How the UN Stands up to Bullies
Britain and France stripped more harsh language from a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that would authorize a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur in an attempt to win passage for the proposal this week.
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Sudan’s U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, reacted harshly to a version of the draft that circulated at U.N. headquarters last week, calling it “ugly” and “awful.”
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The latest draft removes a specific mention of ongoing attacks by government forces and janjaweed militiamen against civilians and humanitarian workers in Darfur and drops a strongly worded condemnation of “continued violations” of the Darfur Peace Agreement.
It also scales back the peacekeeping force’s mandate slightly, removing a section permitting the troops to “take all necessary action” to monitor arms violations in the desert region under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Chapter 7 deals with threats to peace and security and can be enforced through a range of measures, from breaking diplomatic and trade relations to military intervention.
Peacekeepers are now instructed to close their eyes and hum loudly to themselves at the sight of violations.
Pathetic as it is, however, this is D-Day compared to the UN on Tibet:
“Mr. Secretary General, the UN is working on the independence of Kosovo. At the same time, one of the oldest nations of the world, Tibet, is still under foreign occupation and is one of the last countries under colonial rule since it was invaded by China in the 1950s. What about the implementation of the UN resolutions on self-determination for Tibet? And what will you do as Secretary General to facilitate a peaceful settlement between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama? Are you ready to meet the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who advocates non-violence, or is the UN more keen to reward those resorting to violent means?â€
According to reports, after listening attentively to Buhrer’s question, the Secretary General seemed prepared to respond, but was immediately cut off by his spokesperson, Michèle Montas, and then led out of the room by his entourage, as a bodyguard carelessly knocked into the inquisitive journalist.
The Secretary Generals may change, but the cowardice remains forever.