Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War): Increasing the universality and effectiveness of the International Court of Justice

This hybrid event at the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office in New York launched a major new global campaign to enhance the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in resolving international disputes peacefully. The event discussed and promoted the jurisdiction and use of the ICJ as a judicial mechanism to assist countries in resolving disputes rather than through recourse to the threat or use of force.

Event Description

The event followed up from the presentation to the NPT Preparatory Committee of the joint statement Common Security v Nuclear Disarmament: How to replace the current reliance on nuclear weapons with sustainable security for all, endorsed by 170 civil society organizations. The centerpiece of the event was the launch of the Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War) global campaign, organized by a coalition of civil society organizations including Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace, Basel Peace Office, Citizens for Global Solutions, UNFOLD ZERO, WFM-IGP, and the World Future Council, with more than 40 additional supporting organizations.

Speakers

• Tadashi Inuzuka (Welcome), Co-President, World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy; Former Senator from Nagasaki
• Jutta Bertram Nothnagel (Moderator), United Nations Representative, International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms; Vice-President, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy
• Alyn Ware (Moderator), Program Director, WFM-IGP; International Representative, Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace
• Sir Kenneth Keith, Judge of the International Court of Justice (2006-2015); Emeritus Professor, Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law
• H.E. Mr. Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo Verduzco, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations; Member, International Law Commission (2012-2022); Agent for Mexico in the ICJ Avena case
• Prof. Dr. Bogdan Aurescu, Member, UN International Law Commission; Former Foreign Minister of Romania; Agent of Romania before the ICJ (2004-2009); Leader of the Declaration on promoting the jurisdiction of the ICJ, now endorsed by 33 countries
• Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director, Citizens for Global Solutions; Co-Convener, Washington Working Group for the International Criminal Court
• Neshan Gunasekera, Research Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Institute; Member, World Future Council; Former assistant to ICJ Judge Christopher Weeramantry
• Prof. Roger Clark, Board of Governors Professor Emeritus of Law, Rutgers Law School; Representative for Samoa in the 1996 ICJ case on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons

Policy Focus

• Increase the number of states accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ
• Encourage more frequent use of the ICJ as a dispute resolution mechanism in international treaties
• Appeal to states to use ICJ jurisdiction through mutual agreement for specific disputes
• Support UN bodies in requesting ICJ Advisory Opinions on critical issues
• Encourage states to adopt constitutional amendments or legislative measures affirming the UN Charter prohibition of war and the obligation to resolve disputes peacefully through recourse to the ICJ