Security Council Arria Formula Meeting on “Upholding the Sanctity of Treaties for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security”
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. Rein Tammsaar, Permanent Representative of Estonia
New York, 30 January 2026
President,
Excellencies,
The principle that treaties in force must be performed in good faith is not a slogan, nor a matter of convenience. It is the cornerstone of the international law based multilateral order we have collectively built. The International Court of Justice has repeatedly affirmed that good-faith performance is a structural principle of international law, and that domestic law, political expediency, or unilateral reinterpretation cannot justify non-compliance.
The principle of pacta sunt servanda, codified in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, reflects a simple but powerful truth – without trust in treaties, there can be no legal certainty, no stability, and no lasting peace.
When treaties are honoured, power is restrained by law. When they are ignored, selectively interpreted, or unilaterally suspended, the foundations of international peace and security are weakened, leading us all towards more conflicts and violence.
Yet today we see worrying trends. Let me touch upon three aspects.
First, increasingly treaty obligations are delayed, violated, suspended, or undermined through unilateral acts. Agreed dispute-settlement mechanisms are bypassed. Such practices erode trust between States, heighten regional tensions, and increase the risk of conflict. They also encourage others to do the same. If a Permanent Member of the Security Council attacks its neighbour’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, what example does that set?
Second, respect for treaties is investment into prevention. When States resolve disagreements through mechanisms they have accepted – consultations, arbitration, courts – they reduce the likelihood of escalation that could lead to a full-scale conflict or war. Good-faith implementation is therefore not only a legal duty, but a practical tool for maintaining peace and security.
Third, international community must speak clearly and consistently on this issue. No attempt to re-write treaties by unilateral action should go unnoticed. We must speak up and condemn when treaties are violated. Or we become accomplices to the demise of rules and law. Disagreements must be resolved through lawful means, not through pressure and power politics.
To conclude, in reaffirming the sanctity of treaties, we reaffirm our ironclad commitment to an international law-based multilateral order, with the principles of the UN Charter at its core – one where law prevails over force, trust over coercion, and good faith over convenience. This commitment is essential, not only for today’s stability, but for the credibility of international law for future generations.
Thank you.
