I am writing to seek your authoritative support for a major humanitarian cause: the establishment of the Permanent International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

As you will know, the forthcoming General Assembly of the UN will be called upon to decide by mid-October on the principle of convening, in 1998, a plenipotentiaries' conference with the mandate of setting out the Statute for such a Court. Needless to say, many UN members - including prominent ones - still hold reservations on the scope and the mandate of such a Court, and a cross-fire of "diplomatic" objections may ultimately affect the resolve of the international community at large to move ahead with its establishment.

This is not just a symbolic issue. From my experience as Commissioner in charge of Humanitarian Affairs, there is a clear connection between the diffuse sense of impunity surrounding the genocides of recent history (to mention but the most odious and paradigmatic crime in this category) and the difficulty in promoting meaningful reconciliation and social reconstruction in countries like Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Rwanda, etc. The envisaged Tribunal would furthermore constitute a powerful deterrent against the perpetration of such crimes, thus helping prevent the occurrence of man-made humanitarian catastrophes.

You may be aware that I have campaigned all through my political life for an effective system of international justice and more recently for the establishment of this Court. This is why I have responded enthusiastically to the request to help promoting a public appeal of eminent personalities in favour of the establishment of the Court, (and for the arrest of all those indicted by the ad hoc Tribunals for Rwanda and ex-Yugoslavia) addressed to me by the human rights organisation "NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE" and the Soros Foundation. I am doing so in a personal capacity, writing to a restricted number of international personalities well-known both for their charismatic leadership and for their record in defense of human rights worldwide.

Your support for this very just cause would be of paramount importance. If you agree with the enclosed appeal, I would be grateful if you could send it back with your signature by fax (n32.2.2957530). The consolidated appeal with the signatures should thereafter be timely published on major international newspapers, so as to coincide with the relevant works of the UNGA.

I hope you will forgive this rather unorthodox demarche. I strongly feel that public opinion throughout the world expects moral leadership on this issue to cut across political and government boundaries.

Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely,