40 nations demand: Enforce international law, not just proclaim it

Forty countries, led by South Africa and Malaysia, have called on the United Nations to defend international law through action, not words alone. The group issued a joint statement saying that the power of international law comes from enforcing it, not just writing it down. "We reaffirm our conviction that the authority of international law derives not merely from its proclamation, but from its enforcement," the co-sponsors said. The statement did not name any specific country or dispute.