The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
525.
Following a
conversation with Mr Blair, Mr Straw made the same point
to Secretary
Powell
during two further discussions in New York on 11
September.159,160
526.
Mr Annan
opened the annual debate of the UN General Assembly on
12 September
by re-affirming the indispensable necessity and enduring
relevance
of
multilateralism and multilateral institutions in maintaining
international peace,
security
and freedom for all.
527.
Mr Annan
called on Member States to act through the UN adding that
an
effective
international security system depended on the Security
Council’s
authority
and willingness to act even in the most difficult
cases.
528.
Mr Annan
called on Iraq to comply with its obligations and appealed to
those
who had
influence with Iraq to encourage it to do so. If Iraq’s defiance
continued,
the
Security Council “must face its responsibilities”.
529.
Mr Annan’s
address to the General Assembly on 12 September focused on
the
arguments
for multilateral not unilateral action to address the challenges on
the UN’s
agenda and
for the full use of multilateral institutions, where all States had
“a clear
interest,
as well as a clear responsibility, to uphold international law and
maintain
530.
Mr Annan
stated that “only concerted vigilance and co‑operation among all
States”
would offer
“real hope of denying terrorists their opportunity” and
warned:
“On all
these matters, for any one State – large or small – choosing to
follow or
reject the
multilateral path must not be a matter of simple political
convenience.
It has
consequences far beyond the immediate context …
“The more a
country makes use of multilateral institutions – thereby
respecting
shared
values, and accepting the obligations and restraints inherent in
those values
– the more
others will trust and respect it, and the stronger its chance to
exercise
true
leadership.”
531.
Addressing the
role of the Security Council, Mr Annan stated that “when
States
decide to
use force to deal with broader threats to international peace and
security”, not
acting
under the inherent right to self‑defence under Article 51 of the UN
Charter, there
was “no
substitute for the unique legitimacy provided by the United
Nations”. Member
159
Letter
McDonald to Manning, 11 September 2002, ‘Iraq’.
160
Letter
Straw to Manning, 11 September 2002, ‘Iraq’.
161
UN General
Assembly, ‘Fifty‑seventh session Thursday 12 September 2002’
(A/57/PV.2).
182