Two steps are generally required to stop an on-going conflict through diplomacy at the United Nations. When combatants become convinced that they have more to gain from peace than continued fighting, some sort of cease-fire agreement can be brokered. Then, once the parties agree to a ceasefire, the United Nations can put into place mechanisms to enforce the ceasefire. While the former depends on political will of the Security Council, the achieving the latter often requires the skill of diplomats in the General Secretariat.
In the summer of 2006, this process was on full display when the United Nations worked out a ceasefire between Israel and militant forces in Lebanon.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a $40 million donation from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), to help feed over 2 million people in Darfur.
Kenro Oshidari, Sudan Representative UN World Food Programme (WFP) said this latest donation will help the agency "to purchase and pre-position food assistance in Darfur before the rainy season, which is about to start and will last until October."More
These days, when one hears about a bloodbath in Sudan thoughts immediately drift to Darfur, Sudan's beleaguered western region where an estimated 200,000-400,000 people have died since the outbreak of civil war four years ago. However, as horrific as that number is, it pales in comparison to the carnage visited upon South Sudan for most of the last twenty years.
A five-year plan for peace and development in Iraq was co-launched today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in which world leaders pledged their partnership with the Iraqi Government. Over $30 billion in financial commitments have been announced so far.
The 74 delegations unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming their shared commitment to a secure and stable Iraq and emphasizing the need for improved governance, anti-corruption measures, equal protection for all Iraqis and an institutional framework based on the rule of law. Secretary-General Ban, in a press conference following the adoption of the resolution, said he was pleased that a number of countries have already made concrete commitments, estimated at over $30 billion.More
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have launched a handbook for lawmakers to help them devise strategies to protect children from violence.
IPU President Pier Ferdinando Casini said, "With this handbook, we hope that parliaments will have some of the tools they need to create a more protective environment for children."
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Editor's Note: Keeping the Peace will be a month long series of the Posts on Peace campaign. We will provide a snapshot of the history and current challenges facing nearly every peacekeeping mission around the globe. Next up: UNMIS, the 10,000 strong peacekeeping mission in southern Sudan. Enjoy.
In 1991 Haitian military officers deposed the popular and democratically elected president, Jean Bertrand Aristide. Aristide fled to the United States, but his remaining supporters quickly suffered at the hands of the new regime. Massive political violence and general lawlessness soon wracked Haiti. Thousands of Aristide's supporters were slain. And many of those who survived opted to test their luck on rickety fishing boats destined for the United States.
By 1993, the United States Coast Guard had intercepting tens of thousands of these so-called "boat people." Clearly, something had to be done.
The International Criminal Court just issued its first set of arrest warrants for two individuals, a janjaweed commander and a government official, accused of war crimes in Darfur. This is a fairly momentous occasion. Since the war in Darfur began, there has yet to be any criminal accountability for the massive violations of international humanitarian law which have defined that conflict.
Now that the warrants have been served, the ICC needs to get their hands on these two for trial in The Hague. The problem here is that the ICC has no Marshall Service of its own. Rather it must rely on the cooperation of member states to carry out the arrests. If the suspects were in Belgium this might not be a problem. But since they are both still in Sudan, their arrest can really only come at the hands of Sudanese authorities. Needless to say, the Sudanese government is reluctant to send the suspects to The Hague. Therefore, for justice to be served the international community must press the government of Sudan to hand over these suspects for trial.
For the simple sake of justice, these two should be put on trial for their role in a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. But the warrants also serve more immediate goals. One can imagine the Security Council contemplating a new set of sanctions should Khartoum harbor wanted war crimes suspects. After all, the ICC investigation in Darfur was a creation of the Security Council. Now it seems the ICC is giving back by providing the Council with new ammunition in its diplomatic row with Sudan -- which still refuses to let a robust peacekeeping force enter Darfur.
"The Secretary-General looks forward to working with these three highly respected international figures on a matter which is of highest importance to the future of the planet," Ms. Montas said.More