UN General Assembly
2012

in the Sahel, especially in Mali, when the Sudan and South Sudan struggle to normalize relations, and when Syria is ravaged by internal conflict. Those tensions highlight the risk of force being used to resolve differences. “The use of force can be justified in some cases, such as to respond to international terrorism, violations of human rights and democracy, threats to the security of persons or violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. However, it is clear that, before resorting to that extreme, peaceful means must first be used to resolve disputes, so as to avoid setting off a vicious circle of violence and retaliation. Far be it from me to indulge in utopianism. There are situations when military intervention is perhaps inevitable. But it is our responsibility to reduce to the minimum the likelihood of military action by taking a maximum of precautions. In any case, clearly the preferred way to settle disputes is still through prevention and negotiation. “For the greater part of international public opinion, the United Nations embodies the noblest