Why this Conference ?

City Montessori School (CMS) which is a Guiness record holder for being the world's largest school by pupils with over 25,000 students on roll, has been organising numerous international events for children every year with the aim of teaching unity of mankind, universal brotherhood and coexistence so that they may grow into ideal world citizens. During the course of my interaction with children, I was struck by the fact that a lot many of them seemed rather perturbed and fearful about their future, mostly on account of
the enormous threat posed to the very life on our planet by the huge nuclear stockpile many countries have assembled. Children, born and yet-to-be-born, deserve a safe world, not threatened by a nuclear war, deliberate or accidental.

Appeal to the United Nations

It was in this background that CMS students collected nearly one hundred thousand signatures in 1999, on an appeal to Dr Kofi A. Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, requesting him to initiate efforts to form a World Government which alone can eliminate the danger of nuclear holocaust and also  ensure conservation of ecology and environment on a global scale. This can best be achieved by strengthening the United Nations System as said by Jan Tinbergen, Noble Laureate in Economics.  The appeal also drew the attention of Dr Annan to the provisions of Article 51 of the Indian Constitution.

Article 51 of the Constitution of India

Article 51 of the Indian Constitution says:
ARTICLE 51. Promotion of international peace and security:-
The State shall endeavour to -
(a) promote international peace and security;
(b) maintain just and honourable relations between nations;
(c) foster respect for international law and
(d) encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.

Clause (c) of the Article 51 says that the State shall endeavour to 'foster respect for international law' but today there is no international law which may be uniformly applicable to all the countries and peoples of the world.

A law that has no legal sanctity, is not legally enforceable and if it does not carry a penalty for its violation it cannot be called a law at all. In that sense, today there is indeed no international law in the world, in the absence of which there is total lawlessness in the world reflected in the increased instances of international terrorism and stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction by various countries of the world for fear of their security. (There are nearly 36,000 nuclear warheads in the world: Russia 22,500, USA 12,070, France 500, China 450, UK 380, India 65 and Pakistan 25)

Today, international terrorism demands enforceable international law because international terrorism can only be curbed through enforceable international law and not by war, whether between two or more countries or even a World War.  Hence there is an urgent need for a legally-constituted law-making body i.e. a World Parliament, for enacting enforceable International Laws that are applicable on all the countries and the peoples of the world.  Only a legally constituted World Parliament can ensure world unity and world peace and provide to the born and yet-to-be-born children of the world, their 'Right to a Safe Future'.

Response of the United Nations

In his reply Dr Annan wrote to CMS that "People all over the world look to the United Nations to protect them - from hunger, disease, violence, and natural disasters - whenever the task seems too big for the nations, or regions, to handle alone. But we at the United Nations can do nothing alone, either. Our strength is the strength of our member states, when they agree to act together for the common good." Dr Annan had also pointed out that in the year 2000 AD, leaders from all over the world would come together in New York for the Millennium Summit (from 6th to 8th September 2000).  Dr Annan wrote that these leaders would consider the challenges ahead and what the UN can do to face them.  He also wrote, "Those leaders will be representing you, the peoples of the United Nations. It is up to you to make sure that they come here firmly resolved to take decisions which can lead to a better life for all of us, and for our children. I am counting on you all."

Appeal to World Leaders

Dr Annan's letter was an eye-opener in that it made apparent the futility of relying on the United Nations. Therefore, on behalf of our students, CMS wrote to all the Head of States and Head of Governments participating in the Millennium Summit, to provide to the born and unborn children of the world their Fundamental Right to a Safe Future' by supporting  the UN General Assembly's agenda item 30 of the 53rd session dated 10th May 1999 (clause 8) which deals with the formation of a 'New International Economic and Political Order'. This demand was also included in the Declaration of the Millennium Forum of the NGO's and Civil Societies (which I had also attended)  held at the UN Headquarters from 22nd to 26th May 2000 because only a such an order can eliminate the huge nuclear stockpile and also ensure worldwide ecological and environmental conservation efforts.  We received letters of support from many world leaders including the Prime Ministers of India, Australia, New Zealand, the President of Slovakia and leaders of some other countries. However, at the Millennium Summit itself, no decision was taken on the formation of a 'New International Economic and Political Order'.

Appeal to World Judiciary

Therefore, on behalf of children of the world, the 25,000 students of CMS are now appealing to the Hon'ble Jurists of the world, whose minds are conditioned towards justice by their very profession, to provide justice to the born and yet-to-be-born children of the world and secure their 'Right to a SAFE  FUTURE'.  This can be done by supporting the children's 'mandamus' for a legally-constituted World Parliament whose laws would be binding on all the nations and peoples of the world. However, in order to ensure this, countries will have to surrender a part of their sovereignty.  Countries may be reluctant but then the choice before  the Hon'ble  World Judiciary is to
either protect the outdated 'Sovereignties' or secure the future of the born and yet-to-be-born children of the world. Remember, Hon'ble World Judiciary is the last hope of the children of the world and humankind itself.  The entire humanity trusts only the World Judiciary.  We also appeal to all the right-minded citizens of the world, to make a sincere endeavour for propagating the spirit of Article 51 of Indian Constitution so that the governments of all the countries of the world become aware of this unique provision and are, as a beginning, inspired to include similar provisions in their own respective Constitutions.

The Future

The above Conference of Chief Justices aims at providing a platform to the Hon'ble Chief Justices of various countries of the World, where they will come together and discuss the appeal of Children of the World to safeguard their future and support their call for a legally-constituted World Parliament. Only the support of the World Judiciary can create a favourable climate for the formation of a duly-constituted law-making body for framing International Laws that are universally applicable and enforceable in order to secure the future of the world's children, born and yet-to-be-born.