I begin with a Urdu couplet “Mana ki ham chaman ko na guljar kar sake. Kuch khar to kam kar gae jis rah se gujre.” Although our efforts may not bring about peace and prosperity, but the way we are treading on, will certainly have positive affect on removing some of the irritants & thorns of life. We all know that the present world scenario presents a very grim state of affairs. The biggest challenge before humankind, is how to avert war and conflicts and create an atmosphere of peace, harmony, goodwill, understanding, co-existence and unity of mankind, devoid of hatred, envy and dissentions and free from violence and terrorism. They pose the biggest challenge to humankind, especially the intelligentsia, the political leaders and all right thinking and judicious persons, who must expeditiously realize the gravity of the situation, with pro-active approach to combat the impending dangers and work for unification of the World. More than half a century ago, Sri Aurobindo, a great spiritual personality, had observed, as quoted by Mr Justice D.P. Singh last evening, that "unification is a necessity of nature, an inevitable movement. Its necessity for the nations is also clear, for without it the freedom of small nations may be, at any moment, in peril and life even of the large and powerful nations insecure." This appears to be true as the world is passing through a very critical stage and nations, small or big, powerful or weak, are feeling insecure, either for fear of war or terrorist attacks or global warming, greenhouse gases and melting of icecaps.

Children are the common denominator. The world belongs to them; and it is our bounden duty and obligation to preserve this world for the sake of children and future generations. They have a right over us, and on that foundation we have got to be acting as trustees and to see that no more destructions and wars take place and other problems which threaten the very survival of human beings are tackled. The UN Secretary General has, in the introduction of the Report issued before the September 2005 Summit, stated 'Five years into the new millennium, we have it in our power to pass on to our children a brighter inheritance than that bequeathed to any previous generation.' Unquote Yes! we have it in our power, but the challenges are very many. The challenges in the fields of environmental protection, bio-diversity, climate change, threat of terrorism, ethnic and religious conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, demographic development, unequal distribution of resources and prosperity have made the stability of international community and its capacity to act a critical issue of the world. Other challenges include child abuse, orphaned children, human trafficking, drug trafficking, refugee problem and utter poverty.

Lordships, the prevailing situation creates a sense of insecurity and fear in young minds. Future of 2-billion children and children yet to-be-born is at stake. We have to provide for their shelter, food, potable water, education and health services. And this is possible if the huge resources spent on weapons, defense preparedness and on research of new and more destructive weapons are consecrated to the welfare of mankind, especially children.

Lordship, we are here with a dream, a vision, an expectation and with a prayer that, may we send forth every moment of our lives that the dream may be realized. In the last conference Hon'ble Justice Graciela Dixon, Chief Justice of Panama and President of International Association of Women Judges raised questions about the purpose of the conference. Well, as I said, we have a dream. What is that dream? What are the responsibilities that go with the dream, that vision and what is the high burden that will go for making that dream, that vision a reality? The dream, the vision, is a united and peaceful world. How to bring it about? This poses biggest challenge to humankind. This is a great challenge before World judiciary because we have highest expectations from Hon'ble Justices as they are cream of intelligentsia and are dedicated to justice and honesty and because they are highly esteemed and are obeyed. As regards our responsibilities that go with the dream, we have to be peace conscious, we human beings have to be humane. Here I would like to quote Sir Arthur Kent who remarked, I quote 'The course of human history is determined, not by what happens in the skies, but what takes place in our hearts.' unquote. Mahatma Gandhi had said 'You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty. The ocean does not become dirty.' Lordships, a very vast majority is not dirty, only a few are. We hope your efforts and your voice will be heard by them and things will improve.

The Millennium Summit held in September 2000 has not proved to be as fruitful as expected. Then 9/11 - terrorist attack on WTC and Washington DC, brought to the fore the dimensions of modern terrorism and the deep wounds it can inflict on humanity. Attack on Afghanistan and later, on Iraq left the world bewildered. The second Millennium Summit held in September 2005, with a view to restructuring and strengthening of U.N.O. could not match expectations of the people. There is a demand for amending the U.N. Charter. But under the UN Charter no amendment can be made without consent of Veto power countries. Another the question is that whether expansion of the Security Council membership to include India, Brazil, Japan and Germany or withdrawing Veto Powers will solve present day problems. To my mind it will not be enough. What is necessary is that there should be worldwide awareness and movement. How and in what manner this can be done is for your lordships to consider and decide.

