Excerpts from statements by UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar made between 1 July and 30 September 1988.

• Position: Editorial

The guns of war are silent. . .

Today, we rejoice that the guns of war are silent in some parts of the world. They will, we hope, soon

become silent in others. Today, we are sustained by the growing recognition that the principles of the United Nations Charter must be faithfully applied so as to achieve a durable peace. Today, we are encouraged that the Governments and peoples of the world are looking more and more to our Organization to steer the world towards peace.

No day of peace should pass without a special salute to the brave men and women of our international peacekeeping forces. For them, every day is devoted to peace. For this, they have earned the respect, the admiration and the gratitude of the international community.

Against force and arbitrariness . . .

The elaboration and development of international law, its visionary potential, constitute the very air we breathe at the World Organization. That might appear a somewhat rarefied air. Indeed, international law might be termed the ozone layer of our common future. It is the protective

factor-mostly unseen, often misunderstood-upon which humanity's continued existence may depend. Whether domestic or international, the law seeks to prescribe rules for the orderly governance of society. In the final analysis, national and international societies submit to the rule of law because they wish to afford due respect and protection to the dignity of men and nations. Both domestically and internationally, legality is the bulwark against unrestrained force and arbitrariness.

From a message to the American Bar Association meeting in Toronto, Canada, 8 August

An infant of four decades . . .

Compared with Leiden University's four centuries of history, the United Nations is but an infant of four decades. It is still striving to develop the most effective working methods for achieving its goal of a better world where peace and security may prevail. Nevertheless, I believe we may take some satisfaction in the progress achieved since 1945, not least in the realm of international law. The United Nations and its family of organizations now comprise a framework for the international consideration of practically every field of human endeavour. In our attempt to provide a suitable response to the ever-changing challenges before international society, the United Nations can be vastly assisted by the academic community. Universities such as yours have made a tremendous contribution to the advancement of...