Eesti alalise esindaja ÜRO juures, Margus Kolga sõnavõtt Julgeolekunõukogu avatud arutelul „Rahvusvahelise rahu ja julgeoleku tagamine: peegeldades ajalugu ja kinnitades üle oma tugev pühendumus ÜRO Harta eesmärkidele ja põhimõtetele“
23.02.2015
Mister
President, Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would
like thank the Chinese presidency for convening this open debate on Maintaining
International Peace and Security. The 70th anniversary of the United Nations
provides us with a unique opportunity to reflect and reaffirm the purposes and
principles of the UN Charter.
Estonia
aligns itself with the statements delivered by the European Union as well as by
the representative of Maldives on behalf of the ACT group.
Mister
President,
With
regard to the topic of today’s discussion, I would like to reiterate that the
protection of human life is the foremost priority we as the international
community have been given. Carrying out this mandate by the Security Council
should be clear and understandable to us all.
In
the UN Charter the Permanent Members of the Security Council were given a great
power, but also a great responsibility to maintain peace and security in the world.
The three most important principles which should be adhered to while
maintaining peace and security in our view are: democracy, rule of law and
fight against impunity. And I hope that all members of this council are and
will be guided by these principles.
Mister
President,
Considering the large number of crises around the world
and the disastrous consequences they have on the civilian population – in
Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, Somalia and South Sudan to name some, it is
clear that the Security Council of the United Nations has not always lived up
to its tasks.
Several
attempts of adopting resolutions on effective international response to stop
the crisis and to ensure the accountability for perpetrators of atrocity crimes
have been blocked by permanent members of the Security Council. Far too often
history has shown us how the distinct privilege of the veto, or even just the
threat of using it, has been abused leaving the Security Council paralyzed and
passive on the sidelines in situations where it is most needed. The saddest
example of this is the four year long and ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in
Syria. Estonia therefore stands by the French proposal on establishing a code
of conduct on voluntary restraint on the use of veto and firmly believes that
taking such a step would help the Security Council to live up to its mandate.
The
Security Council can and should make its contribution to the protection of
fundamental human rights through its power of referring situations to the
International Criminal Court. The Council must take measures to ensure that
adequate support is given to the Court for the delivery of its mandate.
Mr.
President,
From the perspective of the working methods of this
Council, one aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is the obligation
deriving from Article 27 (3) of the Charter, which establishes the only
limitation to a Council member participating in a vote in the Security Council:
“in decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to
a dispute shall abstain from voting.” This applies in equal measure to all
Council members and should be adhered to.
Furthermore,
while focusing on the Council’s role in the maintenance of peace and security
in the world one cannot ignore the seriously deteriorated security situation in
Europe. The
conflict in Ukraine has shown that one of the basic principles of international
law – the respect of a country's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the
inviolability of its borders – can be breeched. We – member states of the UN –
should not tolerate it. With the occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea and
ongoing military intervention in Eastern Ukraine, one permanent member of the
Security Council has violated international law, the underlying principles of
the European security including those enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act,
Paris Charter and others. Despite those violations, however, these principles
are still valid and must be fully respected. The independence, sovereignty and
territorial inviolability must remain the fundamental rights of states and
nations.
Mister
President,
On a
broader spectrum of the UN, the member states can make their own contribution
to the maintenance of peace and security by strongly adhering to the rule of
law, which also encourages sustainable development, as progress is best
guaranteed by good governance, transparency of decision-making processes and
minimization of corruption. Estonia firmly believes that loyalty to the rule of
law is a tool to improve the fundamental human right of access to justice,
which is inherently linked to the promotion of a culture of accountability over
impunity.
Thank
you very much, Mister President.
 
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