CEVAP:

First and foremost, the UN Charter establishes the sovereign equality of its members as the most fundamental principle upon which the UN is founded. Equality here means that all states are equal in terms of their legal status rather than their size, population, or political and economic power. As mentioned earlier, the “one state/one vote” rule in the General Assembly is based on this very principle of states’ sovereign equality. On the other hand, the design of the UNSC with its permanent membership and veto system reflects the power distribution and inequality among nations (Karns, Mingst, and Stiles, 2015:118).

The key principles of the UN underline the maintenance of international peace and security as the primary goal. Toward this goal, two principles gain prominence. The first is the prohibition of the threat or use of force. Article 2(4) clearly states that “all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations” (UN Charter, 1945:3). This provision, which aims to ensure all states to act in accordance with international peace and security, is binding upon both member states and non-member states.
The second principle related to international peace and security is the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Article 2(3) provides that all members shall settle their international disputes through peaceful means so that they do not endanger international peace and security. Article 32(3) of the Charter also authorizes the UNSC to encourage regional arrangements (institutions) and individual states to promote the pacific settlement of local disputes. In addition, member states are obliged to support the enforcement actions of the UN and refrain from giving assistance to states against which such actions are taken. Moreover, all members have an obligation to “fulfill in good faith all the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the Charter” (Karns, Mingst, and Stiles, 2015:110).