00:00A stark warning from the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
00:05During a speech celebrating the 80th year anniversary of the International Court of Justice in The Hague,
00:11Antonio Guterres warned that international law was falling apart before the world's eyes.
00:16In front of dignitaries gathered in the Court's Great Hall, he called for the law to be respected.
00:21When the law of force replaces the force of law, instability becomes contagious.
00:28Conflicts spill across borders, economic shocks reverberate around the world,
00:34and the most vulnerable always suffer first and suffer most.
00:40Excellencies, today we face our own moment of crisis and our own moment of choice.
00:46A choice between a future governed by the rule of law or a future driven by raw power.
00:53The choice is clear.
00:55It comes as the international legal framework continues to be put under strain.
00:59Russia continues to attack Ukraine, breaching an order from the ICJ.
01:04The Court is also grappling with the Gaza war, climate change, among other issues.
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