US-UN ties not to be at the expense of others: Ban

NEW YORK: Stressing that complex issues facing the world cannot be resolved by any one country on its own, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has asserted that a constructive partnership between the United States and the world body cannot be, and should not be, advanced at the expense of others.

Everyone of the members has a right to be heard irrespective of the size of its population and pocketbook, he added in his address to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Tuesday.

But simultaneously, he also emphasised the importance of an 'active and constructive' relationship between the United States and United Nations.

Stating that partnership cannot flourish in a climate of fear and mistrust, Ban said with US actively and constructively engaged, the potential of the UN is unlimited.

"And with UN's potential fulfilled, the US can better advance the aspirations for a peaceful, healthy and prosperous world."

Addressing the center after his first meeting as Secretary-General with American President George W Bush, Ban said complex global challenges is exactly the environment in which the UN should thrive because these are challenges that no country can resolve on its own.

But several developing countries would not like his comments on what is called 'Responsibility to Protect' which means humanitarian interventions in situations of genocide or ethnic cleansing where a country is unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens.

Hailing the concept, Ban said the member states had expressed their will to act collectively, through the Security Council, in cases where population is threatened with genocide, ethnic cleansing, or crime against humanity and national authorities fail to take appropriate action.

"The time has come to build consensus among Member States about how to opertaionalise that will," he added.

But several developing nations feel that the principle could be used by the major powers, who dominate the Security Council, to undermine their sovereignty.

On the political front, Ban identified the priority areas as bringing peace to Darfur region of Sudan, resolving the Middle East crisis and Iranian and North Korean nuclear issues as also questions connected with non proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Other challenges, he said, include climate change and effective action to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) which seek to drastically reduce or eliminate several social and economic ills by 2015.

The goals were set by the world leaders at their Millennium Summit at the UN in 2000 but several goals are threatened because of lack of resources and ongoing conflicts.

Analysts say 2007 is the watershed year and if major push is not made this year, the goals just cannot be fulfilled.

Calling on the international community to confront the 'tragedy of Darfur,' Ban said, "We must work to end the violence and scorched-earth policies adopted by various parties, including militias, as well as bombing which is still a terrifying feature of life in Darfur."