Topic: 2026 – Clarification of Article 51
Country: Zimbabwe
Delegate Name: Reni Bejko
6 February 2026
Submitted To: Special Committee on the United Nations Charter
From: Republic of Zimbabwe
Topic: Clarification of Article 51
The Republic of Zimbabwe firmly believes in the principles and ideas of the United Nations Charter, and views Article 51, the self-defense clause of the UN Charter, as an important protection for countries facing armed attacks. However, Zimbabwe is concerned about the growing number of times Article 51 has been used in recent years and the broader ways it is being interpreted, which could weaken the clarity and authority of the Charter itself.
The Republic of Zimbabwe believes that the committee must prioritize the preservation of the original intent of Article 51 while preventing its interpretation beyond that of self-defense. Article 51 states that it allows for self-defense only in response to an armed attack, and only until the UNSC has taken necessary measures to restore peace. In recent years, however, Article 51 has been invoked with increasing frequency, which is disputed in its legality of its invocation and what classifies as self-defense, such as pre-emptive strike and/or the “unable or unwilling” doctrine, which allows a state to attack non-state entities/terrorist organizations within another state’s borders without their consent, which should be addressed in discussing the clarity of this article.
The Republic of Zimbabwe supports the adoption of guidelines that reaffirm that Article 51 ONLY applies to self-defense after an armed attack. Zimbabwe also proposes the idea of standardizing and formatting the recording and reporting of every Article 51 invocation, because while the UN Charter does require that measures taken in self-defense should be immediately reported to the UNSC, there is currently no standardized format requirement to justify that it is, indeed, self-defense. Zimbabwe proposes including evidence of an attack, justification for retaliation, and the specific actions taken by the invoker in the report. As a member of the African Union, Zimbabwe advocates for the implementation of early warning systems in conflicts to ensure conflict never begins to begin with, as it has been done with the African Union.
The Republic of Zimbabwe bases its current position on Article 2(4)’s clause of the prohibition of use of force, also noting that the 2025 Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations has already previously discussed the rising number of Article 51 invocations, also well as working on defining self-defense. For example, Article 51 letters submitted to the UNSC often have very wide variations of the proper justification for an invocation of Article 51, which signifies the need for standardization. Zimbabwe aligns itself with the verdict in the Nicaragua v. United States case, which reaffirmed the fact that self-defense requires an actual armed attack, including the illegality of supporting rebels in foreign nations and attacking non-state entities within a sovereign nation.
The Republic of Zimbabwe firmly believes that the right to self-defense is a necessary right for all nations, and clearer guidance on the actual lawful use of self-defense, as well as implementing stronger reporting standards, and early warning systems must be introduced so as not to allow for the Charter’s original intent to be undermined and the guarantee the sovereignty and security of all nations.
Works Cited:
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text
https://icj-cij.org/case/70
https://legal.un.org/committees/charter/2025_session.shtml
https://aupaps.org/en/page/200-early-warning
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2025-10/in-hindsight-the-increasing-use-of-article-51-of-the-un-charter-and-the-security-council.php
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3905536/files/A_75_993–S_2021_247-EN.pdf
