International law
Rule of law, ICJ and ICC at UNGA 81
Raised by 185 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised rule of law, icj and icc
Norway · Day 4Espen Barth EideIt's a normative crisis.
is a financial crisis and an institutional crisis.
First, the normative crisis.
8passages
Guatemala · Day 4Carlos Ramiro Martínez AlvaradoAt the same time, democracy faces a twofold challenge: the resurgence of authoritarian tendencies that seek to undermine the will of the people, and the spread of organized criminal networks that infiltrate institutions, corrupt justice systems, capture economies and territories, and erode public trust.
Transnational organised crime is more than just a threat to public security.
It is a direct threat to democracy, the rule of law and the ability of our peoples to freely determine their future.
8passages
Maldives · Day 4Hussain Mohamed LatheefThe Maldives appreciates the diplomatic efforts of Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar to de-escalate the crisis and bring the parties to dialogue.
The right to a sovereign future must belong to all.
And nowhere is that right more brutally denied than in Palestine.
7passages
North Macedonia · Day 4Hristijan MickoskiThese are not three separate policies.
They are one geopolitical orientation, an orientation grounded in democracy collective security, the rule of law, and an open economy.
In a time of uncertainty, our response is not strategic ambiguity.
7passages
Liechtenstein · Day 4Sabine MonauniInstead, we need to see a return to the UN doing political work to prevent, contain, and end conflict through the wide range of peace operations available and through a strong interplay between a Secretary-General who is proactive and offers creative solutions backed by the UN membership.
President, any successful community must be grounded in the rule of law.
And so it is with the international community.
6passages
Monaco · Day 4Christophe MirmandBecause the equality that our organization bestows upon us is not a privilege that we enjoy, it is a responsibility that we bear.
This responsibility is our shared, unique duty to uphold the law and multilateralism.
Shared because no state, regardless of how powerful it is, can preserve peace alone or address global threats alone.
5passages
Egypt · Day 4Moustafa Kamal MadboulyRather, it needs effective multilateralism in which every state has a voice and every people receive a fair share of decisions, opportunities, and resources.
It is no exaggeration to say that confidence in the effectiveness of collective action and the multilateral system has declined.
There is an urgent need to restore adherence to international law to avoid policies based on power, polarization, and double standards.
5passages
Lebanon · Day 4Nawaf SalamIt is their selective application, if not their outright non-application.
The sovereignty of states cannot be untouchable in one place and negotiable in another, nor can the rules of international law apply to some but not to others.
Restoring trust requires respect for international law.
4passages
Saint Kitts and Nevis · Day 4Geoffrey HanleyExtinguish its UN membership, deprive its people of nationality, or diminish lawfully established maritime zones of sovereign rights.
The International Law Commission has laid foundations for continuity of statehood, sovereignty, maritime, entitlements.
This assembly must turn them into firm guarantees.
4passages
Bahrain · Day 4Abdullatif bin Rashid Al ZayaniInstead, it is restored by upholding the law and translating the decisions of this organization into effective protection for people's lives, rights, and livelihoods.
We meet at a time when the Arab Gulf is facing a security situation of a severity not witnessed in decades.
The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been subjected to waves of unjustified Iranian attacks involving ballistic missiles and drones, targeting civilian infrastructure, residential areas, ports, airports, and energy facilities.
4passages
Mauritania · Day 4Mohamed Salem MerzougHis Excellency honored me to address the General Assembly on his behalf.
The theme of this session, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nations that Delivers for All, reflects the core of our responsibilities towards the common goal of this organization that was established after the horrors of the 20th century.
They decided to rely on the strength of law and not that of the might.
4passages
Lesotho · Day 4Samuel Ntsokoane MatekaneWith the support of the United Nations, the African Union, SADC, and other friendly nations, we have reclaimed our rightful place among the community of nations as a stable and peaceful country.
We therefore attest that preventative diplomacy remains the most effective means of aviating conflict and ensuring sustainable peace.
to create an environment conducive to inclusive growth and development.
3passages
Solomon Islands · Day 4Matthew Cooper WaleThere are no winners in war.
only graves, orphans, and the long labor of rebuilding what conflict has torn down.
There is no substitute for dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful negotiation.
3passages
Albania · Day 4Edi RamaBehind every consequential public decision, there must remain a legal mandate, a human institution, and the name that can be called to give answers.
The second layer is what artificial intelligence can do to us.
Artificial intelligence inside an accountable state can reduce the distance between citizens and public services.
3passages
Haiti · Day 4Alix Didier Fils-AiméAnd here I want to pay tribute to all of the victims of this violence.
Their loss compels us to ensure that justice is done.
I want to pay tribute as well to the police officers and the soldiers, Haitians, Kenyans, and the residents of other nations who fell while serving Haiti.
3passages
Mexico · Day 4Roberto Velasco ÁlvarezWe are in favor of the peaceful settlement of disputes.
By prohibiting the threats to use or the use of force, and we believe in legal equality between states because sovereignty is not measured in armies or material resources.
All nations, all peoples have the same value before the law.
3passages
Mauritius · Day 4Dhananjay Ramfulcommensurate with its constructive role in global affairs.
Mr. President, Mauritius welcomes the increasing recourse to the International Court of Justice as a mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes and determination of issues of international law.
We call upon member states which have not yet done so to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.
3passages
Chad · Day 4Abdelmadjid Abdelrahim MahamatMy country remains committed to multilateralism that is based on the UN Charter, the sovereign equality of states, the respect for their independence, cooperation and international solidarity.
Thus, the government of the Republic of Chad, on the 27th of July, 2026, informed the Secretary General of the United Nations as its depository of its sovereign and irrevocable decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
This decision follows an in-depth consideration of how the court has functioned since it was set up in 2002.
