UN: The U.S. Calls on the blue helmets to contribute to the fight against arms trafficking

The UN Security Council on Wednesday approved a resolution at the initiative of Mexico urging blue helmets to take part in the fight against illegal small arms flows and the monitoring of embargoes, despite opposition from Russia, India and China.

These three SA member states abstained when the vote took place. The decision, a text endorsed by 70 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, was adopted by a vote of the remaining 12 members.

The text calls for a study, during the process of renewing the mandates of the UN peacekeeping missions, of “how (…) they can help the local authorities to combat the illicit transfer (…) of weapons, in violation of the arms embargo “.

It also encourages peacekeeping missions to “strengthen the capabilities of the authorities of their host countries, if they so request, with regard to data collection and on-the-ground training in the fight against arms smuggling and military) equipment “.

“The aim is to stop the arms smuggling that fuels the conflict and to strengthen, instead, the international order, the political dialogue, the negotiation between the parties,” said Mexican Ambassador to the UN Juan Ramone de la Fou. .

For Moscow – which has a veto on the SA, but did not exercise it in this case – “putting all the arms embargo in the same bag (…) will have no added value”, on the contrary, it will call into question The Security Council requested that in addition to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ongoing inspections in Russia, that it monitor Russia’s compliance with “the steps required by the IAEA Board”.

China has also criticized the “approach”, which unites peacekeepers with oversight of arms embargoes, while India has said it is one of the countries with the “largest troop contribution to peacekeeping operations”.

“UN peacekeeping missions should not be used as a means of enforcing arms embargoes. “guaranteeing peace in jeopardy,” said Madu Sudan of the Indian Diplomatic Mission.

The ambassador of Niger, Abdou Abari, regretted that the decision did not address his “problem at the root”, namely the manufacture, sale and supply of weapons illegally.

“The (Security) Council must one day find the courage to address this issue,” he said. “It is finally time for the financial interests of some arms manufacturers to put aside the urgent need to save human lives,” he added.

The UN currently has around 100,000 blue helmets deployed in about twenty peacekeeping operations around the world.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

.

Source From: Capital

You may also like