French President Emmanuel Macron said at the UN’s 81st General Assembly that imperialism had re-emerged on the agenda and that powerful actors could expand their borders by weakening the international order. Calling for the defense of the UN Charter and international law, Macron said countries should choose civilized international society rather than “the law of the jungle.” He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “a disgrace for all of us.” He said people must not surrender to fatalism in the face of wars and that humanitarian workers and justice must be protected. He called for support for the International Court of Justice and advocated opening the UN Security Council to new members through reform; he said war crimes and the destruction of civilians had ushered in an “age of barbarism.”
Why it matters
Macron’s speech brings to the fore the debate over the need to protect the international order not only through political statements but also around the UN Charter and international law. This approach raises the question of which rules will protect states in a weaker position and civilians in conflict zones as powerful countries are able to push the boundaries. The emphasis on Gaza links the security of humanitarian workers and the issue of accountability for war crimes and the destruction of civilians to the UN’s broader debate on the international order. The proposals to open the Security Council to new members and support the International Court of Justice leave open the question of how the political will to address the representativeness of existing institutions and the enforceability of their decisions will emerge.
Background
The president is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 20 news reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated September 27, 2026.