The headquarters of the United Nations Organisation in New York was the emblematic setting for the closing ceremony of the 28th World Congress on Law, organised by the World Association of Jurists, chaired by Javier Cremades.
A ceremony that has served to pay tribute to the European Commission, in the figure of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, who has received the prestigious World Peace and Freedom Award on behalf of the institution she presides.
The ceremony began with the words of the President of the World Association of Jurists, the Spanish lawyer Javier Cremades, who emphasised the setting of the closing ceremony of the Congress, the headquarters of the United Nations, “the most important experience for preventing conflicts and wars, and the only one that can represent all of humanity. There is no better place to celebrate the rule of law than the world headquarters of peace and justice.
Recalling the six-decade history of the organisation over which he presides, Cremades pointed out that “the importance of our work has not changed since then: the rule of law is the only alternative for humanity to live in peace”.
On the award given by the organisation to the European Commission, the lawyer recalled that “the European Union has managed to realise a vision of collaboration, prosperity and freedom for citizens over the last 70 years. And Ursula von der Leyen is the face of Europe.
The presentation of the World Peace and Freedom Award was followed by speeches from leading US legal luminaries, including New York Chief Justice Rowan D. Wilson, civil rights leader Andrew Young and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Viviane Reading, the European Union’s first Justice Commissioner and Vice-President of the World Law Foundation, read out the award to the European Commission.
The European Commission, World Peace and Security Award
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered the laudatio, recalling the plight of Europe at the end of the Second World War: “At that time, leaders realised that the machinery of war had become too dangerous. And out of the ashes of the Second World War, the European Union was born: transcending differences and uniting countries around the rule of law, it succeeded in overcoming age-old clashes and securing peace for future generations”.
Trudeau highlighted the importance of the President of the European Commission in EU-Canada relations, and her leadership during the pandemic and in the war in Ukraine.
In her acceptance speech, the President of the European Commission thanked the World Association of Jurists for its 60 years of activity and its service to humanity in upholding the rule of law during this period.
On the origins of the European Union, Ms Von der Leyen stressed that “the history of our Union is the history of democracies, young and old, growing together. And the next chapter is being written right now in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the Western Balkans.
The President of the European Commission had words of encouragement for Ukraine: “Putin has brought war back to Europe, committing horrendous crimes, in a war that goes against the founding principles of the UN. Europe will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes”.
King Felipe VI presented the award to the European Commission. In his speech, the monarch pointed out that “this award recognises the most significant multinational integration project in recent history, to consolidate peace and democracy in the countries of the European continent after the Second World War”.
Felipe VI also referred to the work of the World Congress on Law, whose opening was presided over by the monarch himself on 8 May in Madrid: “it has taken more than two years of effort to bring together more than 1,000 jurists from more than 70 countries, whose conclusions will be very useful for judges and magistrates from all over the world”.
He also referred to the return of war on European soil: “The pillars on which we have built Europe have been shaken by intolerance and exclusion. Now, more than ever, we need leaders to revitalise our confidence in the institutions. And for this, they can always count on Spain. As Ortega y Gasset said, Europe, instead of being the problem, is the solution”.
Medals of Honour
The second part of the ceremony was devoted to the presentation of the Association’s medals of honour. One of them also had a Spanish accent, as it was awarded to the energy company Iberdrola.
n the words of Iván Duque, former President of Colombia, who gave the laudatio, “Iberdrola represents the values of 21st century ethics in terms of sustainability. A company that, beyond profits, is committed and leads by example, leading the energy revolution and reducing to zero the generation of energy through diesel and coal. We congratulate its representative and extend our congratulations to its chairman, Ignacio Galán”.
On behalf of the company, the medal was accepted by Santiago Martínez Garrido, General Secretary and Secretary of the Board.