UN General Assembly
2011

our values. We called for dialogue and deplored the use of force against civilians. That was not enough in Libya, however, where the regime had vowed to slaughter its own civilians. The only way to prevent a massacre was for the international community to invoke the principle of the responsibility to protect. By helping to implement that decision in military, diplomatic and humanitarian terms, we shifted from a culture of sovereign impunity to one of responsible sovereignty, rooted in national and international accountability for the most serious violations of human rights. At the same time, we supported international sanctions against the Syrian leadership. The uprisings in North Africa and in the Middle East send a message that the United Nations can do more and do better. Let me be very clear. We do not want less United Nations involvement; we want more. Libya can be the first test case for a more prominent United Nations role. The United Nations is called upon to coordinate and lead the international community’s assistance to that country. The international community should