(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iran is currently hosting the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, the world’s second biggest international body after the United Nations.The 120-member summit is expected to discuss the most important international issues which the international bodies such as the United Nations have so far failed to address.Talking with political analyst Sara Marusek from the Lebanese capital city of Beirut to further discuss the issue.She is joined by Iran’s former Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour.What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.Q: Sara Marusek we are looking at the UN vs. the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) and we are looking at the efficiency of the UN, or should I say deficiencies because there are many different topics that NAM is covering and I am going to ask you about the Palestine issue; just today, the UN has released a report saying “the Gaza Strip by the year 2020 is going to be unlivable.” So I am looking here at NAM countries who don’t support the siege that is going on in Gaza.How in this case and point, as an example, can they come and counter what is going on? Because obviously the UN, even though they recently issued this report, are not doing much; the siege still continues five years on.Marusek: Well, thank you for having me. Indeed I would argue that the UN is actually enabling the continued occupation of Palestine and of course the horrific siege against Gazans.It’s going to be very difficult to create new institutions , new global institutions that can successfully challenge the dominance of the hegemonic interests that the UN perpetuates because it is really, it is all, it is supposed to be an international organization but it’s ruled by the Zionists, it is also ruled by the West. And so it is very difficult to get any real just policies put through when it comes to situations for example, look at what happened in Syria and the UN mission was not supported at all by the Western countries, therefore it was a failure and the same thing happens with the Palestinian question and the Western countries do not support a peaceful solution to the conflict.They do not support the rights of Palestinians, they do not, encourage or support the right for Palestinian to return to their homeland, and so of course any of the initiatives by the UN, even those people who are actually in Palestine, those UN officers have become convinced of the injustices against Palestine. They find themselves ostracized and they will file reports at the UN but they will not be acted upon and we see this again and again, and this is particularly the case with the situation in Gaza right now.So it is very important for the Non-Aligned Movement to start really thinking about building the necessary relationships and institutions to tackle some of these problems, because we have no hope that the United Nations or that Western powers are going to be a productive force for the international community that promotes democracy and peace throughout the whole world. They’re going to be too entrenched in their own interests and, as we know, the NAM represents the majority of the world’s population and so really it is up to those countries and their representatives at NAM to come up with the solutions that are required to solve questions like Palestine and to make sure that the situation finally achieves peace, a sustainable peace, for Palestinians to live there, and not just those Palestinians in Palestine but Palestinians throughout the world and throughout the region need to be able to go back to Palestine. /129
28 August 2012 - 19:30
News ID: 341336
It is very important for the Non-Aligned Movement to start really thinking about building the necessary relationships and institutions to tackle some of these problems, because we have no hope that the United Nations or that Western powers are going to be a productive force for the international community that promotes democracy and peace throughout the whole world.”
