UN Associations urged to play their part in the realization of the Responsibility To Protect

Members of the UN Associations listening during the High Level Panel discussion

(June 20, 2011,Nairobi )- On Tuesday 7 June 2011, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) in partnership with the Swedish Embassy to Kenya and the United Nations Information Centre, Nairobi, organized a day long symposium on “the Responsibility to Protect” at the United Nations Office at Nairobi.
The symposium, which was in commemoration of the life and passing of Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, brought together 75 participants from the United Nations Associations of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as well as a number of Civil Society Organizations .

Mr. Bengt Baedecke, First Secretary in the Embassy of Sweden opened the symposium by giving the participants an overview of the life of Dag Hammarskjold and his principles of state sovereignty and conflict prevention. Following this, participants proceeded to discuss the role and responsibility of the government to protect its citizens vis a vis that of the civil society and the international community.
As a way forward, the Associations were tasked to identify practical and viable activities in their different countries, to engage in as their contribution to the Responsibility to Protect initiative. WFUNA pledged its support to such activities which should impact on communities and be cost-effective.

The evening programme consisted of a high level panel comprising Mr. Bjorn Haggmark , the Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy of Sweden; Ambassador. Solomon Maina, the Director of International Organizations and Conferences Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Robert Zuber , Director of the Global Action to Prevent War. The panellists sought to answer the question “What would Dag Hammarskjöld think of the UN’s emerging norm “The Responsibility to Protect?” They explored different aspects of the Responsibility to Protect ranging from education to healthcare and the role of the international community in advancing the norm. The audience, which included the UN Resident Coordinator and a number of Ambassadors, was then invited to engage the panel in a question and answer discussion.

The symposium was concluded with a cocktail reception in commemoration of the life of Dag Hammarskjold and the principles he espoused .