Judges and legal experts from over 60 countries deliberated on more democratic and more effective global governance
The establishment of a world parliament was a main subject endorsed at the 13th "International Conference of Chief Justices of the World" that was convened by City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, this weekend. At the meeting, chief justices, judges and legal experts from over 60 countries deliberated on the need of strengthening international law in order to meet the challenges of global problems such as climate change.
At the opening, chief justice Benjamin Odoki from Uganda stated that "steps are needed to constitute a world judicial system and world parliament. No one is above the law, international law must be strictly enforced and implemented." Uttar Pradesh Assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey emphasized that a world parliament was "the need of the hour."
According to the organizer of the conference, Jagdish Gandhi, the chief justices gathered in Lucknow generally agreed "that even though the cultures and traditions of various countries are widely different, still there prevails an underlying unity as we are all members of one human family. Therefore, we need one enforceable international law to hold us together and prevent wars. Only when world laws are uniform and equally applicable on all countries, can we hope for a peaceful and happy world society." Dr. Gandhi added that the participating chief justices are convinced that this mission "can only be accomplished by the establishment of a World Parliament with representatives of all countries."
The subject of a world parliament was addressed in many interventions. The First President of the Supreme Court of Turkey, Ali Alkan, for instance, stated that "a democratically elected world parliament, some amendments in the UN charter like exclusion of veto powers and an enforceable legal system are the ways which can help us protect the future of the world's children and generations yet unborn."
At the previous conference last year, a final resolution was adopted unanimously that included the recommendation that "for the enactment of world law", a "World Parliament may be constituted."
With over 44,000 pupils, City Montessori School is recognized as Guiness record holder for being the world's largest school. The instituion considers itself the "self-appointed guardian of the world's two billion children and of future generations."
