Discussion held on Declaration of Peace & Cessation of War (DPCW)

On 23rd May, A completion ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of the DPCW Handbook Discussion Project where law school students had 10-week debates on international law on principles of peacekeeping was held online in Bangladesh and India. A total of 45 attendants of law experts and law school students participated in the completion ceremony, including Dr. Kamal Hossain, who is President of International Law Association(ILA) of Bangladesh Branch and Former Minister of Justice.

Dr. Hossein agreed the necessity of invention of a legal framework to secure peace at both national and international levels in the form of an international agreement or law and in 2015 September he sent Dr. Nazrul Islam, a professor of international law at Dhaka University in Bangladesh, to South Korea to help draft the "The Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War(DPCW)". The DPCW was finally drafted by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee comprised of prominent international law experts from 15 different countries including Dr. Hossein and Dr. Nazrul and proclaimed 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW on 14 March, 2016.

The Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) includes principles of peacebuilding such as the prohibition of the use of force, development of friendly relations, peaceful dispute settlement and creating a culture of peace. The objective of the DPCW Handbook Discussion Project for professors and law school students attend to deliverate on the value, necessity and realization of peace and discuss major issues in the international community through Article 1 to 10 of the DPCW.

Dr. Hossain said in his congratulatory address that “I examined risk factor threatening world peace and the bonding of civil society as well as peace activities of the youth are crucial.” Furthermore, he announced that “I congratulate law school students, youth on the completion of the DPCW Handbook Discussion Project which has been progressing for 10 weeks.”

Dr. Mizanur Rahman, law professor and ECLOP(Empowerment Through Common People) representative delivered a congratulatory remark that “Programs that had taken place at ELCOP last year have been halted due to Covid-19, but I had a hope of beginning the DPCW Handbook Discussion Project of HWPL this year. Thank you for selecting the ELCOP as a co-operative organization.”

Dr. Masum Billah, in charge of the human rights summer school of the ELCOP and law assistant professor of Jagannath University, stressed that “I can understand co-operation and conversation, self-determination, use of military force, religion, tolerance, human rights, a concept of peace, and students who have taken part in this project got to know how and why some dispute occurs in Myanmar and Syria as conflict affected countries through the whole process.”

Mr. Arifur Rahman, representative of graduates and a law student of Dhaka University, said in his speech, “The key of the DPCW is that peace is positively necessary in humankind and violence should not exist. Peace will ultimately be realized.”

At the Q and A session, one of the law school students questioned "What is the way to maintain peace and bonding?, What can people do for that?”. Dr. Hossain answered the question “It would be better putting in the work to develop human rights in cities and regions where each person live.”

The DPCW Handbook Discussion Project graduates are planning to work with the HWPL as lecturers in "Peace Culture Education based on the DPCW for Citizen" to explore ways how to apply the DPCW on international issues and educate citizens on the values and spirit of peace and participate in producing videos about the importance of DPCW.