President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that international law and the United Nations Charter are being “wilfully violated,” saying the world is witnessing a resurgence of unlawful wars of aggression, genocide and the erosion of global governance systems.
Speaking in Barcelona at the weekend during the Global Progressive Mobilisation Plenary, Ramaphosa said the international landscape had grown increasingly unstable, with conflict, nationalism and geopolitical confrontation reshaping global politics.
“The laws and norms that have long defined relations between nations are wilfully violated,” Ramaphosa said.
“The principles of solidarity, cooperation and friendship are being challenged by the resurgence of narrow nationalism, prejudice and intolerance.”
His remarks come at a time when global tensions have intensified following the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, a shift that has unsettled multilateral institutions and contributed to heightened geopolitical friction.
Several governments and analysts have pointed to a weakening of international consensus on conflict resolution, climate action and human rights, with major powers adopting more unilateral positions.
Ramaphosa said institutions meant to uphold global order were being undermined or repurposed for narrow interests.
He linked current conflicts – including the war in Palestine – to long‑standing global inequalities rooted in colonialism and imperialism, arguing that many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America continue to be treated as “second‑class global citizens.”
He also warned that the world faces interconnected crises: worsening climate impacts, widening inequality, rising poverty and increasingly polarised societies.
Political discourse, he said, is being distorted by digital algorithms that amplify extremism and hate.
“These are not separate crises…They reflect a world that has yet to overcome severe imbalances of power, opportunity and material well‑being.”
Despite the bleak assessment, he urged progressive movements to seize what he called a “moment of unique opportunity” to rebuild global cooperation.
He called for a renewed push for peace, democracy and social justice, and for reforms to global financial systems that he said constrain developing economies.
Ramaphosa also emphasised the need to restore the UN’s central role in international relations and to strengthen multilateralism through dialogue, diplomacy and consistent adherence to international law.
JN/APA