World Federalists of Canada
ISSUES ACTION
Briefing Paper No.41 January-February 1998


The Hague Peace Conference:
An Agenda for World Law in the 21st Century


The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 is an end-of-century peace campaign
that will bring together an extraordinary range of initiatives,
citizens and organizations to develop substantive global strategies
for the reduction of conflict and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Just as civilization has largely left behind slavery, colonialism, and
apartheid, The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 will identify the remaining
steps necessary for the de-legitimization of war.

About The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999:

The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 is organized and initiated by civil society. It consists of a major international peace campaign, highlighted by a global conference to be held in The Hague, May 1999.

The conference is timed to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of
the First Hague International Peace Conference, held in May 1899 The
activities catalysed by the Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 are intended
to complement the Programme of Action of the "Centennial of the First
International Peace Conference", which will take place at the
governmental level within the framework of the United Nations Decade
of International Law. (A summary of the Intergovernmental Plan of
Action is appended to this Briefing Paper.)

Historical Background:

Initiated by Czar Nicholas II of Russia, and
hosted by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the First International
Peace Conference was unique. It was convened not to settle an existing
war, but to focus on building a lasting world peace. The Second Hague
International Peace conference was held in 1907, largely initiated by
citizen groups. A third conference, scheduled to be held in 1915, was
permanently postponed by the outbreak of the First World War. These
conferences made historic advances in the development of international
law and institutions. The growth of institutions and values that
strive to protect civilians, regulate conflict, and ensure human
security can be traced to last century's efforts in The Hague. More
recently, the United Nations declared 1989 - 99 the UN Decade of
International Law. The origins of this UN Decade can be traced to
joint conferences in the summer of 1989 (also at The Hague) of: (1)
Non-governmental organizations, an ad hoc coalition which came
together under the leadership of the World Federalist Movement; and
(2) members of the Non-Aligned group of states meeting at the time of
the annual Non-Aligned Summit. Members of the Non-Aligned subsequently
introduced a resolution at the UN General Assembly which led to the
Decade of International Law. The desirability of a Third Hague Peace
Conference was written into the original UN resolution, as well as
annual UN General Assembly reports and resolutions documenting the
fulfilling of the goals of the Decade. (See article from December,
1989 Canadian World Federalist, appended to this Briefing Paper.)

Goals:

The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 will address the same three
issues that were set at the first International Peace Conference of
1899, updated to address contemporary conditions. They are: *
strengthening humanitarian law and institutions; * the armament
question; and * the peaceful settlement of disputes, including
conflict prevention and peace-building. In addition to these three
topics, great emphasis will be placed on the root causes of war and
advancing a global culture of peace.

The Campaign:

The campaign will bring together an extraordinary range
of existing initiatives, experts, activists, organizations and leaders
in order to develop specific global strategies for the
de-legitimization of war. The campaign will run until December 1999.
Over the next two years, individuals and participating organizations
will cooperate to produce The Hague Agenda for Peace . This Agenda
will be comprised of working papers, resolutions and strategies for
mobilization to be presented at the 1999 Conference. Preparatory
meetings will be held at the national and regional levels to animate
discussion on the 3 themes of The Appeal, providing organizational
impetus for both Appeal and Centennial activities. As with other 1999
events, the major challenge of The Hague Appeal for Peace will be to
review and strengthen the development of international law, and of
humanitarian law and the laws of warfare in particular. Both normative
and practical issues will be examined, incorporating the full spectrum
of initiatives integral to the promotion of peace in the 21st century.
The Agenda is therefore expected to encompass a wide range of issues,
ranging from human-centered development through to the enhancement of
key international humanitarian legal instruments and the
institutionalization of a permanent International Criminal Court.

The Conference:

The campaign of The Hague Appeal for Peace will be
highlighted by a major international citizens' peace conference to be
held May 11-16, 1999 in the Congress Center in The Hague. With
5,000-10,000 participants, the conference will address specific Agenda
items and provide a forum in which different elements of civil society
will be able to exchange ideas, develop global linkages, and
strengthen their capacity to achieve the three main goals of The Hague
Appeal for Peace. The conference will consist of a central meeting,
involving a series of plenary sessions, and a variety of other smaller
plenaries, workshops, lectures and peer group meetings A major
international concert is also being planned. All levels of society
will be represented, and funding commitments will be made to support
participants from lesser developed nations. In addition, a strong
emphasis will be placed on the development of an innovative global
communications framework, including real-time conferencing and
internet debate, that will facilitate maximum participation by
individuals and groups unable to contribute in person.

Relationship to Centennial of the
First International Peace Conference:

The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 participated in the first
meeting of the "Friends of the 1999" at the Peace Palace at The Hague,
and discussed with representatives from approximately two dozen states
and a number of International Organizations the contents of the
Programme of Action for the governmental 1999 Centennial celebrations.
The Appeal is coordinating closely with the "Friends of 1999" to
ensure that it contributes to the umbrella of Centennial events in an
effective manner. In particular, The Appeal is expected to complement
governmental activities by providing a platform for the considerable
expertise of civil society organizations on the 3 Hague themes. The
Appeal will facilitate participation in centennial events by all
levels of society, and help mobilize focus on The Programme of Action
at the national, regional and international level.

Organizational Structure:

The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 has been
initiated by a coalition of four NGOs, two of which are Novel Peace
Prize Laureates. The Secretary-General is Mr William Peace, Executive
Director of the World Federalist Movement and Convenor of the NGO
Coalition for an International Criminal Court.


The Appeal is under the general direction of an Organizing Committee,
comprised of a variety of citizen groups from all regions of the
globe. Each member of the organizing committee has expertise and
experience in a particular issue area, ranging from humanitarian
assistance to post-conflict reconstruction and international law. The
Appeal's Honorary Committee consists of a variety of distinguished
international leaders, including Nobel laureates Archbishop Desmond
Tutu, Alfredo Peréz Esquivel, and Professor Joseph Rotblat. The Appeal
is currently endorsed by over 180 organizations world-wide, with the
number of participants and endorsers expected to rise considerably
over the course of the next years.


Recommended Action

Write to Foreign Affairs Minister Axworthy. Suggest that Canada do the
following: 1) become a 'Friend of 1999', joining a core group of
states responsible for advancing the intergovernmental Plan of Action;
2) Support the organization in Canada of a Regional Conference on the
three 'Hague themes'; 3) Plan to participate in the (May 10 - 16)
Hague Appeal for Peace Conference and the (May 18 - 19) Centennial
Conference / Experts Meeting on the Normative Aspects of International
Humanitarian Law.


Letters should be addressed to:

Hon. Lloyd Axworthy Minister for
Foreign Affairs Lester B. Pearson Building 125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0G2

This paper was prepared by Miranda Sissons, Program Associate at the
Hague Appeal for Peace Secretariat in New York and Fergus Watt at the
WFC national office.

 

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