Principles of the UN

Article 2 of the UN Charter

Aims & principles

Article 2 of the Charter lays down the principles that the UN and its members must follow in pursuing the organization's purposes.

The seven principles

Sovereign equality of all members: big and small states have equal legal status.
Good faith: members shall fulfil their Charter obligations in good faith.
Peaceful settlement: members shall settle disputes by peaceful means so that peace, security and justice are not endangered.
Non-use of force: members shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
Assistance: members shall give the UN every assistance in any action it takes under the Charter, and refrain from helping any state against which the UN is taking enforcement action.
Non-members: the UN shall ensure that non-members act in accordance with these principles where necessary for peace and security.
Domestic jurisdiction: the UN shall not intervene in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state, except for enforcement measures under Chapter VII.

Significance

These principles form the foundation of modern international law. The ban on the use of force (Article 2(4)) is regarded as its cornerstone; the only exceptions are self-defence (Article 51) and action authorized by the Security Council.

Pakistan and the principles

Pakistan frequently invokes the principles of self-determination, peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force in support of the Kashmiri people and in opposing aggression, and emphasizes sovereign equality in calls for UN reform.