NEW YORK, NY (TIP): On Thursday May 26th, Ambassadors of Denmark, Haiti, Romania and South Africa and representatives from 15 other Permanent Missions gathered at the United Nations Headquarters to discuss the issues of “International Law on Peace and Justice.” Hosted by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization, the session drew much attention as it was held in line with the global peace walks held across 52 nations with 300,000 people, celebrating the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace.

The ambassadors in attendance shared effective national practices to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on quality education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, peace and justice. On the other hand, HWPL introduced the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) as an effective means of achieving the UN SDGs.

The Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War was drafted by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee that consists of renowned experts in the field of international law. On March 14th this year, it was then presented to the public with the aim of maintaining international peace and security, leaving an invaluable inheritance of a world free of wars to successive generations.

The Declaration respects and builds on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations as well as other international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Mr. Man Hee Lee, the Chairman of HWPL, provided guidance in drafting the Declaration. In his commemorative address at the peace walk in Seoul, South Korea, he said “the eyes of the world are focused on us here today … What we must leave as a legacy for our future generations is peace. Is there anything more valuable than such a legacy? No amount of material wealth can compare to peace. But this peace cannot be achieved by one person. Everyone must become a messenger of peace and work together to achieve peace.”

This year’s peace walks highlighted the global peace advocacy movement, the Legislate Peace Campaign, recently launched to bring all wars to an end by establishing an enforceable law compatible with the “Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War.” This campaign calls on global citizens to unite as one to voice their demand for peace through adding their signatures.

In New York, women and youth groups as well as peace organizations gathered and signed their support for the Declaration at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza across the UN Headquarters.

As of May 25, HWPL reported that not only over 500,000 signatures were collected from 154 countries in less than two months, but also many heads of state have written official letters of support.

Since the Declaration of World Peace was first proclaimed on May 25 2013, HWPL has worked on its international law initiative to draft an instrument for all States to adopt that ultimately promotes a culture of peace and ceases all wars. This Declaration not only encapsulates and supports all UN SDGs but also serves as a foundation for future works of peace.