UN, January 29. /TASS/. International law is being ignored in today's world, replaced by a "law of power," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a press conference.
"We are living in a world where actions, especially reckless ones, are provoking dangerous reactions, and then, like in physics, these reactions are not symmetrical or predictable. The law of power is prevailing over the power of law. International law is trampled. Cooperation is eroding, and multilateral institutions are under assault on many fronts, when perilous actions do not meet adequate reaction. The system destabilizes, and impunity is driving today's conflicts, fueling escalation, widening mistrust and kicking the doors open for powerful spoilers to enter from every direction," Guterres said.
He said that the current crisis of confidence is aggravated by the "epidemic of impunity," when global institutions lose their ability to effectively prevent conflicts. According to him, without a return to compliance with legal norms, the world risks plunging into chaos, where collective security mechanisms will cease to function.