I think, three major problems which endanger the lives of the people, the humanity, have to be address first and they are firstly, nuclear bombs and their proliferation. I will give the figures of present warhead arsenels as appeared in the latest November 2007 issue of the Magazine 'Scientific America, India,' according to which Russia has 15,000, US 9,900, France 350, China 200, U.K. 200 Israel 80, Pakistan 60, India 50 and North Korea 10, which comes to 25,850 nuclear warheads. Although the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reduction - limits Russia and U.S. to a maximum of 2,200 'Operationally deployed' warheads by 2012. Now let us see what happens in this respect.

Ballistic Missiles launched from U.S., Russia & China can reach most land masses by traveling along various trajectories, including those over the north pole region. France and U.K. can also do the same using sub-marines.

Secondly, There is a very serious problem of Terrorism. Political ambitions and, of late, religious fundamentalism have given rise to terrorism. A study of lawlessness, violence and conflicts and civil wars around the world show that it is not due to economic disparities but have its roots in sectarian passion based on religion, region and tribal ambitions. Insurgency and trans-national terrorism in India is based on religion. Daily killings in Iraq at present are due to Shia-Sunni conflict. In Lebanon there is danger of Civil war along religious lines. Indonesia is also affected by religious conflicts. Genocide in Darfur and Sudan has its roots in tribal conflicts. Horrows of genocide in Burundi and Rwanda are still fresh in world memory in which neighboring states had also suffered due to influx of refugees. There is trans-national network of much dreaded terrorist groups with religious overtones. The situation on this front is critical and may lead to wide spread violence and may even lead to nuclear attack, if terrorist groups having transnational network are able to acquire nuclear technology. This is a global problem which requires global solution. Although in the 2005 World Summit all governments, for the first time, have expressed their clear and unqualified condemnation of terrorism 'in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes' but it requires strong political will, strategy and active participation in war against terrorism by all the countries of the world. Without peace there can be no development and without development there can be no peace.

Third important problem to affect the very existence of humankind is greenhouse gases, global warming and environmental degradation. Global warming and ecological imbalance, the alarming growth of deserts world over, the melting of polar ice-caps and Siberian peat bogs, all threaten future of humankind. The temperatures in the Arctic have soared with global warming. By the melting of ice-caps the level of world's seas in rising and this will result in inundating of many coastal cities of the world and vast areas of low lying countries and islands. It is estimated that heat waves will be more frequent and more intense, with the result that more than a million species worldwide could be extinct by 2050. Since Global Warming will affect all the countries, it is necessary that all countries, big or small, developed or developing, join hands to check it and all out efforts are made to save humanity. A conference is being held presently at Bali in Indonesia. Let us see the outcome of that conference.

The International Court of Justice has jurisdiction in cases in which states have accepted or submitted to its jurisdiction as is provided in the statutes of the court. Its main functions are to settle disputes submitted to it by states or to give advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies. In the present world scenario it is imperative to extend jurisdiction of the World Court to all nations for resolving all international disputes and conflicts peacefully and legally and all international relations and problems having international ramifications are brought under the governance of enforceable international law and subject to jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

Now, therefore, we have to work hard and sincerely to bring about an era of unity and love, religions tolerance and spirituality, cooperation and co-existence. Well, there is hope as is evident from the presence here of such high dignitaries of world judiciary. What shape the new world order should take, it is for you Lordships, the intelligentsia to ponder over. In the afternoon today an interactive session will take place in which Hon'ble members of World Judiciary will decide the course of action to be taken. I hope their views will have far-reaching effect on the world situation. With such a positive note I thank you and hope that the vision, the dream will be realized and we shall be able to bequeath to our children a safer and peaceful future.

Thank you.