Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, has warned that the selective application of international law by powerful countries could undermine the global legal order and encourage more nations to disregard international treaties in pursuit of their national interests.

Nwachukwu, who served twice as Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, said the growing disregard for international obligations and the unequal treatment of countries under international legal frameworks could trigger a breakdown of order in international relations.

He gave this warning yesterday at the 47th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Society of International Law (NSIL), held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, themed, “From Obligations to Implementation: Re-assessing the Efficacy of International Law in Contemporary International Relations.”

Nwachukwu, who was the chairman of the occasion, expressed concern over situations in which powerful nations invoke national interests to disregard treaty provisions while holding weaker countries to the same standards.

He questioned the fairness of a global system in which countries appeared to apply international legal principles inconsistently, warning that such practices could weaken confidence in international agreements.

According to him, countries that choose not to subscribe to particular treaties should not invoke their provisions against states that have signed them.

In her welcome address the President of NSIL, Professor Yinka Omorogbe (SAN) called for stronger implementation of international legal obligations, warning that the existence of treaties and conventions does not necessarily translate into compliance, accountability or justice.