UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a UN General Assembly event to mark the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter on June 26, 2025. (Photo: The United Nations)

"Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before: the threat or use of force against sovereign nations; the violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law; the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; the weaponization of food and water; the erosion of human rights," Guterres told a UN General Assembly event to mark the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.

He added that the UN Charter is a declaration of hope -- and the foundation of international cooperation for a better world. Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is a never-ending mission, said the UN chief. He stressed the need to respect and re-commit to international law through both words and actions.

Guterres urged all member states to live up to “the spirit and letter of the charter, to the responsibilities it demands, and to the future it summons us to build.”

The Charter of the United Nations  was signed on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco by 50 countries. 4 months later, the United Nations was officially established after the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories.