Supporting Malta's intitiatives on international law

Simone Borg, co-ordinator of the Faculty of Laws' environmental and planning law unit, delivered the keynote speech at the recent unveiling of a monument on campus to commemorate Malta's 1998 United Nations initiative on global climate change, in the presence of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon.

The University is very proud of its achievement in the sphere of international law, and it is considered as the cradle of this initiative on climate change.

Dr Borg mentioned the contribution of David Attard, professor of international law at the University, Malta's and the international community's quest to protect the global climate. Indeed, Prof. Attard has built a legacy of present and future academics of international law.

During her speech, Dr Borg said she had followed the progress of this international law initiative since its inception, first as a student, then as a diplomat involved in the climate change negotiations on Malta's behalf, and now as a practitioner and academic specialising in international law.

The recent conferment of the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos recalls an even earlier initiative of Malta at the UN which eventually led to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On November 1, 1967, Malta's ambassador to the UN, Arvid Pardo, had called the world's nations to look around them and open their eyes to a looming conflict that could devastate the oceans, the lifeline of man's survival.

In 1995, a monument depicting the 'Law of the Sea' designed by architect Richard England and sculptured by Gabriel Caruana was unveiled on campus by then President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici to commemorate this UN convention.

On that occasion, Prof. Attard, at the time head of the Department of International Law, delivered a speech entitled 'A Universal Constitution for the Oceans'.

During the conferment of the honorary degree on the IMO secretary-general, Patricia Mallia, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the International Maritime Law Institute at the University, mentioned how one of the purposes of an honorary degree is to recognise the bond between the institution that bestows the honour and the individual who receives it. More importantly, she said, it indicates a hope for this bond to grow in future.

It would greatly benefit the University and the international community if the University was to continue in its efforts to promote the study and development of climate change law and policy.

Another initiative, this time taken by Prof. Peter Xuereb, head of Department of European and Comparative Law, was the setting up of the European Documentation and Research Centre (EDRC) at the University in 1992. The EDRC was awarded the title of Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence in 2004.

The EDRC also hosts the European Documentation Centre (EDC), a comprehensive collection of treaties, legislation, documentation, reports and studies published by the European Commission. The EDRC was recently admitted at the Trans European Policies Studies Association (TEPSA).

These initiatives should serve as an example of how the University, in its quest for academic excellence, can help Malta make its mark on the international map. It is certainly wise for other academics and intellectuals to come forward with other proposals which the government may take up in the international arena.