‘Russia’s
involvement is crucial in addressing today’s problems’ – ex UNHCR chief
Published time: 21 Jun, 2016 16:27
Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
© Denis Balibouse / Reuters
Russia is a fundamental partner in efforts to bring peace and stability
to the world; its involvement in addressing today’s problems is crucial, says
António Guterres, ex-UN high commissioner for refugees, now candidate for UN
secretary-general.
RT: The current
refugee crisis is the worst since WWII. What should the UN's priority be in
dealing with the flow of refugees?
António
Guterres: Of course we cannot forget the need to
protect them, the need to keep borders open for them, the need to make sure
that we find solutions for them. But the most important is to increase the
prevention of conflicts…Now more that 65 million people are displaced by
conflict in the world. And we see this multiplication of new conflicts; we see
old conflicts that never die.
It is absolutely essential to increase the resources, the capacities,
the possibility to mobilize all those that have an influence on the parties to
the conflicts in order to prevent those conflict from happening, and then in
order to solve them as soon as they happen.
This is the biggest flow we have today in the international community
capacity. And it is this flow that needs to be addressed with maximum priority,
because better than to help refugees is to make sure that there won’t be more
refugees in the future.
RT: What will your
priority be if you’re elected UN secretary-general?
AG: I think that we need a surge in the diplomacy for peace. The UN
has the role to play as an honest broker, as a convener in a humble way, but
helping countries to come together – those that have an influence on different
parties to different conflicts to come together to understand that now these
are wars in which nobody is winning, everybody is losing. That became a
nightmare not only for the countries involved in the war, but for the whole
international community.
We see the connection between global terrorism and conflict. We see
attacks in Beirut, in Paris, in Orlando, everywhere… We saw the tragic event
with the Russian plane coming from Egypt. So this is something in which now
there is a fundamental interest of everybody in the world to come together and
to put an end to these conflicts. I see the UN can play a role in helping
people come together and doing some discreet diplomacy, facilitating trust
being built for the international community to be able to act as a whole and to
make sure that we avoid this terrible multiplication of conflicts that we’re
witnessing today.
RT: The UN has
been dealing with global peace and stability for 65 years. With terrorism, the
refugee crisis and climate change, is the organization still up to its mission?
AG: Obviously. There is still a long way to go. Many people in
different UN organizations are doing their best. We see UN agencies delivering
humanitarian aid; we see the mobilization of the international community [in
response] to climate change in the Paris agreement; we see the new Agenda 2030
in relation to sustainable development. There is progress in many areas. But
let’s be clear, there is still a long way to go to create the conditions of
trust for all member states to be engaged in the most important objective of
them all, which is to establish peace and security in our troubled world.
RT: Ban Ki-moon
recently said Russia has a very important role to play, and that he counts
heavily on its leadership. What's your view on that, as Russia's hasn't been a
favorite in the West since the Ukrainian crisis erupted more than two years
ago?
AG: Well, I do believe that Russia is an absolutely fundamental
partner in all international efforts to bring more peace and stability to the
world. The coordination, the cooperation between the UN and Russia and creating
the conditions to increase also the trust in the relations between Russia and
other powers in the world is absolutely crucial. There is no way we can address
the problems of today’s world without the strong involvement of Russia.
Russia’s role is absolutely essential, absolutely crucial in creating the
conditions for us to be able to move forward in all key aspects of
international agenda.
RT: The EU has
reportedly agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia for another six
months. But we've heard from many politicians that it's now time to build
bridges, not walls. What's your view?
AG: We need to increase dialogue between all key players in the
international community. Russia is one of these key players; the EU is one of
the key players. The US is another key player. There must be better dialogue,
better cooperation, better understanding – that is the way forward.
RT: When it comes
to solving the Syrian crisis, Moscow and Washington seem to agree on many
things, but sparks often fly high between their envoys at the Security Council
and they often don't see eye to eye. Can they find a new way or working, or are
there deep-seated differences that just can't be overcome?
AG: I’ve seen Moscow and Washington come together very closely. The
two are playing a very important role in creating the conditions for peace to
be established in Syria. I believe that effort needs to be enlarged to other
countries. Regional powers have today a very important role in the questions of
peace and security. It is important to put on board also countries like Saudi
Arabia, Iran and Turkey. I believe that Russia and the US are moving in the
right direction, but they need to bring onboard other key partners in order to
make sure that the comprehensive solution is possible…
RT: There has been
a refugee deal signed between the EU and Turkey, which key aspect was to solve
refugee crisis in Europe. Do you think it works properly?
AG: I am not following the deal and its evolution very closely… But
the most dramatic scene for me is that the problems are not solved. The central
problem is the Syrians that are suffering so much. Seeing the houses bombed,
seeing the members of the families being killed, their communities being
destroyed. The Syrians are now starting not to have a place to escape, starting
not to have international protection evaluable for them in Europe and in the
neighborhood. This is something that needs to be corrected.
That is why I have been advocating since last year and the UNHCR is
advocating today for a massive resettlement program allowing Syrians to be able
to restart their lives in different parts of the world with a common
international effort to give an adequate answer to this immense tragedy of
Syrian people.
The
statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the
author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
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