Faithfuls wave to Pope JohnPaul II in the courtyard of his summer residence in Castelgandofo, southeast of Rome, at the end of his traditional weekly audience. Pope John Paul II is to visit Slovakia in September on his third official visit to the eastern European state, the Vatican announced 14 July. PHOTO - TASR/AFP

VATICAN CITY - Frustrated by diplomacy‘s failure to avoid war in Iraq, Pope John Paul will challenge the world to come up with new international laws to prevent future conflicts, the Vatican said. The pope, one of the most strident anti-war voices during the build-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, has chosen international law as the theme for the next World Peace Day on January 1, 2004, a statement said.

„The recent war in Iraq has plainly shown the fragility of international law, especially when it comes to the workings of the United Nations,“ the Vatican said. „Humanity faces a crucial challenge: if it fails to create truly efficient institutions to stave off the punishment of war, the risk is that force will prevail over law,“ it added.

The pope threw tremendous energy into trying to avert war in the months preceding the attack on Iraq, meeting key figures such as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Bitterly disappointed that military action went ahead, the pope made frequent appeals for peace while the conflict raged. He has said that rather than setting down the rules for war, international legislation should focus on building and preserving peace, justice and solidarity. Reuters