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Statement by H.E. Mr. Rytis Paulauskas, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations at the Security Council open debate “Reaffirming International Rule of Law: Pathways to Reinvigorating Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism” on Monday, 26 January 2026.

Mr. President,

Lithuania aligns itself with the statement just delivered by the European Union and its Member States. I would like to add a few remarks in my national capacity.

We thank the Somali Presidency for convening this timely debate, and we thank the Secretary General and the distinguished briefers for their insightful presentations.

The uncomfortable reality is that we are debating the rule of law while international law is being violated in plain sight – sometimes deliberately, sometimes repeatedly, and still too often without accountability. The gap between what we reaffirm and what we tolerate keeps widening. This is not sustainable. It feeds a downward spiral in which violations become routine, restraint erodes, and force is treated as an acceptable instrument of policy.

Mr. President,

Lithuania would like to convey three messages.

First, the rule of law begins with the UN Charter – our shared foundation that cannot be set aside. It must be upheld in word and deed. Not through selective interpretation, not through political convenience, and not through double standards. Every exception invented outside the Charter weakens the protection inside it and sets dangerous precedents.

For Lithuania, which marks its 35th anniversary at the United Nations this year, respect for international law and the Charter is not a matter of preference. It is reflected in our constitutional tradition and shaped by history. During fifty years of occupation by the Soviet Union, international law helped Lithuania preserve its statehood and ultimately restore independence. Lithuania’s return to the community of sovereign nations was anchored in the UN Charter and its principles.

The Charter remains the equalizer: sovereignty does not depend on size, strength, or wealth. Even the smallest state relies on this, but when it is ignored, no state is truly safe. We therefore underscore that sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence are non-negotiable imperatives.

Second, the UN Charter does not outlaw disagreement; it outlaws violence as a method of resolving disputes. It sets out a clear path through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and adjudication. These tools reflect strength and responsibility and should not be mistaken for weakness.

But when violations of international law carry no consequences, the law becomes a suggestion and impunity becomes a strategy. Lithuania has lived through the cost of impunity under a totalitarian regime. When justice for Soviet aggression and occupation is postponed indefinitely, today’s perpetrators (including the current Russian regime violating international norms and waging the war of aggression against Ukraine) draw the lesson that such crimes will be ignored and forgotten, and they repeat them. That is why accountability is not a side issue, but a matter of deterrence and prevention.

Lithuania reaffirms its full support for the independence and integrity of international justice mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and stresses the need to comply with their decisions and cooperate fully with their work.

We also recall that the crime of aggression is the supreme international crime, because it contains within itself the accumulated evil of war. Lithuania therefore strongly supports the swift operationalization of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, established under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

Third, within the United Nations system the credibility of the rule of law is shaped by the credibility of the Security Council. When this Council fails to respond to clear violations of the Charter or international law, it does not remain neutral – it sends a signal that might makes right.

This is why Lithuania supports Security Council reform to make this body more representative, transparent, and effective.

We also call for responsible use of the veto, including through the ACT Code of Conduct, and for veto restraint in situations of mass atrocities. The veto must never be used to block credible Council action aimed at preventing or ending genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. When this Council is prevented from acting in such moments, the damage is also institutional.

Mr. President,

Lithuania will continue to defend the rule of law as the foundation of our collective security. And we call on all members to match their commitments with action.

Thank you.