This April, leaders from Asia, Europe and beyond gathered in Tianjin for the 2025 SCO Summit. At the "SCO plus" meeting, President Xi Jinping unveiled the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), a blueprint built on five guiding principles with the international rule of law at its core.
The international rule of law is more than a lofty goal; it provides order, predictability and justice across diverse political systems. Since the United Nations was established in 1945, the UN Charter — with its focus on sovereign equality, non-interference, peaceful dispute resolution and collective security — has underpinned global cooperation.
Yet today, selective enforcement of these rules erodes trust in multilateral institutions. When nations invoke international law only when it suits them — from military interventions to trade battles or unilateral sanctions — the system fractures and divisions deepen.
At its heart, the rule of law means equal rights and responsibilities for all states, big and small. Voices from the Global South are demanding fairer representation in bodies like the UN Security Council, the World Bank and the IMF. Without reform, law risks becoming a tool for the powerful rather than a shared framework.
With urgent challenges like climate change, economic fragmentation, humanitarian emergencies and regional conflicts, unilateral approaches fall short. The GGI’s emphasis on a rules-based order offers a path where cooperation trumps confrontation, and laws serve everyone impartially.
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Tianjin to the world: International rule of law for fair governance
cgtn.com
