Accountability key to protecting civilians

A

AALARD

Guest
Accountability key to protecting civilians
NEW YORK, (UPI) -- Accountability is key to protecting civilians from sexual violence and other abuses that remain widespread in armed conflicts, top U.N. officials said.

The officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressed the Security Council Wednesday during a debate on protection of civilians in armed conflicts, U.N. News reported.

"The conduct of parties to conflict is inevitably affected by their sense of susceptibility to punishment and accountability to their victims, and clear signals that impunity will not be tolerated," said John Holmes, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. "So I urge the Council to take a robust approach to accountability."

Holmes said national justice systems must remain the first line of defense but the international community must explore other ways when those systems prove unable to bring perpetrators to justice.

"Actual and would-be violators need to understand that they have nowhere to hide," he said, adding a permanent mechanism could be added within the U.N. system to conduct inquiries automatically.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the council the primary responsibility rests with the states to investigate genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations.

"True accountability can only be achieved if national inquiry mechanisms are credible, independent and impartial," she warned.

The secretary-general said the U.N. Security Council has adopted important measures to put civilians first, but more can be done, such as maximizing the impact of peacekeeping missions in protecting civilians.
 
Top