King Mohammed VI has made it clear that no viable order is possible without rules and compliance with international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
In a message addressed to the 82nd session of the Institute of International Law,which opened proceedings Sunday at the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat,the Monarch pointed out that Morocco has always based its external action on a legalistic,structured approach grounded in compliance with international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. “No viable order is possible without rules. My country’s diplomacy is firmly based on that conviction,” said the Monarch in the message that was read out by the Institute’s President Mohamed Bennouna.
However,the king explained,no major progress can be made in isolation. “International dynamics are not just balancing games between states. They are based on values,on consensual principles and on institutions that are capable of properly shaping cooperation and making sure these principles can withstand the test of time.”
The monarch who recalled that Africa had to wait for more than four decades to host a session of the Institute– that is since the Cairo session in 1987 – commended the Institute of International Law as “a fervent advocate for the peaceful settlement of disputes,a position anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter,which has,over time,been able to listen to the world,to open itself up to diversity,and to accommodate all cultures,all sensitivities.”
“Since it was created in 1873,the Institute of International Law has been more than just a witness to the deep changes affecting the world. It has been an astute observer,a resourceful analyst,a standard-setter and a strong voice for the legal conscience of the world,” the Monarch stated,recalling that the Institute has been carrying out its mission with an admirable perseverance and that the Nobel Peace Prize it was awarded in 1904 is a recognition of the masterly work performed in serving international law.
The King pointed out further that the institute’s 82nd session in Rabat is taking place at a time when international law is being strongly challenged by violent headwinds. “The world is changing ever rapidly,certainties are being battered,landmarks blurred,alliances called into question; international law – now challenged in its very capacity to regulate international relations – is too often abused,” the monarch said.
The Rabat session agenda will address a number of burning issues,including the question of pandemics. These global crises affect not only people’s health,but also the fundamental principles on which the world is founded.
“Given the tensions between national sovereignty,on the one hand,and international cooperation,on the other,between security imperatives and the need for solidarity,a systemic crisis does more than just disrupt the established order. It also lays bare its flaws and accelerates change,stated the King who urged the Institute members to keep in mind that their mission today is to identify these deep changes,not simply to understand the recent past,but also to sketch out the broad outlines of a more resilient system of international law – one that can also rise to the challenges of the future.
“May Morocco be,therefore,a source of inspiration for you. May Rabat be a forum for exchange and emulation,and may this 82nd Congress be the one that puts international law back where it belongs: not a part of a disenchanted utopia,but rather a lighthouse shining through mist,” stated the King.
The institute was founded in Ghent,Belgium,in 1873 and its goal is to foster the progress and codification of international law.
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