MARKING HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR VISION TO BRING ABOUT NEW EQUILIBRIUM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
27 November 2002
Few periods in history have brought a greater sense of a seismic shift in the workings of international relations than the present one - in the interaction between States and between peoples alike. Globalization, the spectre of international terrorism and the increasing recognition of the universality of human rights are all part of this shift. To manage it, we need a vision that can help bring about a new equilibrium. That vision must respect human rights, confront the threat of terrorism, and draw as never before upon the resources and legitimacy of multilateral cooperation. That confronts us with a complex challenge, but one in which we must be guided by one clear principle beyond any other: respect for the international rule of law.
One of the most outstanding legacies of the last century was the development of a body of international law - humanitarian, refugee, criminal and human rights law - which, taken together, properly understood and effectively implemented, serve to protect the individual from injustice, from arbitrary treatment, and from assaults on fundamental security.
27 November 2002
Few periods in history have brought a greater sense of a seismic shift in the workings of international relations than the present one - in the interaction between States and between peoples alike. Globalization, the spectre of international terrorism and the increasing recognition of the universality of human rights are all part of this shift. To manage it, we need a vision that can help bring about a new equilibrium. That vision must respect human rights, confront the threat of terrorism, and draw as never before upon the resources and legitimacy of multilateral cooperation. That confronts us with a complex challenge, but one in which we must be guided by one clear principle beyond any other: respect for the international rule of law.
One of the most outstanding legacies of the last century was the development of a body of international law - humanitarian, refugee, criminal and human rights law - which, taken together, properly understood and effectively implemented, serve to protect the individual from injustice, from arbitrary treatment, and from assaults on fundamental security.