a whole, seeking the common good and not taking instructions by partial interests. We are trying to use all the contacts and influence we may still have to attract attention and compel leaders to return to international legality. There is no real hope that this will happen, though, unless the silent majority, all of you, stop staying silent and speak up; things are serious enough to warrant that.
Georgios Kostakos is a former UN Secretariat official and presently the Executive Director of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS).