3passages
Sweden · Day 4Maria Malmer StenergardRussia has not only violated the UN Charter, it has repeatedly violated international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Attacks targeting civilians, forcible transfer of and deportation of children, conflict-related sexual violence and torture.
The list is far too long.
3passages
Kiribati · Day 4Taneti MaamauThe International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate change advances climate justice by affirming that all states have binding duties to protect the climate system and achieve deep, rapid, and sustained greenhouse gas reductions consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
We welcome growing recognition that climate resilience must be locally owned and driven.
The Pacific Resilience Facility is a Pacific-led, Pacific-owned mechanism that strengthens the region's capacity to finance climate and disaster resilience.
2passages
Iraq · Day 4Ali Falih Al-ZaidiIraq aspires to exercise its influence and have an impact as an effective economic power in the region, and as a bridge for dialogue and cooperation among the peoples of the region.
Ladies and gentlemen, our vision at this stage is based on our national will to restore the sanctity of the law, enhance state institutions, and strengthen citizens' trust in them.
These are our governing priorities.
2passages
Marshall Islands · Day 4Hilda HeineIt cost $75 million, took 70,000 tons of rocks, took more than a decade to do, and it is just one island of over 1,000.
We are taking action, and we urgently need strengthened partnership to better protect our islands before sea level rise overtakes us.
Mr. President, my nation underscores the importance of the Law of the Sea as a key legal pillar of our future.
2passages
Bahamas (the) · Day 4Philip Edward DavisSmall states cannot.
For us, a rules-based world is our shield.
The rules have not always been applied fairly, but the answer is not a world without rules.
2passages
Kazakhstan · Day 4Mukhtar TileuberdiHumanitarian assistance remains indispensable, but it cannot by itself break the cycle of poverty, displacement, and dependency.
Kazakhstan supports pragmatic, coordinated, and step-by-step international engagement with Afghanistan, with the UN playing the central role.
Finally, we have watched with growing concern in recent years the erosion of protection of civilians in conflict zones.
2passages
Togo · Day 4Robert Komlan Edo DusseyIt is established through the respect of shared rules, and here we're talking about international law.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a worsening of geopolitical tensions and a worrisome return to war at the heart of international relations.
Violations of international law and of the United Nations Charter are increasing in number.
2passages
Tuvalu · Day 4Feleti TeoTowards that objective, Tuvalu is determined to play its part in driving greater ambition, including the hosting of the leader segment event of the pre-COP 31 next month, and co-hosting with Ireland and Tuvalu next year, the second conference on transitioning away from fossil fuel.
Tuvalu reminds states of their legal obligation to take appropriate action to protect the climate system from greenhouse gas emissions, as failure to do so constitutes an internationally wrongful act as confirmed by the ICJ advisory opinion.
Tuvalu welcomes the operationalization of the loss and damage fund and call on countries to honor their pledges and commitments.
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Saint Lucia · Day 4Philip J. PierreI want to thank the President of Ghana for spearheading and championing this resolution.
Saint Lucia congratulates the government of Jamaica on a successful petition to the British monarch for him to refer three questions to the judicial committee of the Privy Council over the legality of the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica.
Mr. President, reparations are not about vengeance.
1passages
Pakistan · Day 4Muhammad Shehbaz SharifIndia's unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance has no legal basis whatsoever.
In fact, both its claims and actions have been rejected by UN experts and more recently by the Court of Arbitration.
Our legitimate stand that the treaty remains valid, binding, and fully operative has been vindicated beyond any ray of doubt.
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Papua New Guinea · Day 4James MarapeWe're strengthening our independent judiciary to make our judiciary stronger, robust, and independent.
We're protecting our free market economy.
We're opening doors for more foreign investments to grow.
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Niger · Day 4Lamine Zeine Ali MahamanThe necessary investigations are underway in order to establish the circumstances, who is responsible, and the internal and external support linked to this attempt.
Following that procedure, Niger reserves the right, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, to turn to and have recourse to the competent mechanisms to defend its sovereignty.
In this regard, We ask that any concern a member state may have about their security be examined with haste and impartiality without differentiated treatment.
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Guinea-Bissau · Day 4Ilídio Vieira Téand the new Constitution of the Republic was approved by popular referendum on August 30, 2026.
This process is an important milestone in the transition and in the restoration of constitutional order in the country.
The government is committed to creating the conditions necessary for the presidential and legislative elections.
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Day 4Godwin FridayWe stand with our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean community, CARICOM.
Which is not just a trading block, but a family whose members in these uncertain times, need each other more than ever.
For us in the Caribbean, peace and security are paramount concerns in our diplomatic efforts.
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Samoa · Day 4Mulipola Anarosa Ale MoliooAs the ICJ advisory opinion puts it, climate change is not merely an environmental concern, but an existential problem of planetary proportion that require urgent global action.
The United Nations General Assembly welcome the unanimous ICJ advisory opinion and affirm its importance as an authoritative contribution to the clarification of existing international law.
Climate finance is the bridge between ambition and action.
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Azerbaijan · Day 4Jeyhun Aziz oglu BayramovPeace must be built on the ground.
Commitments must be translated into real outcomes, and sustainable development must deliver meaningful improvements in people's life.
Azerbaijan has consistently upheld the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and demonstrated its firm adherence to international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
1passages
- Pakistan · Day 4
Massacre of Muslims in Gujarat and Delhi under state patronage calls for genocide of Muslims, Islamophobic rhetoric by politicians are just a few examples of the Hindutva ideology.
Mr. President, by so-called holding in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty and blatantly disregarding its international legal obligation, including the sanctity of treaties, India has stooped to a new low of weaponizing water a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan.
Its false narratives and disinformation could not hide the crushing defeat it suffered at Pakistan's hand during Mark-i-Haq in May 2025.
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