Remarks at the Human Rights Council Urgent Debate on the Situation in Ukraine by Mark Cassayre, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Permanent Observer to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva
March 3, 2022 Geneva, Switzerland
Thank you, Mr. President.
The International Development Law Organization condemns the death and destruction resulting from the invasion of Ukraine. We express our deepest sympathy for the Ukrainian people who have lost loved ones and who face a humanitarian tragedy.
The events occurring in Ukraine demonstrate the urgency with which we need to act swiftly and robustly to defend and promote the rule of law.
Since the end of the Second World War, the international community has developed and invested in rules and mechanisms to prevent conflict, advance development, and safeguard rights. We invested in the rule of law.
The rule of law provides the space for people to prosper, for businesses to thrive, for states to work in harmony. It allows redress for people when systems fail.
For over 70 years, the world has benefited from rule of law-based mechanisms that helped avoid the global conflicts that marked preceding centuries.
However, over the past years, we have seen repeated attempts to undermine the rule of law and the systems that uphold those essential standards.
We cannot allow the world to descend into an era without rules, without accountability.
This body and other multilateral mechanisms must defend these principles for the sake of humanity.
As the only global intergovernmental organization devoted exclusively to promoting the rule of law for peace and sustainable development, IDLO stands ready to partner with others to achieve this necessary goal.
We join the UN Secretary General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and others who call for an immediate end to the conflict in Ukraine. Dialogue and peace must replace war and bloodshed immediately.
