UN secretary general wants world leaders to act on worsening migrant, Middle East situation
Ban Ki-moon says the collective weight of international action can make a difference
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. PHOTO: UN
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the world leaders to implement the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) on Tuesday in Geneva as the crisis in Syria, Yemen, Central Asia and other countries wrosened.
In a statement given for General Assembly Informal Interactive Dialogue on ‘A Vital and Enduring Commitment: Implementing the Responsibility to Protect’, Ban Ki-moon said, “I urgently call on governments and UN entities – especially the Security Council to move from understanding to action.”
The secretary general while delving into the history of R2P said that ten years ago, on September 8, the world leaders had transformed expectations about the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Read: UN is failing Syria due to differences between big powers: Ban Ki-moon
“When Heads of State and Government unanimously endorsed the World Summit Outcome, they expressed an unprecedented resolve to protect populations from the most egregious international crimes and to assist one another in this effort,” he said.
Convincing the UN member countries to practically start working for resolving the issues, he said that the atrocity crimes that stain humanity’s conscience made it imperative that leaders transformed R2P from a vital principle into visible practice.
Ki-moon suggested three steps to respond to the crisis plaguing many a countries: Genuine willingness among member states, especially security council members, to create the necessary political space to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes; stronger connections between early warning and early action; courage in publicly confronting and addressing signs of risk.
He added that he was counting on the leadership of the world’s countries in making sure that R2P provided real protection for people in dire need.
“The collective weight of international action can make a difference,” he said.
In a statement given for General Assembly Informal Interactive Dialogue on ‘A Vital and Enduring Commitment: Implementing the Responsibility to Protect’, Ban Ki-moon said, “I urgently call on governments and UN entities – especially the Security Council to move from understanding to action.”
The secretary general while delving into the history of R2P said that ten years ago, on September 8, the world leaders had transformed expectations about the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Read: UN is failing Syria due to differences between big powers: Ban Ki-moon
“When Heads of State and Government unanimously endorsed the World Summit Outcome, they expressed an unprecedented resolve to protect populations from the most egregious international crimes and to assist one another in this effort,” he said.
Convincing the UN member countries to practically start working for resolving the issues, he said that the atrocity crimes that stain humanity’s conscience made it imperative that leaders transformed R2P from a vital principle into visible practice.
Ki-moon suggested three steps to respond to the crisis plaguing many a countries: Genuine willingness among member states, especially security council members, to create the necessary political space to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes; stronger connections between early warning and early action; courage in publicly confronting and addressing signs of risk.
He added that he was counting on the leadership of the world’s countries in making sure that R2P provided real protection for people in dire need.
“The collective weight of international action can make a difference,” he said.