15 August 2013

SHARES News Items Overview: 16 July-15 August 2013

This is our News Items Overview of 16 July-15 August 2013, a summary of recent news relating to shared responsibility.  (more…)

13 August 2013

Fifth Secretary-General Report on the Responsibility to Protect: State responsibility and prevention

The UN Secretary-General published his fifth report on the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) entitled ‘Responsibility to protect: State responsibility and prevention’. The term state responsibility refers to primary legal and moral obligations, including both national efforts and international efforts to assist other states. 

The report offers an overview of risk factors and considers how states can increase their capacity to prevent by offering different policy options, such as the establishment of partnerships for prevention. In the conclusion, the Secretary-General refers to the ‘collective failure to prevent atrocity crimes in the Syrian Arab Republic’ and the moral burden this places on the UN and member states, ‘in particular those who have primary responsibility for international peace and security’.

Source: Responsibility to protect: State responsibility and prevention | Report of the Secretary-General | A/67/929–S/2013/399 | 9 July 2013

13 August 2013

NYT: Sudan supplies weapons to Syrian opposition

The New York Times reported that Sudan has provided weapons for the Syrian rebels, adding yet another layer to the unregistered multinational arms pipeline supplying the opposition forces first reported by the NYT in June.

According to Western officials and Syrian rebels, the Sudanese government sold  anti-aircraft missiles and small arms cartridges to Qatar in publically unacknowledged deals, and Qatar arranged for them to be delivered to the Syrian opposition forces through Turkey. Sudan, that maintains close ties with Iran and China, has reportedly denied sending weapons to the opposition forces.

Source: The New York Times | Arms Shipments Seen From Sudan to Syria Rebels

9 August 2013

Jordan thwarts Syrian arms smuggling attempt

The Associated Press reported that the Jordanian police is questioning two Syrians suspected of attempting to smuggle a large weapons cache, including surface-to-air missiles, into Jordan.

Jordanian officials did not reveal whether the suspects were affiliated with the Syrian opposition, and the purpose of the on-going investigation is to determine whether the men were rebels seeking to hide weapons in Jordan or stage attacks there. Jordan, a key US-ally in the region, has been concerned of the Syrian war spilling across the border and, despite official denials, reportedly acted as a transit point earlier this year for Saudi and Qatari weapons destined for Syrian rebels.

Source: Associated Press | Jordan foils alleged Syrian arms smuggling attempt

9 August 2013

CITES and UNESCO call for increased international cooperation to fight illegal ivory trade

In a statement published, the CITES Secretary-General and the Director-General of UNESCO have called on the international community to increase its cooperative efforts, on both national and international levels, to fight illegal ivory trade and increasing poaching of the African elephant.

According to the authors, strengthening ties among the concerned stakeholders, including governments and NGOs, is the only way to fight organised wildlife crime. Increased cooperation is needed to maintain borders and sanction criminals and intermediaries, and states with destination markets, primarily in Asia, need to engage in awareness-raising.

Source: CITES | Secratary-General's statements | Wildlife crime is robbing the future of Africa - Jeune Afrique