UN General Assembly
1999

account their unique responsibility for the interests of the United Nations as a whole. And they should state on what grounds they consider such a situation to be present. The Secretary-General has said, “any armed intervention is itself a result of the failure of prevention”. (A/54/PV.4) I agree with the Secretary-General that conflict prevention and resolution must be given the highest possible priority in international relations. It should be carried out on the basis of a common resolve to secure human rights for all. The United Nations constitutes a needed and valuable tool to this end. Conflict resolution must, of course, not become only a question of the use of force. Let me point to two important aspects of the post-conflict situation. First, those who are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice. The creation of the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda were important first steps towards establishing an effective international legal order based upon democratic values and the rule of law. The work of the tribunals has