UN member states: Uphold Your Own Rules - Helen Clark opens up
Who better to talk about the much cited "Rules-Based Order"?
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Diplosphere was most fortunate to host the Rt Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of NZ (1999-2008), and Administrator of UNDP (2009-17) on 02/Oct/2024 in NZ. With much on her agenda, Helen is now patron of the The Helen Clark Foundation and member of the Mandela-founded Elders grouping of independent public figures and senior states-people. Helen joins Diplosphere hot on the heels of an Elders address at the United Nations, and week in New York, at a time where tensions in the Middle East are high.
We took on these topics over thirty five engrossing minutes. We’ve split the interview into three parts. The first focused on the Middle East.
What makes Helen tick? Jaw Jaw, better than War War …
As former PM and UNDP Administrator, Helen is one-of-a-kind in this country. Highly engaged, and highly regarded internationally, few - if any - NZ leaders alive have the same mana when it comes to the international system - a system that has served New Zealand so well over the decades. The very Rules-Based Order so often referred to in government documents and by politicians.
I've been in top gear for decades. So, the issues that interest me are many. [..] it's important to put a stake in the ground on what you think is important [..]
Helen wants to promote dialogue not only internationally, but within the country too - and a time when it is sorely needed.
Think for a moment of the number of people around our world who are forcibly displaced from their homes. It's over 1% of humanity. That's an enormous number of people. And much of it is conflict. It's people driven from their homes by the conflict around them. They're either refugees or they're internally displaced persons, and neither is an enviable position to be in.
1% of humanity equates to ~ 82 million people!
The Elders to UN member states: Respect International Law & Processes
The Elders talked truth to power at the United Nation Security Council, Helen explained:
Would the Security Council and members of the General Assembly uphold the resolutions of the security council & uphold the legal & judicial processes - which have come under attack for doing their job?
UNSC resolutions on settlements, the occupation as a whole, & immediate ceasefire have not been upheld.
International Court of Justice (ICJ) provisional rulings have not been observed.
International Criminal Court (ICC) came under serious attack for even asking for inditement.
Our message was: respect international law and institutions and processes otherwise we are all doomed
New Zealand politicians talk about the international rule of law much, unfortunately nations are selective on upholding it. We must support and nurture these institutions. It is the best we’ve got.
We need to get in behind our international court, our international criminal court, and Security Council resolutions and try to use them to make a better outcome
The Failure of a Conflict Management Approach
The reality is that until now, and maybe going forward, sadly, the UN processes have had almost no influence on the relations between Israel and the Palestinians despite resolutions and find words. The UN has been pushed aside.
The key issue has to be addressed - Palestinian statehood. This can’t be managed as a conflict. At UN, Saudi and Norwegians - quite clear Saudis will not recognise without move to Palestinian statehood.
Until it gets peace with it’s neighbours, its people will people will never know security [on Israel]
Living in permanent insecurity - is not a future for anybody - Israeli or Palestinian. Something has to give.
Tit-for-tat with Iran - what should our small country voice be doing?
Two things for NZ to do:
Tirelessly work for an urgent ceasefire.
Move towards Palestinian statehood with a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace - there is creative thinking abound on this. May seem idealistic but must be discussed.
(Note: 149 of the U.N.’s 193 member nations have recognized a Palestinian state - though not NZ?)
A very one side commentary is heard [in New Zealand]
If it is an eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth … let’s be evenhanded, and not just point the finger at Iran for these attacks. New Zealand only condemns one side. Why?