Swiss diplomat Mô Bleeker appointed UN special adviser on protection
Mô Bleeker, who will replace Ugandan George William Okoth-Obbo, was recently appointed by the foreign ministry as the special envoy for the prevention of atrocities.
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Swiss diplomat Mô Bleeker has been appointed by the UN Secretary-General as the new Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. This was announced by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Wednesday.
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The “responsibility to protect” refers to the notion that every sovereign state has a duty to protect its citizens from serious atrocities such as persecution, genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. If a state is unable or unwilling to act, it is up to the international community to intervene through the offices of the UN Security Council.
Bleeker, who will replace Ugandan George William Okoth-Obbo, was recently appointed by the foreign ministry as the special envoy for the prevention of atrocities. Switzerland works closely with the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect.
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Previously, Bleeker worked in Colombia as an envoy for the implementation of the peace agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government, and between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the local authorities.
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What to expect when Switzerland heads UN Security Council
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Switzerland will chair the UN's top security body in May. But what does this role entail, and what challenges will Swiss diplomats face?
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