URGING UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS, TROOPS, TO ‘LEAD BY EXAMPLE’,

INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION WRAPS UP 2008 HEARING AT HEADQUARTERS

Amid calls for United Nations peacekeeping operations to “lead by example”, implement a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual abuse and exploitation by troops, and use “reception management” to win the hearts and minds of the people they were charged to protect, participants in the annual United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) wrapped up their two-day joint hearing at the world body’s Headquarters.

Annual parliamentary hearings bring world parliamentarians to New York for interactive discussion with the high-level United Nations officials, Government representatives and other experts drawn from think tanks and civil society organizations.  The 2008 event, convened jointly with the Office of the President of the General Assembly, was held on the theme “Towards Effective Peacekeeping and the Prevention of Conflict:  Delivering on our Commitments”.

Concluding the meeting, IPU President Theo-Ben Gurirab said he attached great importance to the hearing, which had brought together the leadership of both organizations with parliamentarians and other experts to discuss global issues of common interest.  The fact that the United Nations Secretary-General and the General Assembly President had joined him yesterday to kick-start the event had underscored the partnership between the United Nations and IPU.

He thanked “one and all” who participated in the deliberations, and looked forward to other panel discussions and future hearings.  “All good things come to an end,” he said, “but the end is the beginning of a new road ahead.”  Reflections from the hearings would be used as “building blocks” for future recommendations.

Providing a summary of the hearings, Nosizwe Madlala-Routledge, Deputy Speaker of South Africa’s Parliament, said yesterday’s session on “the responsibility to protect” had examined the political significance for States to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.  Participants had urged Governments to integrate that right into domestic law, and ensure that criminal codes penalized such crimes.

For their part, Parliaments should press Governments to stand by the agreements made at the United Nations 2005 World Summit, which had reaffirmed the right to protect, and ensure that measures, including coercive ones like arms embargoes, were observed, she said.  They were urged to support the proposed extension of the Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to include war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A second session yesterday looked at “sexual violence against women and children in conflict”, notably in the wake of Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), which had included rape as a war crime and crime against humanity, among other violations, she said.  To improve the situation, Parliaments from conflict and post-conflict countries could ensure Governments created laws, provided judicial and health services for survivors, allocated resources for such services, and directed post-conflict justice and security process to remove perpetrators from the military and police.

Parliaments from other countries could ensure that military and police contingents were trained to prevent sexual violence, she explained.  To that end, they could include more women in their peacekeeping operations.  There was also a proposal for the Inter-Parliamentary Union to set up an ad hoc committee to examine the impacts of the right to protect on sexual violence in situations of conflict.

A session this morning considered “integrating a human security approach in the work of the UN”, and drew calls for States to promote policies that provided decent employment, she continued.  Participants had also urged States to adhere to pledges made at the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, and further ensure that the current financial crisis was not used as a pretext for failure to meet them.  For its part, the United Nations should see that all secondary education institutions include courses on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

In the final session, held earlier this afternoon, on “major challenges facing UN peacekeeping operations today”, she said participants had called for United Nations peace missions to develop clear exit strategies when planning their operations, and to enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual violence and exploitation among troops.  They had also urged the Organization to consider developing a standing army, notably to enforce Security Council resolutions that had not resolved entrenched conflicts.  For their part, States should implement the World Summit Outcome, which had reaffirmed their responsibility to protect, among other things.

Rounding out her remarks, Ms. Madlala-Routledge urged examining peacekeeping operations through the lens of resources.  “Look at the funds that can be mobilized for banks or car companies when they are in trouble.  Which is more important:  the lives of people, or bailing out companies that may have not taken the necessary steps to protect themselves”, she asked to resounding applause.

Inter-Parliamentary Union Secretary-General Anders Johnsson added that all reflections would be compiled in a report, to be issued as an official General Assembly document and translated into six languages.  He hoped participants would disseminate the report, and “draw inspiration from it” in their Parliaments.

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For information media • not an official record