“The United Nations General Assembly held a high-level meeting on the rule of law at the national and international levels,” according to the UN Information Centre (UNIC).
The UNIC in a statement released in Manama said that this was the first time that heads of states and governments came together at the General Assembly to discuss the rule of law, highlighting the central place that the rule of law has assumed on the national and international stages.
The heads of states and governments adopted a historic declaration on the rule of law. For the first time, 193 member states reached a common understanding on definitional elements as well as setting out the full scope of the rule of law, from the peaceful settlement of international disputes to providing justice for vulnerable groups.
The Declaration stressed the inter-relationship between the rule of law and the three pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, development and human rights. Underscoring this, it called for the rule of law to be considered in the post-2015 international development agenda. In order to develop further these inter-linkages and to strengthen the rule of law at the international and national levels, the Secretary-General has been asked to consult a wide range of stakeholders and report back to the Assembly next year.
The Declaration acknowledges the many voluntary pledges received from Member States aimed at strengthening the rule of law and encourages more pledges to be made in the future. The number of pledges received was beyond expectations as over 40 member states and observers used the occasion of the meeting to make over 250 pledges.
The countries that submitted pledges are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States of America and Uruguay. Two observers, the European Union and the International Development Law Organization also submitted pledges.
At the opening of the meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all member states to commit to the equal application of the law at both the national and international levels. He noted that there should be no selectivity in applying resolutions, decisions and laws. “We cannot allow political self-interest to undermine justice”, he added.
The Secretary-General also echoed the Declaration, emphasizing that when we strengthen the rule of law, we reinforce all three pillars of the United Nations: peace, development and human rights. The new President of the General Assembly, Vuk Jeremić (Serbia), suggested that member states draw inspiration from Montesquieu’s words, “there is no nation so powerful, as the one that obeys its laws not from principles of fear or reason, but from passion.”
During the meeting, 69 member states and observers took the floor. In closing, two representatives of the civil society, Louise Arbour, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Crisis Group and Cherif Bassiouni, the Dean of the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, also delivered statements at the meeting.
Arbour highlighted that the rule of law “reflects the idea of equality in a substantive way: not just that no one is above the law, but that everyone is equal before and under the law, and is entitled to its equal protection and equal benefit.” Bassiouni reminded the audience of the role of civil society, and how it strongly supports the efforts of the Secretary-General, and the whole United Nations system, as well as the many governmental, inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations that support the rule of law.