International law is fundamental to world order: Polish president

Duda said there can be no peace without law, and that “the international law remains the strongest tool for civilized nations to ensure long-term peace.”

But Duda warned the modern world faced “a temptation to place force above law, and fear above trust”.

He urged the security council to clearly define problems so that they could best be addressed.

“For if we call an act of aggression 'a conflict', without properly defining the victim and the aggressor; if we call a threat 'a challenge', without defining the source of that threat; and if we call building aggressive military capabilities 'a disturbance of balance', without determining who is advancing his offensive military capabilities, then we are helpless in terms of selecting legal steps to react,” Duda said.

The Polish president added that the law must serve people who seek justice, especially people looking to be compensated for historic losses and investigating the causes of air disasters such as the 2010 Smolensk plane crash.

Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice party, from which Duda hails, is probing the causes of the April 10, 2010 crash of a Polish plane in Smolensk, western Russia, which killed then-President Lech Kaczyński and 95 others, mainly political and military top brass.

The Polish government has rejected previous official reports into the crash.

Duda chaired the debate on international law and ensuring global peace and security as Poland holds the month-long rotating UN security council presidency in May.

Poland became a temporary member of the council for a two-year stint in January. (vb/pk)

Source: PAP, prezydent.pl