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European leaders tell UN 'collective sense of purpose' needed to maintain peace, security

29 September 2014 – Addressing the General Assembly this afternoon, Liechtenstein's Foreign Minister, Aurelia Frick, said acts of aggression perpetrated against Ukraine and the illegal annexation of parts of its territory underline the need to enforce international law.

The call for accountability is growing louder, said Ms. Frick. Victims of the gravest crimes around the world are placing their hopes for justice with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). But for truly collective work to maintain peace and security, we need a collective sense of purpose. It is difficult to reconcile that a single Security Council member can block action required for the UN to fulfil its purposes and principles- "with no questions asked."

"We do not accept the veto as a reality of the Charter," she said. With the rise of religious intolerance civilians in both Syria and Iraq, civilians are left "at the mercy of the sickening brutality of ISIS," she said, adding that "there is nothing Islamic about this barbaric act committed by ISIS." Ms. Frick also expressed concern of the "disturbing" rise of anti-Semitism.

She further emphasized the importance of involving women in peacebuilding processes. "Men have always been in charge of making war, and men have been in charge of making peace. Their record is not impressive," she said. There can be no sustainable development without the full empowerment of women.

Echoing that, Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said that without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of society, including in decision-making it will be impossible to make real and lasting progress on the development front.

"In Iceland and other Nordic Countries the revolution in women's education and the high-level of female participation in the labour market have been the basis of welfare and economic prosperity," said Mr. Sveinsson.

Along with women's empowerment, the new sustainable development agenda must address food insecurity and ensure access to affordable and modern energy. With improved infrastructure and better management, the economic benefits from marine fisheries could be increased by 50 billion dollars per year- imperative to Iceland's development.

Mr. Sveinsoon said the UN must take centre stage in maintaining peace and security, whether in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, or Gaza. He called for an end to the blockade of Gaza and condemned the indiscriminate rocket attacks from Hamas as well as Israel's disproportionate use of force. "The Security Council is seriously undermined when it proves incapable of defending civilians that are subject to foreign occupation," said Mr. Sveinsson.