Friday, Sep 13, 2002
Friday, Sep 13, 2002 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By Sridhar Krishnaswami
Mr. Annan also referred to South Asia as one of the four areas of threats to world peace. The others were the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Iraq and Afghanistan. "In South Asia, the world has recently come closer than for many years past to a direct conflict between two nuclear weapon capable countries. The situation may now have calmed a little, but it remains perilous'', the Secretary General noted. "The underlying causes must be addressed; and if a fresh crisis were to erupt, the international community might have a role to play'', Mr. Annan remarked, going on say that he "gladly'' acknowledges and "strongly'' welcomed the efforts made by "well-placed'' member states of the world body to help the leaders of India and Pakistan to find a solution. The thrust and context of Mr. Anna's remarks were elsewhere and on more than one occasion, he indirectly referred to the current debate in this country over a pre-emptive military strike against Iraq and in the dangers of going about alone. "Any state, if attacked, retains the inherent right of self defence under Article 51 of the Charter. But beyond that, when States decide to use force to deal with broader threats to international peace and security, there is no substitute for the unique legitimacy provided by the United Nations'', Mr. Annan said in his opening remarks here today. "Any one State — large or small — choosing to follow or reject the multilateral path must not be a simple matter of political convenience. It has consequences far beyond the immediate context'', he stressed. "The more a country makes use of multilateral institutions — thereby respecting shared values and accepting the obligations and restraints inherent in those values — the more others will trust and respect it, and the stronger its chance to exercise true leadership'', Mr. Annan remarked, again a reference to Washington and the Republican administration. Stressing the legitimacy of the United Nations and that of the Security Council, Mr. Annan cited the evidence of Kuwait 12 years ago when States agreed to take action "under the authority of the Security Council which they would not be willing to take without it''. An effective international security system, he argued, depended on the authority of the Security Council "and, therefore, on the Council having the political will to act, even in the most difficult cases, when agreement seems elusive at the outset''. He pointed out that in the world of today and the agenda on hand, no single nation can go about on its own achieving its objectives. "Even the most powerful countries know that they need to work with others, in multilateral institutions, to achieve their aims'', Mr. Annan said. Mr. Annan, who recently said that it would be "unwise'' to attack Iraq, called on that West Asian country to comply with the Resolutions of the United Nations. "If Iraq's defiance continues, the Security Council must face its responsibilities'', he said. Even in a context of fighting terrorism, Mr. Annan argued the utility of multilateralism. "Individual states may defend themselves by striking back at terrorist groups and the countries that harbour or support them. But only concerted vigilance and cooperation among all states with constant, systematic exchange of information offers any real hope of denying terrorists their opportunities'', Mr. Annan observed. On West Asia and the Palestinian problem, Mr. Annan argued that the ultimate shape of a peace settlement is well known — that will eventually have two states living side by side and in secure and recognised borders. "Both parties accept this vision. But we can reach it only if we moved rapidly and in parallel and on all fronts. The so-called "sequential'' approach has failed'', Mr. Annan said.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
