UN chief berates leaders subverting elections, international law

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday strongly denounced the subversion of elections and international law by some world leaders.

In a post on X, he stressed that the UN Charter remains the foundation of international relations, the bedrock of peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Guterres said leaders are “undermining global order and setting a perilous precedent” by trampling over international law, picking and choosing which rules to follow.

“When a handful of individuals can bend global narratives, sway elections, or dictate the terms of public debate, we are facing inequality and the corruption of institutions & our shared values,” he wrote.

There have been unrest, arrests, and killings in several nations over election outcomes as opposition parties and voters accuse incumbent leaders of sabotaging the will of the majority of the people.

Countries where disputes have been witnessed in recent months include Uganda, Benin, Myanmar (January 2026), Honduras (December 2025), Tanzania (November 2025), and Cameroon (October 2025).

Reiterating that the UN Charter is a compact which binds all nations, the Secretary-General advised leaders and governments to adhere to it fully and faithfully.

The UN, however, decried the Israeli authorities’ demolition of the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound, an action conducted despite Guterres’s January 8 letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Secretary-General had reminded Netanyahu that the Sheikh Jarrah compound remains United Nations premises, and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference.

In a statement on Tuesday by deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, Guterres condemned the “wholly unacceptable” demolition as well as the continued escalatory activities against UNRWA.

The actions, he noted, are inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under international law, including under the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities.

Guterres urged Israel to stop the destruction of the UNRWA property, and to return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay.

UN chief berates leaders subverting elections, international law