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Japan foreign chief calls for unity around Rule of Law

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres shake hands at the UN headquarters in New York City, New York, US, January 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres shake hands at the UN headquarters in New York City, New York, US, January 12, 2023. (Reuters)
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13 Jan 2023 04:01:43 GMT9
13 Jan 2023 04:01:43 GMT9

NEW YORK: Japanese Foreign Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa called for unity around the principle of the rule of law in a speech at the UN Security Council on Thursday.

“All member states, large or small, can be free from the fear of brute force under the rule of law, but not under rule by force,” Hayashi said in an open debate chaired by himself. Japan holds the Security Council presidency this month.

Hayashi said the maintenance of international peace and security cannot be achieved unless international law is respected and implemented in good faith. “Uniting for the rule of law must be the keyword for us,” he said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine deepened divides among UN member states. Hayashi said: “The rule of law…is not about choosing camps. It is not about taking the middle ground between opposing camps.”

Hayashi said the rule of law “should be anchored in trust among nations.”

“If agreements are not observed in good faith, then the rule of law does not exist and the world becomes a jungle of brute force and coercion,” he said, calling on countries to abide by UN resolutions and international court judgments.

Hayashi said the rule of law “never allows any country to rewrite borders by force or through the flexing of muscles,” demanding that countries take further actions to end the aggression against Ukraine.

Noting that confidence in the United Nations is eroding, Hayashi called for the need for Security Council reform such as enlarging the number of both permanent and non-permanent members.

JIJI Press

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