The UK-Iran Dispute: Appealing to Cooler Heads

Transnational Foundation

Lund, Sweden, March 30, 2007

Watch how the tension is building up between the U.K. and Iran - related as it is to a larger, very dangerous conflict.

The world is watching the angry men and hears their uncompromising words. Violence lurks in every move.

Instead of investigating the facts, the Security Council - with a permanent majority of U.K. friends - urges the release of the sailors, no one imagining it had reprimanded the U.K. for violating borders? And UN S-G Ban Ki-moon "expressed his wish to see an early resolution of this problem."

But moments that could lead to nuclear war and mass destruction are hardly moments for premature judgement or nice wishes.

Doesn't humankind really have better, more intelligent ways? How come the United Nations itself does not point to a perfectly logical international legal procedure to mitigate and solve the conflict?

These are questions you will ask when you read international law professor and TFF Associate, Francis A. Boyle's, little 12-liner proposal here.

Why on earth has this not been suggested by world leaders, commentators and the UN long ago? Has the whole world forgotten that law can be a tool to secure world order, fairness and prevent wars?

Please read Francis Boyle's 12-line proposal and spread the idea.

For Iran and the UK: Invoke the Hague Convention for Pacific Settlement now!
Francis A. Boyle, TFF Associate

Both Iran and the United Kingdom are contracting parties to the 1899 Hague Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes.

Title III of the 1899 Convention created a procedure for the formation of international commissions of inquiry to investigate, ascertain and report on international differences involving neither honor nor vital interests, and arising from disputed points of fact that could not be settled by means of diplomacy (article 9).

An International Commission of Inquiry is precisely what is called for here to resolve their dispute over the Sailors.

Hence I would encourage everyone to pressure the Governments of both Iran and the United Kingdom to publicly invoke the 1899 Convention and request the immediate organization of such a Commission to de-escalate this crisis that could readily precipitate World War III.

For more details on these Commissions with further references, see my book Foundations of World Order (Duke University Press:1999).

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