A special word may perhaps be said about <strong>the</strong> ICAO. Act<strong>in</strong>g pursuant to a vote <strong>of</strong> twothirds<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 36 Council member states, it has established rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> air for civil aircraftover <strong>the</strong> high seas that are b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>all</strong> 188 ICAO member states unless a majority <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>m register <strong>the</strong>ir disapproval with<strong>in</strong> a specified time.Moreover <strong>the</strong> advent <strong>of</strong> supervisory bodies, tribunals and o<strong>the</strong>r mechanisms, as well as<strong>the</strong> crim<strong>in</strong>al tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, <strong>the</strong> International Tribunal for <strong>the</strong> Law<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sea, GATT/WTO, etc., have <strong>all</strong> added more teeth to <strong>in</strong>ternational law. And this isso because man seeks order, welfare and justice not only <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> state <strong>in</strong> which he livesbut also with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational system <strong>in</strong> which be lives.Hon’ble Mr Justice K. P. Matadeen, Judge<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Supreme Court <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Republic <strong>of</strong>Mauritius be<strong>in</strong>g presented with <strong>the</strong>Conference MementoTo conclude, it is important to stress that while states from time to time object to particular rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational law andseek to change <strong>the</strong>m, no State has sought to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> that it is free to object to <strong>the</strong> system as a whole. There is <strong>the</strong> element<strong>of</strong> reciprocity at work, and states stand to benefit from <strong>the</strong> advantages or rewards that may occur <strong>in</strong> certa<strong>in</strong> situations froman observance <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational law. Whatever be <strong>the</strong> area, or <strong>the</strong> new ch<strong>all</strong>enges be<strong>in</strong>g faced, an enforceable <strong>in</strong>ternation<strong>all</strong>aw is <strong>the</strong> way forward. From <strong>the</strong> seed sown by <strong>the</strong> natural law <strong>the</strong>orists to <strong>the</strong> wide developments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> twentieth centuryhas evolved a system which is universal and aims to address <strong>the</strong> numerous problems <strong>of</strong> our era. The developments at <strong>the</strong>beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> twenty first century are <strong>the</strong> harb<strong>in</strong>ger <strong>of</strong> enforceable global standards. Only <strong>the</strong>n will we be able tosafeguard <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> our children and our children’s children and bequeath to <strong>the</strong>m a better and safer world to live <strong>in</strong>.Presentation <strong>of</strong> World Peace Prayer Ceremony--56--
5th International Conference <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chief</strong> <strong>Justices</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> WorldAddress byHon’ble Mr Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husa<strong>in</strong>Judge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Supreme Court <strong>of</strong> BangladeshI am greatly honoured to represent <strong>the</strong> Honourable <strong>Chief</strong> Justice <strong>of</strong> Bangladesh, HisLordship Mr. Justice Syed J.R. Mudassir Husa<strong>in</strong>, at this 5th International conference <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> <strong>Chief</strong> <strong>Justices</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world under <strong>the</strong> auspices <strong>of</strong> Article 51(c) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> IndianConstitution. The organizers <strong>of</strong> this conference deserve great appreciation for this nobleventure which is aimed at foster<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ternational peace through settlement <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternationaldisputes by arbitrations <strong>in</strong> a just bid to enforce International Law and to safeguard <strong>the</strong>future <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world’s children <strong>of</strong> to-day and tomorrow.The marked awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students <strong>of</strong> City Montessori School (CMS) <strong>of</strong> Lucnow,India, imbued by <strong>the</strong>ir mentors <strong>in</strong> regard to <strong>the</strong> prevail<strong>in</strong>g threat <strong>of</strong> a potential ThirdWord War is, though not unshared by <strong>all</strong>, but <strong>the</strong> concern is not shared by many. If <strong>the</strong>present world is left to <strong>the</strong> whims and caprice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> terrorists, regional dictators orHon’ble Mr Justice S. M. Dastagir Husa<strong>in</strong>,Judge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Supreme Court <strong>of</strong> Bangladeshaddress<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Press Conferenceaggressor and