UN Charter at 81: A Call for Global Cooperation Over Chaos - UN Chief | United Nations

Eighty-one years after the signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, Guterres said the Charter “was a promise to the world that humanity can choose cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, dignity over domination, and hope over fear.” He said, “for 81 years, we have strived to keep that promise alive.” The Secretary-General said, “no border can hold back a warming planet. No country can govern artificial intelligence alone, and the pandemic alone, or shield its people from global shocks alone. In a world of shared dangers, cooperation is not naivete. It is the clearest idealism there is. But cooperation only works when it's grounded in rules. Rules that apply to all. Rules that protect all, rules set out in the Charter.” Since 1945 the Charter has been a cornerstone of the international order and guiding framework for multilateralism. The vision set out in the Charter, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, remains one of the most consequential collective commitments made.