Archive Article: The International Commission Of Jurists.
January 3, 2009

A book has been launched entitled: “The International Commission of Jurists: The Pioneering Years”. Its author, Lucian Weeramantry, a lawyer operating in the US, Sri Lanka and England, is a former member of staff of the International Commission of Jurists. The International Commission of Jurists was created in 1953, when the Cold War was underway. Unlike some other non-governmental organizations that were created around that era, the International Commission did not end with the end of the Cold War but has gone on to flourish as one of the world’s most important human rights organizations.

The International Commission’s core business is the Rule of Law. This basic principle covers such matters as the subjection of governments and public servants to ordinary legal processes. For example, politicians and public servants cannot act as they would feel like (such as by favouring their relatives for special deals) but all people are to be treated equally in legal matters.

The International Commission’s activities include the presentation of reports to international organizations, the convening of conferences and issuing of publications. It has a network of national actions (including a particularly active one in Australia, in which I have been involved for several years).

I have very much enjoyed reading this book, not least because it reminded me of my first contact with the International Commission of Jurists, which was back in 1968 the International Year for Human Rights. Sean MacBride, a former Irish Foreign Minister, was then the Secretary-General of the International Commission in Geneva. He was concerned about the way in which there were so many guerrilla conflicts then underway which were not adequately covered by the international law of armed conflict.

MacBride began a campaign to get improvements to that international law. This is a good example of what one person in a non-governmental organization can achieve. Through his efforts, the 1968 United Nations Human Rights Conference adopted the resolution of “human rights in armed conflict”. I was at that time working with Professor Rosalyn Higgins (now Dame Rosalyn a Judge of the International Court of Justice) at the United Nations Association in the UK. We encouraged the British Government to support this initiative, which it did.

Some years later, when I did my doctorate on this subject, I spent a lot of time in the International Commission’s archives in Geneva going through MacBride’s copious correspondence with many other governments urging them to support this idea. He was very energetic in following this up.

There have been some improvements to the international law of armed conflict. They have not been as extensive as MacBride urged. But they are a step in the right direction – and a good example of how one person can make a difference in the international protection of human rights.

BROADCAST ON FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER 2001 ON RADIO 2GB’S “BRIAN WILSHIRE PROGRAMME” AT 9 PM, AND ON 16TH DECEMBER 2001 ON “SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE” AT 10.30 PM