UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO THE 101 INTER-PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE: IMPORTANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERNATIONAL LAW

SG/SM/99/98
13 April 1999



Following is the message of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the 101 Inter-Parliamentary Conference which is being held in Brussels from 10 to 16 April 1999. The message was read out on his behalf by the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Vladimir Petrovsky.


“It gives me great pleasure to convey my best wishes to you all on this penultimate Inter-Parliamentary Conference of the 20th century. As your agenda reflects, it is a century that has seen the best and worst of human endeavour - from the threat of nuclear annihilation to the movement for universal suffrage; from unprecedented scientific progress to untenable environmental damage; from unspeakable atrocities and human rights abuses of every kind to a new sense of global citizenship and a true empowerment of civil society.

It may be tempting at times to think that this century is ending as it began, with crimes against humanity and widespread economic deprivation the prevailing picture of humanity -- or should I say, inhumanity. But that would be to ignore important progress which has been achieved in the areas of human rights and international law and which gives us hope that the international community is beginning to learn the lessons from so many setbacks and tragedies. It is progress born out of an accumulation of international law in the past 100 years. It is progress that should stand as one of the hallmarks of our century.

Over these 10 decades, nations have agreed to thousands of multilateral treaties covering inter-state relations, individual rights and virtually every field of human activity, from communications and health to the environment, crime and narcotics. At the end of these 100 years, our challenge is to extend the scope of international law even further into the realm of peace and security. We have done so, to a certain extent, in theareas of disarmament and terrorism. But I am thinking in particular of international criminal justice. Here, too, I believe developments allow us to feel a cautious optimism about the future. For in this last year of the 20th century, international law has evolved to a point we would scarcely have thought possible a few short years ago.

Last year's agreement on the Statute for an International Criminal Court promises to provide what has been the missing link in the international justice system: a system whereby it has been easier to bring someone to justice for killing one person than for killing 1,000. It was the culmination of a process driven by an unprecedented participation of civil society -- and by parliamentarians like yourselves. Almost 80 nations have signed the statute. We focus our efforts now on reaching the 60 ratifications needed to bring the Court into existence. We look to you, parliamentarians around the world, to make this a reality.

The ad hoc international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia will continue their work. A grim but important milestone was passed last year when Jean-Paul Akayesu became the first person ever found guilty of the crime of genocide by an international tribunal. Last month, I endorsed the recommendation of an expert panel that any tribunal set up to deal with the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia should have an international character. All of these efforts are showing, however imperfectly, that there is such a thing as international criminal justice, and that it can have teeth. It also shows that the United Nations can deliver, so long as the Member States provide the necessary support.

In August, we mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the four Geneva Conventions - the landmark documents which sought to bring some order to the disorder of war. The Conventions have become widely known and accepted as the rules which should govern the conduct of belligerents in times of armed conflict. The problem, as always, lies in adherence. The promise, as ever, lies in vigilance. Again, we look to you to help ensure they are respected. Indeed, despite all our advances in creating an extensive body of legal obligations, the general public remains justifiably sceptical about any claim to be living in a world that is ruled by law. Too many States fail to ratify agreements. Often their acceptance of agreements is watered down by reservations that can undermine a treaty's very purpose. Let us not forget that the most successful nations today are those built on the principle of respect for human rights and the rule of law. What works for nations can work for global society as well. But to get there, we need a common understanding not just among Governments, but among people. The pathway lies in the universality of human rights, in the soundness of the rule of law -- in the acceptance of shared values, whatever our differences. Equality, dignity and tolerance; these are values we can all recognize as our own; they are the glue of human interaction; and they are found in the United Nations Charter. Embraced and enacted, they are the way forward.

The agreements we have achieved so far are hard-won victories: the world looks to you to safeguard their integrity as well as their implementation. You play a key role in ensuring their swift ratification. You provide a crucial line of defence in guarding against their being eroded by amendments. As Parliamentarians, you thus carry tremendous responsibilities. You are the institutional bridge between the state and civil society. You are the link between the local and the global. You are among the vital partners needed to build peace in the broadest sense of the word. Therefore, on behalf of the United Nations, I am proud to express my gratitude and encouragement to you all at this penultimate Inter-Parliamentary Conference of the 20th century. I add the hope
that our partnership will grow ever closer in the 21st.”