Ban Ki-moon: ''Assad, stop with arms to Lebanon''
Interview with the UN Secretary General that arrives today in Turin: “My task force for international crisis will born in Valentino castle”
(La Stampa, July 04, 2007)"I have asked Assad to bloc the illegal flow of weapons in Lebanon". Blue suit, cordial attitude and a smiling face, Ban Ki-moon is a Secretary-General of the United Nations that pays attention to formalities, but likes to express himself very clearly. In the hotel in Rome, transformed in headquarters of this Italian mission centered on the Conferente on Afghanistan, Ban takes the opportunity of this interview with La Stampa to draw an assessment of his first six months as Secretary-General, revealing an imminent plan: bring together in Torino towards the end of August all the senior officers of the UN to transform them into a task force.
Q. The attack against UNIFIL was the worst suffered by the UN after the 2003 attack in Baghdad. Where do the dangers for the Blue Helmets come from?
A. "In Lebanon, the danger comes from local political divisions and from weapon-trafficking. It's up to the leaders to come together instead of resorting to violence. As for the weapons, in the report I presented to the Security Council on the application of Resolution 1701, I suggested the necessity of strengthening the capacities of the Lebanese forces along the borders to avoiding illegal trafficking. It's a very serious problem because these weapons create instability and dangers."
Q.A report issued by the Lebanese Army point an accusing finger on Syria, recognizing it as a source of this weapon trafficking. What are some possible solutions?
A."I have spoken about the matter personally with Syrian President Bashar al Assad, pointing out that increasing controls on both sides of the border is an absolutely necessary measure in order to stop this flow of weapons. He denied any arrival of arms from Syria, but he also admitted some level of weakness in enforcing such a long border, porous and lost between mountains. This is where the necessity to enforce tighter control stems from."
Q.Terrorism looms over the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, a topic which you discussed during your visit in Rome. How would you judge the situation on-grounds?
A."I am saddened about the numerous civilian casualties. In Kabul, I have spoken about it with Karzai and the commander of ISAF. The victims are linked to the Taliban, who strike using civilians as shields. I realize that, in such conditions, it's difficult to tell apart Taliban from civilians during military operations, but the commanders must take all necessary precautions to avoid unnecessary victims. The noble commitment of the international community for the reconstruction of Afghanistan would run the risk of being perceived negatively by the population. The contribution that the government could give would be a greater effort against corruption."
Q.You have recently declared the humanitarian crisis of Darfur a priority for the UN. What contribution do you expect from Italy?
A."The agreement is to entrust the negotiations to the UN and the African Union. We want to speed up the deployment of the peacekeeping mission. In the next two months we will increase the efforts on four fronts: political reconciliation, humanitarian assistance, deployment of a peacekeeping and a development force. These measures must be taken simultaneously, thanks to international resources, in order to face emergencies such as the lack of drinking water."
Q.Do you foresee a role for Italy among these four fronts?
A."Of course, since Italy is an important partner of the European Union, the sixth donor country to the UN and the eighth peacekeeping contributor. The significance of Italy's support has been confirmed during this visit, with the government's decision to devolve half a million euros to the UN Staff College in Torino, and the decision taken by the Region of Piemonte to contribute 268 thousand euros over the next three years to train UN personnel. Overall, we are talking about 800 thousand euros that reinforce Italy's strong support to the UN, a support of which I am very thankful."
QToday you will arrive in Torino, what is the role of this city play in the UN's geography?
A."Rome, Brindisi and Torino are the three UN cities in Italy. Torino is a vital training center, and because of this, I will summon towards the end of August a seminar for all high representatives of the UN (at the level of USG). We will meet for three days to discuss future projects thanks to the support of the Staff College. My idea of reform focuses on making these high representatives a multifunctional taskforce. Lately the UN had dedicated little attention to the preparation of its staff. I'm counting on these three days of work in the Valentino Castle to create this taskforce."
Q The Security Council is stalemated over the resolution on Kosovo because of Russia's veto. Do you fear that Kosovo will proceed nonetheless and secede from Serbia?
A "I hope that Kosovo will avoid unilateral steps which could destabilize the region. It's worrisome that the UN still hasn't reached an agreement on the basis of the report presented by my envoy Athisaari. Russia is opposing , but France has presented an amendment that would suggest 120 days of transition, but, in case Moscow were to oppose itself once again, I see no other alternatives. We will discuss it in the Security Council."
Q.There is an aura of curiosity surrounding you. There are those who commend you for your high standard working rhythms, and those wondering about your excess of convergences with the US. With which philosophy will you guide the UN?
A "I am equally close to all 192 members of the UN. I am close to Italy, to its history and culture, like I am close to the Arab countries, and yes, I also feel close to the US for the traditional bond of friendship they have with my home-country, South Korea. I have the same approach with all member states. This is my philosophy, which can be achieved only by deciding to put others' interests in front of my own. It's my curriculum that proves that I have always put myself at other's disposal to find arrangements. In the past six months I haven't spared my time nor my resources for the UN's without being close to my family as I would have liked to.