44th Annual Congress of the International Association of Young Lawyers

Mr. Attorney-General
Mr. Mayor
Madam President
Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am pleased to welcome you to the Palais des Nations. As I am myself a lawyer by training, I am especially glad to have this opportunity to be with young law professionals who have come together to enhance their knowledge, engage with fellow lawyers and advance in their field.

In our interdependent world, we can only effectively address threats and challenges facing us if we respond within an agreed legal framework. Many of your workshops reflect the growing interaction between the national and the international levels in this era of globalization. The topics demonstrate the importance of respect for the rule of law – at home and abroad – for our communities to thrive. The rule of law provides an essential foundation for sustained economic growth, for sustainable development and for building peace within and across communities. Promotion and strengthening of the rule of law is therefore a central task for the United Nations.

The challenge of enhancing the rule of law is, however, not the responsibility of governments alone. We must all work towards a culture of respect for the rule of law, and the involvement of all sectors of society is critical in this regard. This is why the United Nations strives to build partnerships with all stakeholders in public policy, including non-governmental organizations and private enterprise – not just as concerns the rule of law, but across the entire spectrum of Organization’s efforts. We need to be open to the views, perspectives and experiences of those that are affected by our work.
The contributions of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council – ECOSOC – are particularly valuable to the work of the United Nations, as was recently demonstrated here at the Palais des Nations during the annual session of ECOSOC, which took place in July. As a non-governmental organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the International Association of Young Lawyers is thus an important partner of the United Nations.

Several of the planned workshops focus on legal aspects of business, and private enterprise also has a key role to play in the promotion of the rule of law. The Global Compact, which was launched by the Secretary-General here in Switzerland in 1999, is an important avenue for engagement between the United Nations and private corporations. Based on the voluntary participation of companies, the Global Compact is aimed at mainstreaming ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption in business practices across the world. The forthcoming Global Compact Leaders Summit, which will take place here in Geneva on 27 and 28 June 2007, coinciding with the annual session of ECOSOC, will be another opportunity for reinforcing the Compact, and through it, respect for the rule of law worldwide.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is very appropriate that you have come to Geneva for your annual congress. This city has a strong tradition for innovative legal thinking and many significant instruments of international law have been developed here – to say nothing of the fact that Geneva is the home of the International Law Commission, which has just concluded here at the Palais des Nations its 58th session. I am confident that these contributions to the development of legal knowledge will inspire you and stimulate your exchanges. I wish you all the best for productive and interesting discussions over the coming days.

Thank you very much.