Brazil: NATO unilateralism serious concern
August 7, 2013, 10:42 am

Patriota said the concepts and strategies used by NATO are “problematic” [AP]

Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said the concepts and strategies used by NATO are “problematic” during an open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday.

“Mention should be made of the North Atlantic Organisation (NATO), a defence alliance that does not seem to frame its activities clearly under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter and that has made use of concepts and strategies that raise problematic and sensitive issues in terms of the articulation between the regional level and the UN system,” said Patriota.

Brazil also warned that NATO’s ‘unilateral definitions’ of action zones could challenge global peace efforts.

“It would be extremely grave for the future of the articulation between regional and global efforts at promoting peace, as prescribed by the UN, if groups of countries started unilaterally defining their sphere of action beyond the territory of their members.

“We are concerned that, historically, leaders of the NATO and member countries have considered that the organisation does not necessarily require explicit authorisation from the Security Council to resort to coercion,” said Patriota.

In 1999, NATO launched a 78-day military attack on Yugoslavia to resolve the conflict in Kosovo, killing over 3,500 people.

NATO violated international law by starting the military offensive without the authorisation of the UNSC.

“We are also concerned that NATO has extensively interpreted mandates for action aimed at promoting international peace and security authorised by this Security Council,” said Patriota.

NATO also played a pivotal role in Libya to remove Colonel Muammar Gadaffi by adopting a no-fly zone over the country in 2011.

BRICS nations have accused NATO of using the Libyan UN mandate to pursue regime change by aiding rebel forces who ousted and eventually killed Libya’s long-time leader Gaddafi.

“We are concerned, as well, that NATO has been searching to establish partnerships out of area, far beyond the North Atlantic, including the regions of peace, democracy, social inclusion, and that rule out the presence of weapons of mass destruction in their territories,” said the Brazilian foreign minister.

Responsibility while Protecting (RwP) is the Brazilian contribution to the consolidation of the Responsibility to protect (R2P) principle which emerged after the NATO-led intervention in Libya.

Source: Agencies