29 March 2012: In a video message to the 106th annual meeting of the American Society of International Law, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted the increasing importance of international law to sustainable development, as societies become more connected.

In his address at the meeting, which was held in Washington, DC, US, from 28-31 March 2012, Ban welcomed legal input on the “increasingly complex reality” of the globalized world. He stressed the relationship between societies becoming more connected and national legal systems becoming more internationalized.

Ban outlined five issues that fall within the scope of international law, as follows: sustainable development; preventing conflicts, damage from disasters and human rights abuses; building a safer and more secure world; supporting nations in transition; and working with and for women and young people. He urged participants at the meeting to engage with these challenges in order to advance both sustainable development and international law. [UN Press Release]