By Richard Falk
This petition offers international lawyers to show solidarity with the grave plight of the Palestinian civilian population of Gaza that is continuing to endure daily onslaught by Israel that causes widespread suffering so far supported to varying degrees by the leading liberal democracies of the West.
International Lawyers Calling for Ceasefire in Gaza and Respect for International Law
Why This Petition Matters – International Lawyers
Started on 4 Apr 2024 – We, a group of international lawyers and academics dedicated to resolving international disputes through peaceful means, cannot remain silent in the face of the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Due to the armed hostilities in Gaza over thirty thousand people have died, many of them children, and there have been significantly more casualties. According to representatives of the United Nations and various organisations attempting to provide relief, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. In its order of 28 March 2024 in the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) observed that the Palestinians in Gaza “are no longer facing only a risk of famine … but that famine is setting in” (see paragraph 21 of Order at https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203847
Guided by the principles of the rule of law, peaceful conflict resolution and the protection of the civilian population, we call for an immediate and durable ceasefire and full adherence to the rules of international law and specifically international humanitarian law. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We specifically recall the UN Security Council Resolutions 2728 (2024), 2720 (2023), and 2712 (2023) as well as UN General Assembly Resolution A/ES-10/L.27 (2023).
We further call for Israel to comply with the ICJ Orders dated 26 January 2024 and 28 March 2024 and to take all necessary measures to ensure unhindered provision of humanitarian aid through international organisations, including through UNRWA.
We express our condolences and deepest sympathy to all those who are experiencing suffering and loss in Gaza and Israel.
We invite members of the international legal community, whether involved in dispute resolution or otherwise, to join us in calling for immediate ceasefire and the just and peaceful resolution to the current conflict by signing this petition.
Signatories as of 12 April 2024 include:
- Taiwo Adeshina
- Ali Al-Karim
- Céline Aymé-Wauthier
- Domitille Baizeau
- Professor Ilias Bantekas
- Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo
- Mohammed Dele Belgore SAN
- Professor George Bermann
- Le Batonnier Joachim Bilé Aka
- Professor Laurence Boisson de Chazournes
- Juliet Blanch
- Gabriel Bottini
- Professor Ronald Brand
- Judge Charles Brower
- Professor Nael Bunni
- Professor Peter Cameron
- Yemi Candide-Johnson SAN
- Eliséo Castineira
- Dong Chungang
- Professor Giuditta Cordero-Moss
- Bernardo Cremades
- Nadia Darwazeh
- Yves Derains
- Diamana Diawara
- Caroline Duclercq
- Professor John Dugard SC
- Bernd Ehle
- Professor Richard Falk
- Professor Maximin de Fontmichel
- Julien Fouret
- Teresa Giovannini
- Nina Hall
- Laura Halonen
- George Hazboun
- Professor Kaj Hobér
- Jean-Christophe Honlet
- Sami Houerbi
- Vera van Houtte
- Professor Hans van Houtte
- Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler
- Fathi Kemicha
- Gaston Kenfack
- Ben Knowles
- Gisela Knuts
- Professor Stefan Kroll
- Professor Nikos Lavranos
- Philippe Leboulanger
- Françoise Lefèvre
- Carole Malinvaud
- Samy Markbaoui
- Professor Pierre Mayer
- Professor Brian McGarry
- David Méheut
- Professor Loukas Mistelis
- Yasmin Mohammad
- Alexis Mourre
- Sara Nadeau Seguin
- Marina Papadatou
- Wolfgang Peter
- Pierre Pic
- Noradèle Radjai
- Mohamed Abdel Raouf
- Hery Frédéric Ranjeva
- Professor Catherine Rogers
- José Rosell
- Michael Schneider
- Professor Thomas Schultz
- Ronen Setty
- Patricia Shaughnessy
- Mohamed Shelbaya
- Ana Stanič
- Professor Attila Massimiliano Tanzi
- Former President Danilo Türk
- Professor Dorothy Ufot SAN
- Christopher Vajda KC
- Sun Wie
- Karim Youssef
- Roland Ziadé
_________________________________________
Prof. Richard Falk is a member of the TRANSCEND Network, Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, Chair of Global Law, Faculty of Law, at Queen Mary University London, Research Associate the Orfalea Center of Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Fellow of the Tellus Institute.
22 April 2024
Source: transcend.org