Jan 14 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)
`Reconstruct UN to tackle new-age terror'
Subhabrata Guha
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New Delhi:
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The United Nations and its conflict management mechanism in the Security Council are ill-equipped with modern warfare and facing the new kind of enemy that the world has seen both in the Charlie Hebdo and Boko Haram massacres, said the head of the International Committee of Red Cross, the global body mandated to help victims of war.Yves Daccord, director general of ICRC, told TOI in an exclusive interview that the stranglehold of the Permanent Five on the Security Council made it difficult for the UN to play an effective role in the state vs terrorism war, which mostly involved non-state actors. Broadening the Security Council was necessary to make the world body more efficient, he said.
“Perhaps it's time to have a re-look at the Security Council, reconstruct the UN.It's also the time rethink about the veto rights of P5 because veto rights cannot be absolute anymore,“ he said.
He said the France and Nigeria massacres showed no one was immune anymore and governments cutting across their geographical barriers must come together to provide a solution. “India has an enormous potential and understanding of bringing communities togeth er. In this polarized world, India has lived with diversities and it's now time it should take the lead,“ he said.
He said face-to-face dialogue was the best way to deal with the hostile situations.“We have been working in Iraq since the last 30 years and managed to engage through our programs on food, water and sanitation.“
On the challenges in conflict zones, he said. “We have people being taken hostage by Islamic State. There are the state and the non-state actors who pursue their own agendas. Non-state actors have a tendency to change their be haviour when they get control. They become more pragmatic because they have to take care of people. And sometime they leave a room for humanitarian talks. And the state must govern by the basic principle of humanity .“
Not only non-state actors, humanitarian workers face pressure from governments.“We tell governments that you want to get into war, but don't forget the people, who have an enormous impact. In Syria, health and education systems have become non-existent,“ he said.
(For the full interview, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com)
“Perhaps it's time to have a re-look at the Security Council, reconstruct the UN.It's also the time rethink about the veto rights of P5 because veto rights cannot be absolute anymore,“ he said.
He said the France and Nigeria massacres showed no one was immune anymore and governments cutting across their geographical barriers must come together to provide a solution. “India has an enormous potential and understanding of bringing communities togeth er. In this polarized world, India has lived with diversities and it's now time it should take the lead,“ he said.
He said face-to-face dialogue was the best way to deal with the hostile situations.“We have been working in Iraq since the last 30 years and managed to engage through our programs on food, water and sanitation.“
On the challenges in conflict zones, he said. “We have people being taken hostage by Islamic State. There are the state and the non-state actors who pursue their own agendas. Non-state actors have a tendency to change their be haviour when they get control. They become more pragmatic because they have to take care of people. And sometime they leave a room for humanitarian talks. And the state must govern by the basic principle of humanity .“
Not only non-state actors, humanitarian workers face pressure from governments.“We tell governments that you want to get into war, but don't forget the people, who have an enormous impact. In Syria, health and education systems have become non-existent,“ he said.
(For the full interview, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com)
