Intersections The Hague Institute for Global Justice Summer 2014 Column Interview Current Work At the Forefront General Responsibility of Freedom Roméo Dallaire to Protect Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert From Blue Beret to Just War Theory and Minister of Defense Blue Helmet Protection of Civilians Intersections | Summer 2014 A Collective Mission to Prevent Deadly Conflict | 3 Dr. Abiodun Williams A Collective Mission to Prevent Deadly Conflict The most cursory of glances at the news headlines reveals a shameful failure by the international community to prevent deadly conflict. The ongoing civil war in Syria; the violent escalation in Ukraine and another chapter of the tragic saga of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are just the most prominent examples of our collective inability to ensure that the United Nations’ principal objective – ‘saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ – remains a distant aspiration for many of the world’s citizens. The cost of such conflicts is enormous. One example is that of Macedonia, As many as 170,000 people may where an unprecedented UN ‘preventive have died to date in the Syrian Civil deployment’ reacted to warning signs War alone. The number of displaced and ensured that the Yugoslav wars did people across the world is at an all- not spill over into that country. time high. Conflicts reverse the gains of development. The political effects Preventing conflict makes sense morally, resound not only over time, but also economically and strategically. Yet it across space, with other countries requires constant marshaling of evidence destabilized, or caught up in the affairs that ‘prevention works’ to demonstrate of violent places, as the MH17 airline to decision-makers that investments are tragedy reminded us all. worth their while. The Hague Institute is committed to this cause, and our Conflict The response of political elites – and of Prevention Team is dedicated to making many ordinary people – is often one of the case for prevention, and providing frustrated resignation. Deadly conflict, practitioners with tools to make their it is presumed, is inevitable in human efforts more effective. affairs; as ancient as the greed and grievances which are presumed to fuel Deadly conflict is not inevitable. many violent struggles. To prevent it, we must all invest our passion, expertise and resources into It is all too tempting to succumb to building the more peaceful world pessimism. In my own experience, I have we desire. repeatedly found that when preventive action is properly conceived, and when the requisite political will is summoned, Dr. Abiodun Williams early and effective action can prevent President the descent into the abyss of conflict. The Hague Institute for Global Justice 4 | Table of Contents The Hague Institute for Global Justice Intersections | Summer 2014 Table of Contents | 5 Table of Contents 6 At the Forefront of Freedom Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands 3 8 Interview Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire 11 Convening Power Extending the Reach of International Law 12 Current Work Commission on Global Security, Justice, and Governance Distinguished Speaker Series Transitional Justice and Democratic Institution Building: Memorials Launch: New Working Paper Series R2P: Limits and New Options 6 The Hague Institute Hosts Transitional Justice Fellowship 19 The Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law 20 Putting Research to Work 12 20 Rule of Law 22 Profile Ambassadors for Global Justice 24 Home to Experts Dr. Richard Ponzio, Ting Zhang and Dr. Joris Larik 28 Snapshots 8 Dialogues, Meetings and Events 29 Crunch Time for Action on North Korea 28 The Honorable Michael Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia 30 Upcoming Events and Recent Publications 24 6 | Column The Hague Institute for Global Justice Intersections | Summer 2014 Column | 7 Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert Minister of Defense of the Netherlands At the Forefront of Freedom On the evening of 4 June 1944, the architects of D-Day convened in the library of Southwick House, a mansion near Portsmouth on the south coast of England. Wind and rain were lashing at the windows. Visibility was exceptionally poor. Conditions could hardly have been worse for the planned invasion. However, Chief Meteorologist James Stagg predicted a spell of better weather. Eisenhower made the final decision the next morning: Operation Overlord was to be launched. The 6th of June 1944 would become a turning point in world history; a day of hope, but also the beginning of an incredibly fierce battle in which immense sacrifices were made. The heroes of yesterday Last June, I attended the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in The United Nations was established in the aftermath of the “ When in the company Normandy. It was a historic day. A number of Dutch veterans of the invasion were Second World War. An organization in which countries join also present at the commemoration. On D-Day, they arrived in the wake of the forces in their efforts to prevent war, protect human rights of the heroes of that American, British and Canadian troops and made an important contribution to the and create better living conditions for everyone. Seventy years operation, from the sea, air and on the ground. ago, the heroes of D-Day made a determined choice to fight to day, you realize once restore freedom and human dignity. Their choice has imposed When in the company of the heroes of that day, you realize once more the an obligation on us — and rightly so — to make the right more the extremely extremely high price that was paid for the freedom we enjoy today. choices in all of our current and future efforts, all over the world. high price that was paid The freedom of today and of tomorrow My recent visit to the United Nations Multidimensional for the freedom we In May this year, during my visit to Israel, I laid a wreath at Yad Vashem, the memorial Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), in to the victims of the Holocaust and a center for documentation, research and education. particular to the Dutch units deployed there, has once again enjoy today.” I recalled the words spoken by Kofi Annan at the reopening of this authoritative institute brought this obligation to the fore. In the scorching heat of in 2005: “A United Nations that fails to be at the forefront of the fight against anti- Mali, the Dutch soldiers are putting into effect what we agreed Semitism and other forms of racism denies its history and undermines its future.” upon so long ago. We owe them our respect. 8 | Interview The Hague Institute for Global Justice Intersections | Summer 2014 Interview | 9 Interview A military career Roméo Dallaire (June 25, 1946, Denekamp, the Netherlands) was a career officer in the Lieutenant-General Canadian army and last served as a senator. Rwanda was supposed to be a professional Roméo Dallaire highlight but turned into a nightmare and an inspiration for his future missions as an outspoken advocate for global justice, better military training The tragedies in Rwanda and Srebrenica in the 1990s were collective failures of and improved mandates for UN missions, among the international community to prevent genocide and mass atrocities. Canadian many other peacekeeping related issues. Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, as force commander of UNAMIR, was powerless to prevent a meticulously planned genocide in 1994. This massacre left a He wrote down his Rwanda experiences in his book permanent stain on a disconnected international community. His experiences left Shake Hands with the Devil. Since 1994, Dallaire an indelible mark on Dalliare, who carries the lessons learned from that genocide has continued to visit Rwanda. to those prepared to listen. In June, Dallaire was at The Hague Institute to talk about Rwanda and international decision making. What can be accomplished by bringing a great result. We started working in 2001 and by 2005, the these pieces of paper that give us the authority; but we do of sense. We’re including more and more issues like child together key decision-makers from 1994 to whole of the UN General Assembly had signed on to the not have the political will to implement it. So what’s still soldiers, which I‘ve been working on, understanding that assess the events that led up to the genocide Responsibility to Protect, which means that if abuses are missing, in a way, is statesmanship. they represent a security problem and not just a social and in Rwanda? massive in a population which have the responsibility to go economic one. The mandates are there; what we are seeing in and protect innocent people. This means that sovereignty How effective has the R2P been as an as a problem is the people being deployed being able to apply First thing is actually having them sitting around a set of tables is no longer an absolute, which is a great revolution. instrument and what are its prospects? them. That is to say that peacekeeping, or conflict resolution, to talk, because many of us have either avoided each other, not [Another example is] new protocols, such as the Optional is no more blue beret, it is blue helmet. And in that context, spoken or simply read what we’ve written and been left with an Protocol on Child Rights, which prevents recruitment of It is there; people know of it; know of the different pillars: it is far more complex and ambiguous in these imploding appetite for seeing each other again. There are formal sessions children (also a crime against humanity), for which we’re economic, political, diplomatic and military-security. It is nations, failing states and civil wars than it was when one and informal sessions where we are able to get snippets [of holding countries accountable.