`RENAISSANCE' OF INTERNATIONAL LAW NEEDED TO TRANSFORM WORLD SCENE SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ADDRESS AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY
Press Release
SG/SM/5819
`RENAISSANCE' OF INTERNATIONAL LAW NEEDED TO TRANSFORM WORLD SCENE SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ADDRESS AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY
19951122 Following is the address of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali delivered following bestowal of an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, on 22 November:I am grateful for the honourary Doctor of Laws, which Carleton University has conferred on me today. The founders of the United Nations recognized the special importance of international law to the world Organization. They placed the principle that international relations must be based on the rule of law at the heart of the United Nations Charter.
Throughout the confrontation of the cold war, international law provided a means of common progress and a common language for international dialogue. Transcending political, ideological, and cultural divisions, international law provided a way to develop shared norms and common standards. The community of nations has entered a new era. The international system that supported us in the past has yet to be replaced. We are in the process of building a new international system, and we are doing so under unprecedented conditions. A renaissance of international law is needed to help transform the world scene in this new era that all States have entered.
International law is a great achievement. We must recognize, and build upon the legal foundations for international action. The notion that individual human rights can be protected by the international community is one of the great practical and intellectual achievements of international law. Even before the development of the modern concept of "human rights", the humanitarian aspect of international law established the presence of the individual in international law, and as a subject of international relations. We must not take this achievement for granted.
The basic instruments of international humanitarian law include The Hague Rules, the four 1949 Geneva Conventions, the 1977 Additional Protocols, and a large body of customary international law. Important human rights conventions have been agreed to. Included among these are the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and important conventions regarding the elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race, sex, or religious beliefs.
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The International Court of Justice has expanded the jurisdiction of human rights protections and humanitarian norms -- establishing that all States are bound by the general principles of humanitarian law. The General Assembly has expanded the scope of international humanitarian law through the adoption of resolutions on the humanitarian rights of civilian populations, on the protection of United Nations peace-keeping personnel, on the principles of international humanitarian assistance, and on the humanitarian obligations of Member States.
The Security Council, in the aftermath of the Gulf war, has taken unprecedented actions to protect civilian populations, and preserve human rights in the region. In the former Yugoslavia, the Council created the legal concept of international safe havens. Elsewhere, it has sought to use the legal tool of sanctions in the service of security. These actions have expanded the legal foundations for international action in response to the proliferation and brutality of modern civil conflicts. Today, the foundation for effective international action has been laid.
En effet, il est indispensable que la société internationale soit dotée aujourd'hui d'institutions judiciaires solides, crédibles et efficaces.
Depuis longtemps, l'Organisation des Nations Unies oeuvre pour la codification et l'élaboration progressive du droit international. Mais cette action normative n'est rien, si elle n'est pas complétée et renforcée par une activité juridictionnelle conséquente.
En effet, élaborer des règles ne suffit pas. Il faut aussi en assurer l'application. Or, force est de reconnaître que, trop souvent encore, des règles fondamentales du droit international sont systématiquement violées. Cela est inadmissible et inacceptable! Et il faut donc, de toute urgence, y porter remède.
D'ores et déjà, des mesures sont en train d'être mises en oeuvre. Ainsi, sur le fondement du Chapitre VII de la Charte, des tribunaux internationaux sur les crimes de guerres viennent d'être créés afin de poursuivre les personnes suspectées de génocide ou d'autres violations des droits de l'homme dans l'ex-Yougoslavie et au Rwanda.
Ces tribunaux auront compétence pour poursuivre non seulement ceux qui ont commis de tels crimes, mais également tous ceux qui les ont initiés et ont participé à leur préparation. Cela constitue, à mes yeux, un progrès considérable du droit international tant sur le plan conceptuel que sur le plan opérationnel.
Car, les dispositions du Chapitre VII de la Charte permettent, le cas échéant, au Conseil de sécurité de prendre des mesures coercitives à l'encontre d'un Etat qui refuse de se conformer à des demandes présentées par le Tribunal.
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Par ailleurs, l'Assemblée générale a créé, en 1993, le poste de Haut- Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme afin de promouvoir l'ensemble des règles normatives élaborées pour faire respecter les droits de la personne humaine. Et, récemment, des missions spéciales des droits de l'homme, au Rwanda et au Burundi, sont venues confirmer la détermination de la communauté internationale dans ce domaine.
Mais, il nous faut aller plus avant dans cette voie! Car nous savons tous que certains Etats qui louent en public les règles du droit international sont les premiers à refuser de soumettre leurs différends à la Cour internationale de Justice. Tandis que d'autres n'hésitent pas à braver ouvertement les arrêts de la Cour en refusant de les exécuter.
Il faut donc inlassablement répéter que le droit international ne saurait être appliqué de façon sélective! Il faut donc sans cesse redire que les Etats doivent se conformer aux normes internationales qu'ils souhaitent voir appliquées par les autres! Il faut donc, plus que jamais, réaffirmer que la Cour internationale de Justice doit être acceptée par tous comme le mode principal de règlement des différends internationaux!
In the ancient world law came from the law-giver. Solon set down the law of Athens. The law was supposed never to change. Indeed, Solon went into exile so that citizens could not ask him to change the law. In the medieval world, law came from the clergy and was drawn from the divine order. Fundamental law was not to be changed. In the modern era, the foundations of all systems of thought, including law, have come into question. In our era, change is the only constant factor.
Through international law, humanity has an essential mechanism for promoting mutual respect among nations and peoples. It has a clear analytical framework for approaching problems of mutual concern. It has a powerful basis for multilateral action. For the United Nations, international law is a clear and compelling priority. International law must become a true code of conduct for peoples and States. Only then, will the peoples of the world have a secure basis for cooperation. Only then, will we have built a lasting foundation for peace, for development and for enduring human progress.
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