Lack of accountability for violations has created ‘a sense of impunity’ among countries, says UN chief Guterres

SINGAPORE: A lack of accountability for violations has led some countries to feel “a sense of impunity”, said United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday (Sep 2). 
“It’s a sense that anybody can do whatever they want because nothing will happen to them. And so we see countries that systematically repudiate the decisions of the Security Council,” he said, referring to the UN body charged with maintaining international peace and security. 
He said geopolitical divisions have made it “very difficult” for the council to make and implement resolutions. 
Guterres was speaking to CNA during a three-day official visit to Singapore, his first as the UN’s secretary-general. 
He called on countries to abide by the UN Charter and international law to ensure that “those that violate these sacred principles face accountability”. 
“Unfortunately, in the present situation, there is no respect,” he said. “There is a sense of impunity, that we see all these violations without any kind of accountability.”
Guterres, who took office in 2017, said it is now time to adjust the composition of the UN Security Council to reflect “the reality of today’s world”. 
This comes as Russia remains a permanent member of the council and has veto power to block any resolution, despite its ongoing war against Ukraine, which violates the UN Charter. 
“A few years ago, when I started my mandate, this was a taboo. Nobody was ready to discuss it,” said Guterres, adding he believes the UN Summit of the Future this month will be a good platform to do so. The summit in New York will bring world leaders together to tackle emerging threats and opportunities.  
“I have hope that there will be a serious discussion on how to reform the Security Council, and make it more corresponding to today’s world. At the same time, to have some improvement in its rules and its procedures to make it more effective,” he added. 
Guterres warned that the world is in an age of chaos, where countries do not abide by agreed rules. 
“Today, we are no longer bipolar, we are no longer unipolar, but we are not yet multipolar. We are chaotic. The truth is that we live in a situation in which, practically, there are no rules,” he said. 
“Each one is doing what each one wants, without any kind of consultation, without any kind of the normal and the logical functioning of a multipolar society.”
The UN has to be the guardian of shared values, “because without values, everything is lost”, said Guterres. 
“We need to go on fighting for peace in all circumstances in which we can fight for peace,” he added. 
“Peace is possible when there is dialogue, when there is goodwill, when there is a combination of factors that allows it to become reality.”
During the interview, Guterres also touched on the war in Gaza, describing the level of death and destruction witnessed as “unprecedented in my mandate as Secretary General, in any other part of the world”.
On Sunday, massive protests gripped Israel after the country confirmed the death of six captives taken in last year’s Oct 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Demonstrators are frustrated over Israel’s failure to secure a ceasefire deal that would free the hostages. 
The Israel Defense Forces said the six hostages were killed by their captors shortly before their bodies were recovered on Saturday from a tunnel in southern Gaza.
Guterres condemned the holding of hostages as a “totally unacceptable practice”. 
“First of all, hostages need to be released, and need to be released immediately and unconditionally. To have hostages is a violation of international law,” he added. 
“But at the same time, we need to stop the fighting. We need to stop the suffering of the people of Gaza and the suffering seen in Gaza.”
However, a permanent ceasefire agreement in the war between Israel and Hamas, which has lasted almost 11 months, remains elusive. 
The Gaza war started on Oct 7 last year, after Hamas-led fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 captives, according to Israeli tallies. Around 100 hostages are still being held. 
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign since the start of the war, according to the Gaza health ministry.
When asked about the future of Asia, which is grappling with South China Sea disputes and Taiwan Strait tensions, Guterres believes peace is still possible in the region. 
“I am absolutely convinced that we will not go to war,” he added. “I am convinced because the consequences would be so dramatic that I believe common sense will prevail.”
Meanwhile, Guterres also recognised UN staff for their work under difficult circumstances. 
“We have UN staff in the most remote and dangerous places of the world – sometimes dying to the benefit of the people who are in trouble, who are in vulnerable conditions,” he said. 
“The UN is very actively engaged in all these initiatives in order to do our best for peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights to prevail, knowing it is difficult, knowing that it’s tough. But we will never give up.”