The World Jurist Association (WJA) has called for mutual trust and goodwill in international cooperation in a "Shanghai Declaration" it adopted at the end of its 22nd biennual congress Friday.

"To create a peaceful and just world the Congress considered international cooperation based on mutual trust and goodwill among the world's civilizations and cultures as the foundation stone," the document says.

"An effective United Nations, strict adherence by states to norms of international law, and peaceful resolution of international disputes are prerequisites for such a world," it says.

It urges all countries to respect and vigorously preserve the diversity of world civilizations on the basis of equality and mutual understanding through dialogue and exchanges.

Fifteen hundred jurists from more than 60 countries and international organizations participated in the WJA's congress in Beijing and Shanghai, from Sept. 4-10.

Source: Xinhua