aggrandisers, <strong>the</strong> dooms- day clock sure to beat faster and faster every m<strong>in</strong>ute. The <strong>the</strong>me <strong>of</strong> deliberation atthis conference, viz ‘Enforceable International Law is THE IDEA whose Time Has come’ is, <strong>the</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> best possiblechoice to work on today.Every Law for its enforcement needs sanction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> law-mak<strong>in</strong>g authority, and <strong>the</strong>re lies <strong>the</strong> crux. ‘Who would make apiece <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational law and where would lie <strong>the</strong> sanction’ is a question that has constantly rema<strong>in</strong>ed unanswered. TheLeague <strong>of</strong> Nations formed <strong>in</strong> 1919 <strong>in</strong> a bid to prevent a repetition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> holocaust and horrors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> First World Warended up <strong>in</strong> a fiasco. In less <strong>the</strong>n two decades next follow<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> world that had not yet wiped its tears nor healed itswounds, witnessed a much greater nightmare <strong>of</strong> human slaughter turn<strong>in</strong>g millions <strong>of</strong> children <strong>in</strong>to orphans and women <strong>in</strong>towidows- let alone <strong>the</strong> immeasurable havoc caused to property <strong>all</strong> over <strong>the</strong> globe. In <strong>the</strong> aftermath <strong>of</strong> that gruesomesavagery and <strong>in</strong> light <strong>of</strong> its excruciat<strong>in</strong>g pa<strong>in</strong>, <strong>the</strong> UNO was founded with <strong>the</strong> same ends <strong>in</strong> view as were aimed <strong>in</strong> form<strong>in</strong>g<strong>the</strong> League <strong>of</strong> Nations. The member- nations have <strong>all</strong> subscribed to <strong>the</strong> UN charter and are, thus ,bound by its Articles,Declarations, Comments and Decisions. But <strong>the</strong> views and decisions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> General Assembly have, till today, rema<strong>in</strong>ed at<strong>the</strong> mercy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Security Council and have always laboured and staggered for enforcement across <strong>the</strong> floor <strong>of</strong> that organmeet<strong>in</strong>g more <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>the</strong>n not, <strong>the</strong> hurdles <strong>of</strong> Vetos and Double -Vetos. On top <strong>of</strong> it, <strong>the</strong> world has even hopelessly witnesseda flagrant defiance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> UNO itself as though it were a non entity and <strong>the</strong> world-conscience wondered as to what wasmeant by that colossal build<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> East River <strong>in</strong> New York city. The only use that seems to cont<strong>in</strong>ue <strong>of</strong> that placesimply appears to be a shoulder to cry on without any solace or solution.International Law as is known today, is a bundle <strong>of</strong> usages and customs respected by nations <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>teractions assovereign entities. But <strong>in</strong> most cases, not covered by usages or customs, <strong>the</strong> sovereign status <strong>of</strong> a nation comes <strong>in</strong>to conflictwith new rules, and so, refuses to accept those rules. And <strong>the</strong>re lies <strong>the</strong> failure.Decades ago Bertrand Russel, spoke <strong>of</strong> a ‘World Government’ <strong>in</strong> his ‘Unpopular Essays ‘- <strong>in</strong> his dream <strong>of</strong> a world free <strong>of</strong>conflicts and wars. The sponsors and organizers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present Conference have expressed <strong>the</strong>ir hope for a ‘World Lawmak<strong>in</strong>gBody’, and this idea <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>irs is sure better alternative to Bertrand Russell’s ‘World Government’ for, where Rule <strong>of</strong>Law prevails <strong>in</strong> a society, members <strong>of</strong> every section <strong>of</strong> that community , regardless <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir caste and creed, enjoy equalrights and protection and also bear <strong>the</strong> same responsibility towards establish<strong>in</strong>g peace and order <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> society. What isneeded towards realiz<strong>in</strong>g this dream is mutual respect, tolerance, fellow-feel<strong>in</strong>g, sympathy, and above <strong>all</strong>- a sense <strong>of</strong>belong<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> same family <strong>of</strong> God. In our <strong>in</strong>dividual and <strong>in</strong>ternational <strong>in</strong>teractions, if we can put ourselves <strong>in</strong>to o<strong>the</strong>rs’shoes, <strong>the</strong> gap between ‘You’ and ‘me’ is bound to be reduced to <strong>the</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imum. Sense <strong>of</strong> ego, vanity or even pride isano<strong>the</strong>r malice that h<strong>in</strong>ders progress towards unity <strong>of</strong> mank<strong>in</strong>d. Greed to usurp o<strong>the</strong>rs’ rights has caused wars <strong>in</strong> <strong>all</strong> ages.--57--
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