UNITED NATIONS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned of "a dangerous erosion" of respect for international law.

"Core principles -- sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, the prohibition of the threat or use of force -- are being challenged or ignored. Violations go unanswered. And impunity is spreading," he told a high-level open debate of the Security Council on upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.

The UN Charter remains humanity's best hope for peace. But it is only as strong as the commitment of those responsible for upholding it, said Guterres.

He urged all members of the Security Council to uphold the UN Charter consistently, to act in the interests of peace, to rebuild trust through leadership and compromise, and to do their part to ensure that the United Nations and its Security Council truly live up to what it was meant to be: a forum for solutions, a guardian of international law, and a force for peace and security. ■