- In
addition, about 80 countries have developed and stockpiled
deadly chemical and biological weapons. No country has the
technical know-how nor enough money to destroy these weapons
of mass destruction. According
to experts twenty times more money and technology will be
required to destroy a bomb than was used in its manufacture
and just one percent of the existing nuclear stockpile is
sufficient to obliterate all life on earth.
-
Also,
Gil Eliot has calculated that about 110 million people have
perished in man-made deaths during the first 70 years of the
20th century which includes 38 million soldiers. It means
that one out of every 30 inhabitants on earth was killed
through government criminality.
-
It
is thus clear that there
is an urgent
need to redeem humanity from its present condition.
It is also equally clear that
only 'a new international political and economic
order' can eliminate this huge nuclear stockpiles. It
is in this context that Article 51 of the Constitution of
India, specially clause (c), assumes paramount importance.
-
- A
ray of hope for saving the world :
- The
provisions enshrined in Article 51 of the Indian
Constitution is a beacon and provide a ray of hope for
saving the world from the impending nuclear and
environmental catastrophe.
Only a legally constituted 'World Parliament' with
the power to enact international laws that apply to all
countries of the world as well as to all individuals, can
provide the much-desired peace and security to the people of
the world.
-
- Safeguarding
the Children's Future :
- In
1999, CMS students collected nearly 100,000 signatures of
the citizens of Lucknow on an appeal on behalf of children
of the world, requesting the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, Dr Kofi A. Annan, to safeguard the future of
world's children by initiating steps to form a World
Government capable of ensuring world peace, eliminating all
weapons of mass destruction, protecting the people from
international terrorism and conserving the ecology and
environment. The appeal also drew the attention of the
Secretary General to Article 51 of the Indian Constitution
and urged him to request all governments to add a similar
provision in their respective constitutions.
This appeal was personally presented on behalf of the
children of the world, by the undersigned at the Millennium
Forum meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in
New York from 22nd
to 26th May,
2000.
-
- Letter
to CMS from Dr. Kofi A. Annan, Secretary General, UNO :
- In
his reply to CMS, the Secretary General Dr Kofi A. Annan
expressed helplessness of the United Nations. He said 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 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.
Next year, leaders from all over the world will come
to New York for the Millennium Summit. They will consider
the challenges ahead, and what the United Nations can do to
face them. 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 ... and I am counting on you all."
-
- Letters
to World Leaders and U.N. Agenda item 30 :
- Accordingly,
we wrote to the Heads of State and Heads of Government of
all the countries of the world, requesting them to support
formation of a 'new international political and economic
order' at the Millennium Summit held at the UN
headquarters from 6th
to 8th September
2000. In reply
CMS received letters of support from several world leaders
including the Prime Ministers of India, Australia, New
Zealand, the President of Slovakia and leaders of many other
countries. However, at the Millennium Summit itself, no Head
of State or Head of Government spoke a word about the
formation of a new international political and economic
order, even though this was an important item on their
agenda (see highlighted portions of the enclosed Agenda item
30 of the General Assembly's Resolution for the 53rd
Session, dated 10th May 1999 section 8) which calls for the "establishment
of a new international political and economic order".
-
- U.N.
Resolution and Millennium Forum Declaration :
-
Earlier
the General Assembly through its resolution number A/RES/53/202
dated 12th February 1999, asked the Secretary General Dr. Kofi
Annan to consult with the Civil Societies and Non Governmental
Organisations before preparing the agenda for the Millennium
Summit. (Copy of the U.N. Resolution is enclosed) Accordingly
a conference of the civil societies and NGO's was called in
New York from 22nd
to 26th May 2000
(called the Millennium Forum) which in its declaration
also called for strengthening and democratizing the United
Nations "leading towards the formation of a new
international political and economic order"
-
- Failure
of Millennium Summit in its purpose :
- Unfortunately,
in the final analysis the Millennium Summit failed to come
to any concrete conclusion and the participating leaders did
not discuss the most vital and crucial item on the Summit's
agenda, namely the formation of a new international
political and economic order. Most of the leaders only
spoke on the issues that concerned their own individual
countries and were silent on the most important issue of
them all namely the formation of a "new
international political and economic order".
-
- Surrendering a part of sovereignty to save existence of mankind :
Admittedly, for this to happen countries will have to surrender a part of their sovereignty, but then the choice before us is State sovereignty versus the existence of mankind. It pointed out that the time has come, for all the right-minded individuals of the world to make a sincere endeavour for propagating the spirit of Article 51 of Indian Constitution.
- Building Public Opinion :
Now we are striving to build public opinion in support of a World Parliament through a series of conferences and seminars in the interest of the future of world's children and survival of humanity itself. Accordingly a
Roundtable Conference on Article 51 of the Constitution of India was held at CMS Gomti Nagar on 14th January, 2001 which was inaugurated by
Hon'ble Mr. Justice Syed Saghir Ahmed, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India. A number of judges and legal luminaries participated in the Roundtable who supported the concept of a legally constituted “World Parliament” as an impartial international law making body that could resolve international disputes through arbitration and legislation.
- Encouraged by the success of the Roundtable, CMS organised a
Seminar on Article 51 of the Constitution of India on 25th February 2001 at Lucknow, India
which was inaugurated by Hon'ble Mr. Justice R. S. Pathak, Former Chief Justice of India and former President of the International Court of Justice and Member of the International Court of Arbitration (The Hague).
Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rangnath Misra, Former Chief Justice of India and former member Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague) presided over the Seminar and
Hon'ble Mr. Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, former Judge of Supreme Court of India delivered the keynote address.
Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.H.A. Raza, Senior Judge of Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) was the Chairman of the Reception Committee, High Court Judges, lawyers, legal luminaries, educationists, social activists and Journalists and many others participated in the seminar.
- The Seminar was followed
by the 1st International Conference on Article 51 of the Constitution of
India. The participants of the Conference included
- 1
Hon'ble Mr Justice K. T. Thomas, Judge, Supreme Court of India;
2 Hon'ble Mr Justice U. C. Banerjee, Judge, Supreme Court of India;
3 The Rt Hon Justice Marcus Einfeld, Judge of the Federal Court of Australia;
4 Hon'ble Dr. Justice Nasim Hasan Shah, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan;
5 Hon'ble Mr Justice V. Alleear, Chief Justice, Republic of Seychelles;
6 Hon'ble Mr. Justice Punyadasa Edussuriya, Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka;
7 Hon'ble Madam Justice Ms. Consuelo Ynares Santiago, Judge, Supreme Court of Philippines;
8 Hon'ble Mr Justice E. Balancy, Judge, Supreme Court of Mauritius;
9 Hon'ble Mr Justice Laxman Aryal, Judge, Supreme Court of Nepal,
10 Hon'ble Mr Justice Ashok A. Desai, Chief Justice of Uttaranchal High Court (India);
11 Hon'ble Mr Justice T. S. Misra, Former Chief Justice of Assam (India);
12 Hon'ble Mr Justice S.H.A. Raza, Senior Judge, Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench (India);
13 Hon'ble Mr Justice I. Venkatanarayana, Judge, High Court of Andhra Pradesh (India);
14 Hon'ble Mr Justice M.R. Calla, Judge, High Court of Gujarat (India);
15 Hon'ble Mr Justice P. C. Varma, Judge of the Uttaranchal High Court, (India);
16 Hon'ble Mr Justice H. N. Tilahari, Judge, High Court of Karnataka, (India);
17 Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Presidents' Counsel & Consultant, Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Sri Lanka;
18 Mr K. K. Venugopal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and
19 Prof Alice de Jonge, Director, Department of Business Law & Taxation, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
- This august gathering too supported the call for a "World Parliament" which alone could safeguard the future of world's children.
- CMS is now organising the
2nd International Conference for Chief Justices of the World on Article 51 of the Constitution of India on 23rd December 2001, where the children's appeal will be presented. Eminent Judges, Jurists and legal experts who have already consented to participate in the Conference include the following:
- 1
Mr Justice R. S. Pathak, Former Chief Justice of India, Former Judge, International Court of Justice, Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague), Hony. Master of the Bench, Gray's Inn, London;
- 2
Mr Justice Rangnath Misra, Former Chief Justice of India, Former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission of India, Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague);
- 3
Mr. Justice Adriea Nyankiye, President, Supreme Court of Burundi;
- 4
Mr. Justice Edward Kwame Wredu, Chief Justice of Ghana;
- 5
Mr Justice Schofield, Chief Justice of Gibraltar;
- 6
Mr Justice K. N. Singh, Former Chief Justice of India;
- 7
Mr Justice M. H. Kania, Former Chief Justice of India;
- 8
Mr Justice A. G. Pillay, Chief Justice of Mauritius;
- 9
Prof Dr Simeon Gelevski, Chief Justice of the Republic of Macedonia;
- 10
Mr Justice Nasim Hasan Shah, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan;
- 11
Mr Justice Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan;
- 12
Mr Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan;
- 13
Sir Arnold Amet, CBE, LLD, Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea;
- 14
Mr Justice Hilario Davide Jr, Chief Justice of the Philippines;
- 15
Mr Justice V. Alleear, Chief Justice of Seychelles,
- 16
Mr Justice Vitaliy Boiko, Chairman, Supreme Court of Ukraine;
- 17
Mr Justice D. M. Lewanika, Chief Justice of Zambia;
- 18
Mr Justice A. R. Gubbay, Chief Justice of Zimbabwe;
- 19
Mr K.K.Venugopal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India;
- 20
Prof Philip Isley, Secretary-General, Global Ratification & Elections Network, Colorado, USA;
- 21
Dr T. P. Amerasinghe, Co-President, Global Ratification & Elections Network, Colombo, Sri Lanka;
- 21
Mr Dulal Biswas, Secretary-General, National Federation of Youth Organisations in Bangladesh;
- 22
Mr H. M. Sawar Alam, Coordinator, Students & Youth Section of GREN-WCPA, Toronto, Canada.
- Appeal to World Judiciary :
Now the 25,000 students of CMS — on behalf of world's two billion children — look up to the Chief Justices of the World representing the World Judiciary, to support their call for convening a legally-constituted "World Parliament" for enacting enforceable international law so that their future may be safeguarded. The voice of a united World Judiciary cannot be ignored and shall have to be heard and obeyed by all. The children approached the United Nations and also the Heads of State and Heads of Government of all the countries but their plea was not heard. If the Judiciary too fails to listen to their cry for help, the very future of mankind itself shall be jeopardy and the world shall probably perish either in a nuclear holocaust or in an eco-catastrophe.
