Rule of Law ‘Written into DNA’ of United Nations Charter, Deputy Secretary-General Tells General Assembly Sixth Committee, Presenting Annual Report

Following are Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks to the General Assembly's Sixth Committee (Legal), in New York today:

Let me begin by thanking Ambassador [Enrique A.] Manalo and the Bureau for their leadership of the Sixth Committee at this eightieth session of the General Assembly. I also thank the Secretariat for their steady support of your work.

It is an honour to present the annual report of the Secretary-General on strengthening and coordinating United Nations rule of law activities.

As we mark the eightieth anniversary of our Organization, we are reminded not only of its endurance, but of the values that have kept it standing: Peace, progress, equality - and at the heart of them all, the rule of law.

The rule of law is written into the very DNA of the UN Charter. It reaffirms our faith in fundamental human rights. It anchors the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small. It rests on the sovereign equality of all Member States no matter their size, power or wealth.

It calls on States to fulfil their obligations under the Charter, to resolve disputes by peaceful means and to respect the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice.

The rule of law is more than words on paper. Whether between or within nations, it is a promise that no individual, no Government and no nation stands above the law. It is what binds the three pillars of the United Nations together. It is the foundation of peace, the bedrock of human rights and the engine of sustainable development.

Yet, the rule of law does not defend itself. It demands courage, it needs commitment, it requires action.

The report before you shows that action by reflecting on eight decades of progress: From the development and codification of international law through treaties, court decisions and the work of the International Law Commission, to the practical support delivered in countries around the world.

It highlights how, across regions, the United Nations has stood with Member States to advance access to justice, strengthen security and corrections, support constitutional reform, enable transitional justice and combat corruption, drugs, crime and terrorism.

For the period July 2024 to June 2025, it offers an overview of more than 120 initiatives at national and international levels, as requested by resolution 79/126.

As the Secretary-General notes, these examples represent only a fraction of our global efforts. But, they show the impact of what is possible when the rule of law becomes a living force for justice and development; accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development] and the Pact for the Future, advancing peace, human rights and shared prosperity.

In these times of significant headwinds - conflict, division and deepening inequalities - we must stand firm for the rule of law. Because when the rule of law stands, multilateralism stands. When the rule of law holds, human dignity holds.

Let's defend it with conviction and with the belief that justice and accountability are the surest paths to peace and prosperity for all.

I thank the distinguished delegations of Luxembourg and Mexico for co-facilitating this important discussion, and I wish you every success. Thank you.