PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn alerted the United Nations that a mix of political rivalries, climate issues, widening inequalities, and rapid technological transformation is threatening global peace, stability and cooperation.
In a statement delivered to the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Sokhonn, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, noted that while the world has thus far been spared another global conflict, armed struggles continue to inflict immense human suffering across many regions.
"Concurrently, geopolitical rivalries, climate change, widening inequalities, rapid technological transformation and transnational threats are placing growing strains on international peace, stability and cooperation," he said.
He added that at a time when international cooperation is more necessary than ever, trust among nations is being tested. Furthermore, confidence in multilateral institutions and their capacity to respond effectively to common challenges is under increasing pressure.
"The world needs the United Nations not less, but more," Sokhonn said. "But it also needs a United Nations that commands trust because it is principled, representative, effective and capable of delivering on the purposes and principles of its Charter."
He stressed that sovereign equality must remain a fundamental pillar of international relations, asserting that international law must apply universally.
"The Charter does not prescribe one standard for the powerful and another for the less powerful," he said. "All member states, large or small, are equal before the Charter and are bound by the obligations it establishes."
Sokhonn also highlighted that rapid technological advancements illustrate both great promise and significant risk.
"Artificial intelligence and digital innovation can accelerate development and expand opportunities, but their misuse can also deepen inequality, insecurity, and transnational crime," he said. ■
