OPEN DEBATE OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON PROMOTION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE RULE OF LAW
Statement by H.E. Mr James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
26 January 2026
Thank you, President.
We meet at a time of great global uncertainty.
There is more conflict, more people displaced and hungry.
The UN is in crisis, facing a budget reduction of 30 percent, and confidence is being undermined across all three pillars of the Charter – peace and security, development and human rights.
In sum, the world is becoming less equal, more unstable and more dangerous.
These changing circumstances have more countries asking anew how we ensure we can live in a world where every country has a voice.
Where no country dominates, and no country is dominated.
And in this context, the role of international law and legal institutions are at the forefront of public debate across the world.
So I thank Somalia for convening this timely debate today on the international rule of law, and its enduring role in safeguarding our shared global interests.
Let me start by underscoring why international rules and norms matter, to Australia, and to us all.
They matter because international rules and norms deter conflict, enable free trade, and underpin our collective security and prosperity.
Multilateral treaties and arrangements promote economic development, guard against the spread of nuclear weapons, and mandate the rules for the maritime domain. Global agreements on satellite orbits enable the internet to reach the most remote of places, and set the standards that keep thousands of flights and 12 million passengers safely in the sky every day.
For the region Australia calls home, the Indo-Pacific, these international rules and norms have underpinned a generational economic transformation.
But international rules and norms do not exist in a vacuum, and nor do they enforce themselves.
We all have a role to play in making sure that the system which has enabled the rise of new powers, safeguards the rights and aspirations of every nation big and small.
Australia is doing our part.
In response to the appalling rise in attacks on humanitarian workers, last September, Australia launched a new Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. The Declaration renews international commitment at the highest political level to upholding international humanitarian law and protecting aid workers.
In line with our commitment to protecting the ocean under the framework of UNCLOS, we are pleased to be co-chairing the Preparatory Commission for the UN High Seas Biodiversity Treaty or BBNJ.
In response to the threats presented by sea-level rise, and the important role of international law in protecting the status and rights of affected nations in the Pacific, Australia is strongly committed to securing a comprehensive declaration on sea level rise. I am delighted to be co-facilitating this negotiation with the Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde.
Australia is an active user of international courts and tribunals; we respect their decisions and work tirelessly to defend their independence. Australia’s engagement in the Timor Sea compulsory conciliation process under UNCLOS demonstrated our commitment to the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes. And we have welcomed last year’s landmark opinion of the International Court of Justice on climate change.
We have supported and actively engaged in recent UN treaty negotiations, including this week’s Preparatory Commission on a treaty preventing Crimes Against Humanity.
These are all efforts in which we are collectively engaged to use the UN framework to strengthen and support an international rule of law. We cannot afford to give up.
As we meet here in the Security Council, and having listened to previous statements, it’s clear that this organ has an integral role in this project. We all depend on the Security Council to uphold the Charter, to act and deploy its legal powers for good, and to actively defend international courts and tribunals.
Australia is committed to bringing this approach to the Security Council as part of our campaign for a 2029-30 term. And we will champion issues like conflict prevention, peacebuilding and protection of civilians. All areas where a strengthened international rule of law can save lives and protect the most vulnerable.
Thank you.