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Public Statements Letter to the Prime Minister relating to the September 11th terrorist attacks
September 19, 2001
Dear Mr. Chrétien, Like people everywhere, all members of the United Nations Association in Canada reacted with horror to the devastating events in New York and Washington last week. We have joined with our fellow citizens to mourn all those who died at the hands of terrorists and to offer our sympathy and support to the families, friends, colleagues and neighbours who must now pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward in a world which has changed in immeasurable ways. We commend you and your government, and indeed all parliamentarians in this country, who have spoken so clearly and unequivocally against the evils that these acts embody. The United Nations has spoken equally strongly in resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly and in statements by the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. In Mr. Annan’s words, “Terrorism is an international scourge, which the United Nations has many times condemned. A terrorist attack on one country is an attack on humanity as a whole. All nations of the world must work together to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice”. If there is general agreement that a global response is required to seek out and bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice, there are also strong voices urging caution about an inappropriate use of unrestrained or unfocused force to accomplish that end. There should be no rush to judgment and no massive retaliation which would target innocent civilians of any country, however understandable such a response might be. The search for answers and solutions to such acts of barbarism must go beyond the perpetuation of the cycle of violence and revenge. While virtually all world leaders, and their citizens, have indicated strong support for American action in the face of this attack many, including yourself, have also indicated that such solidarity is not a “blank cheque” for quick or unrestrained military action. Lloyd Axworthy said it well when he suggested in a recent article in the Globe and Mail that “only if there is a bona fide international mandate and a clear and culpable target should Canada join in any military action”. Surely that international mandate should and must come in the first instance from the United Nations, and more specifically through action in the Security Council. International law, as we in Canada have accepted it since 1945, gives responsibility to the Security Council to mandate action affecting global peace and security and it does not recognize a right of unilateral (or group) retaliation or vengeance. Chapter 7 of the UN Charter requires that any action be taken with the permission, and under the auspices of, the Security Council, with the only exception being self-defense against imminent attack. The Council has already indicated its readiness “to take all necessary steps to respond to the terrorist attacks of 11 September”. It must be an active player in the decisions about what those necessary steps will be and must authorize appropriate action in both the short and longer terms. No institution embodies the global community which, collectively, has a vital stake in ensuring that terrorism is thwarted more than the United Nations. These will not be easy decisions. There will be the call for immediate action to respond to this specific attack, but there must also be the long-term attention to those components of human security to which Canada has so strongly attached our foreign policy. We must work to undermine the roots which feed the despair and hate out of which terrorism and discord arise. This country should maintain its continuing commitment to the United Nations as the organization through which the global community can best address its common needs and meet its common enemies. Canada must certainly stand in strong partnership with our allies and friends in a response to a terrorism which implicates us all. None of us are exempt from the horrors or fears, or the obligations to be a part of any solution. This will, however, be a long undertaking. We urge you, as you and your colleagues determine the specifics of our engagement in reaction to this immediate crisis, to ensure that that partnership is grounded in decisions taken under the auspices of the UN Security Council. Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Pearson
Cc:
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