UN General Assembly
1999

in this mission is more vital than ever, a pre-eminence it derives from the Charter. France will recall this fundamental rule as often as necessary. To be sure, there have been circumstances when an urgent humanitarian situation dictated we should act immediately, but such an 26 approach must remain an exception. We must take care, as in the case of Kosovo, to reintegrate this action into the context of the Charter. Our fundamental rule is that it is for the Security Council to resolve crisis situations. For that reason, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s new strategic concept recalls that the Washington Treaty recognizes the primary responsibility of the Security Council in the maintenance of peace. Indeed, the universal nature of the Organization is intangible. The United Nations must strive to respond to crises, wherever they may occur. While we have not hesitated to do precisely that in recent years and on several continents, I would like to express regret at the relative timidity of the Organization where Africa is concerned. The