‘Never again.’ Show we mean it
Because the UN security council members demonstrated inexcusable apathy and wasted time debating semantics on whether or not genocide was taking place I, and my small UN peacekeeping contingent, were forced to watch the slaughter up close with no mandate to intervene.
Eleven years later, precious little has changed. Yet within the next fortnight, governments have the chance at the UN world summit in New York to make ‘never again’ a reality by agreeing to accept their responsibility to protect civilians in the face of brutal mass murder.
They would agree to act in situations where the national government was unwilling or unable to do so.
If agreed and implemented, this historic measure could put an end to politicking, posturing and inaction and save millions of lives. The agreement would mean that all states share the “responsibility to take collective action in a timely and decisive manner” to protect civilians from large-scale killings, including ethnic cleansing, genocide and crimes against humanity. This would be an historic shift, but negotiations at the UN are on a knife-edge.
As someone who has seen what the failure to protect means on the ground, I urge Ireland to seize the opportunity to show global leadership and help drive this agreement that could save the lives of millions.
Lt-Gen The Hon Roméo Dallaire (retired)
Canadian senator and former Commander of UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR)
Rue Laurier
Gatineau QC J8X3W9
Canada
