Speech of H.E. Judge Abdulqawi A. Yusuf, President of the International Court of Justice, at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Forum

ADDRESS BY H.E. ABDULQAWI AHMED YUSUF, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT
OF JUSTICE, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ONE YOUNG WORLD FORUM
ON 17 OCTOBER 2018
Your Majesty,
Excellencies,
Ambassadors,
One Young World.
Nabad. Nabad.
This is the word for “Peace” in my native Somalia, where it is used to greet every person you
meet. So, “Nabad” to you all.
Welcome to the International Court of Justice, or as it is popularly known, “the World
Court”. Welcome to the home of peace-making among nations.
The Court is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its mission is to promote
peace and justice among nations through law. It was established to save the next generations from
the scourge of wars that brought untold tragedy to the world two times in the twentieth century.
However, it is also for the successive generations themselves to defend their acquis, the
progress, stability and prosperity that comes with peace.
You belong to these successive generations. You can and have to act as the advocates of
peace and justice. You have to act as the Ambassadors of the rule of law among nations. You
should not forget about the atrocities of the past; about the oppression of peoples; about the
extermination on racial or religious grounds.
There is always a risk of slide back and of regression. It is in your power to prevent it. It is in
your power to safeguard the rule of law so that we can have an enduring peace.
All nations renounced the resort to war under the UN Charter. They accepted to resolve their
disputes peacefully, including through this Court. This is an expression of the progress of
humanity. It is a manifestation of the achievements of human civilization, and the need to abandon
violence, atrocities and barbarism.
You have the power to influence; especially if you stand as one, as I hope you will. You
have the power to set trends. If you can be innovators in fashion, in music, in technology; why not
innovate also in the push for peace, and for the rule of law? You can help build the defences of
peace in the minds of your peers. You can educate them not to hate those who are different; not to
go back to the nefarious practices of the past. You can teach them to shun the warmongers, and
honour the peacemakers. You can encourage the nations from which you hail to settle their disputes
peacefully, including through adjudication, instead of using violence or force.
Remember the old proverb which says that: “Wars are created by people who are too old to
fight for those too young to die”. Act for peace now. Act for peace forever.
Nabad gelyo  go in peace, hopefully as one Young World working for Peace and Justice.
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