ブックタイトル佐藤栄作論文集９～１６

概要

佐藤栄作論文集９～１６

第16回優秀賞but powerful coalition of like-minded allies.These are all formidable obstacles, indeed. Yet, they are not reasons for the UNto back down, and for it to adopt passive attitude vis-a-vis ethnic conflicts. Althoughto some extent both the legalities and credibility issues might be valid, there are farmore compelling reasons that warrant the UN to prevail, and to continue its rightfulduty to be in charge in maintaining international peace and security, including thosecaused by internal ethnic conflicts.The first reason is the organization's own raison d’etre, namely to defend humanityand to uphold the primacy of human security. Protecting the people from thescourge of war is the cardinal objective of the UN. Accordingly, no matter where thelocation of a war and whoever the involved parties might be, it is indisputably clearthat the UN is fully and legally mandated to intervene. To those zealously claimingsovereignty, we should say that there could be no sovereign right to ethnic cleansingand genocide. Indeed, in a fast moving and pervasive globalization such as the onewe are living today, we must all accept that absolute sovereignty and total noninterferenceare no longer tenable.The second and equally compelling reason pertains to the legitimate use of forcein international affairs. There should be no mistake that the sole authority for thisrests with the Security Council ?not on any other regional entities, and definitelynot on an individual country. The US may be the lone superpower in the currentrealms of international politics. This, however, does not at all give the US and itsallies the legitimacy to undertake unilateral military action, even more so when itinvolves so much firepower and destruction on the ground. In this context, not onlythe“illegitimate”action by the US-led NATO forces in Kosovo created havoc to theUN peace efforts in the area; it endangered the whole concept of collective action,815