” His words
reflect Islam’s profound respect for the role of the
court in a just and righteous human society.
Today, this court’s incomparable
leadership on behalf of global justice… your dedication
to bringing the benefits of the rule of law to world affairs…
your high standards of integrity have given hope to millions
of people. We in Jordan are especially proud that our esteemed
jurist, your vice president, Awn Al Khasawneh, shares in
the court’s great enterprise. Members of the court,
madam president, on behalf of all Jordanians, I thank you
all for your labours, your integrity, your courage and your
wisdom.
Madam president,
Here at The Hague, in 1899, the modern
world set its sights on bringing the rule of law to international
affairs. In the decades that have followed — through
years of war and peace, crisis and opportunity — the
rule of law has slowly moved forward. Today, this honourable
court carries the vision into the 21st century: An international
legal order, in the service of justice and peace.
It is a mission, may I say, that is ever
more relevant to our global times. The global impact of
regional conflict… the worldwide reach of economic
shocks and trends… the interregional flows of people
and ideas... and the whole-earth reality of environmental
problems and health concerns: In these and many other ways,
our nations are sharing current events and will share the
world’s future. How well we succeed depends on our
cooperation and coordination. And nothing is more important
to that effort than a practising, just international legal
order.
Madam president,
Jordan has made a clear commitment to
the cause of international peace and legality. That commitment
is attested to in our respect for this court, our good faith
in treaty obligations, our support for United Nations conventions
and international legal instruments, and our active role
in human rights, including our strong national programme.
In these commitments, we are guided by
our Arab-Islamic legal heritage. Madam president, you have
spoken today of Islam’s pioneering contributions to
the growth of global law and justice. Indeed, for Muslims,
global good citizenship — justice and integrity in
the dealings among peoples, regardless of faith, race or
nationality — is a cornerstone of a righteous life.
In the Holy Koran it is written: “Be just —
that is closer to piety.”
And: “So give full measure and full
weight and wrong not mankind in their goods, and work not
confusion in the earth after the fair ordering thereof.”
Islamic civilisation upheld the primacy
of settling disputes by law, not force — among nations
as among peoples. This has been Jordan’s consistent
effort, as a regional and global peacemaker. Today, we are
devoting our full efforts to conflict resolution in my region.
This includes working closely with other Arab states to
create a unified strategy that can deliver on the promise
of peace.
In the Middle East, our people have
suffered tremendously from conflict. There is an urgent
need for international assistance to help Iraq and Lebanon
achieve security and rebuild their communities and economies.
In Iraq, Jordan has provided humanitarian aid, as well as
civil and security training. And we keep channels of dialogue
open with all Iraqi leaders to encourage national reconciliation
in their country. In the Lebanese crisis, Jordan helped
spearhead the call for a ceasefire, and provided immediate
humanitarian and other support.
Such contributions, from many countries,
are vital to putting these countries, and the region, on
the road to peace. But we will not achieve regional security
until we focus on the core issue in the Middle East, an
issue that has posed an ongoing challenge to international
peace and order. And that is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
There has been no shortage of international
resolutions on what must be done to settle this conflict.
But in the absence of a qualified legal opinion, individual
parties to the conflict were left to interpret these resolutions…
and politics as usual prevailed.
Two years ago, this — the longest
unresolved conflict before the United Nations — finally
found its way to this esteemed court. And for the first
time in the history of this bitter dispute, the world was
privileged to have a dispassionate legal perspective of
this conflict.
The advisory opinion that the court’s
judges penned was more than a declaration about the illegality
of the wall — a barrier that would divide Israelis
and Palestinians even further… a barrier that would
perpetuate conflict in our region. By pronouncing, extensively,
on long-standing questions of legality, this court has given
Arabs, Israelis and the international community firm ground
on which to build peace in our region — a new foundation
of international legality and justice. This court ruled,
clearly, that the Palestinian territories are occupied…
that the Palestinian people possess a legal right to self-determination,
on Palestinian territory… and that the conflict will
only be brought to an end when all relevant Security Council
resolutions are, finally, implemented.
The court’s opinion speaks to the
profound injustice which the Palestinian people have suffered
for decades. There cannot be lasting peace until this injustice
is corrected, in full accord with international legitimacy.
This is the basis for the landmark Arab Peace Initiative.
Articulated at the 2002 meeting of all Arab states, it offered
a comprehensive settlement… guaranteeing Israel’s
security to live in peace with its neighbours… and
providing, at long last, a sovereign, viable and independent
Palestine.
This two-state solution accords with
international legality, and has been supported by the world
community as well as the parties. Indeed, the International
Court of Justice, in its ruling, asserted the need for such
a negotiated solution, one that will establish a Palestinian
state, existing side by side with Israel and its other neighbours
— with peace and security for all in the region.
It is vital now to move the peace process
forward on this basis. Concerned nations must act together
— and with new urgency. Every day that goes by in
conflict, every day that the humanitarian situation for
the Palestinian people worsens, every day that our youth
feel themselves failed by the international system…
every day of mistrust and missed opportunities, slides us
further down the path to regional and global disaster.
Madam president,
The United Nations and this court are
founded on the principle that violence, force and illegality
should not be allowed to determine the future. The Arab
people agree. We know that unilateral solutions will not
bring peace. Peace requires a willing partnership, result-minded
negotiations, and a settlement that is in full accord with
international legality.
This court takes no role in diplomatic
and political efforts. Yet your work — indeed, the
work of the entire international court system — makes
a vital contribution. It is through the high reputation
of this court, and your influential voices, that our world
may strengthen international law and civility… creating
a firmer path to peace… and setting us on the road
to a goal that is urgently needed by all.
It is an old truth: Peace and respect
among nations depend on trust, and trust depends on the
expectation of justice. I pledge Jordan’s continuing
support. Together, God willing, we can build an international
legal order that will safeguard and empower the people of
our world.
Thank you very
much.
