Sabine Monauni, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Culture, Liechtenstein, said she was happy to see a woman preside over this Assembly:  it is only the fifth time in the Organization’s history and the first woman from the European region.  “It is my hope that this is also a good sign for the selection process of the next Secretary General — a position in which no woman has ever served, over eight decades — and which will be conducted under your leadership,” she added.  As world leaders gather this week at a landmark moment in the Organization’s history, its foundations are being challenged in unprecedented ways.

The rule of law is the guiding principle of Liechtenstein’s work at the United Nations.  As one of the Organization’s smallest members without armed forces or a membership in any military alliance, Liechtenstein’s sovereignty “is protected by respect for international law, and by its enforcement through accountability where the law is violated”, she said.  Liechtenstein strongly supports international courts, the indispensable enforcement mechanism of international law. The International Court of Justice, which Liechtenstein joined decades before becoming a United Nations member, is a key court and the International Criminal Court is a complementary and equally important institution.

The rapid erosion of the rules governing the use of force is one of many worrying trends regarding respect for the Charter.  “These dangerous trends can set us back to a time we all believe we have left behind — and they are an attack on the very core of the Charter of the United Nations,” she said.  “Mitigating the fallout of armed conflict will sadly remain part of our daily work.” The international community must become serious about its central task:  preventing war in the first place, ending war where it takes place, and ensuring accountability for illegal war-making.  The International Criminal Court, the only institution with jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, is critical to enforcing the Charter and deserves the support of all States, including those that have yet to join it.