Be proactive in fighting human right violations- International community told

Deputy Defence Minister William Ofori Boafo on Monday called on the international community to be proactive in fighting human rights violations and not to hide behind the cloak of “non-interference”.
“How does the international community translate the principles of the Responsibility to Protect in communities where sovereignty is being trumpeted as the supreme card and where members of the international community remain divided on the appropriate course of action to take?
“Slowly but increasingly, the international community seems to be forgetting 'the principle of never again' in the name of non-interference”, he said at the opening of the second International Training Programme on Peace building and Good Governance for African Civilian Personnel (ITPPGG) at Legon near Accra.
The three-week ITPPGG is a joint project between the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), University of Ghana and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, a post graduate institution in Pisa, Italy.
It is in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The objective of the Programme is to provide a ready pool of trained and skilled personnel to fill the civilian components of field peace support operations to complement the work of the military and the police.
Participants are drawn from national, international and non-governmental organizations, government institutions as well as activists and advocates in peace building, conflict resolution, human rights and democratic development.
Mr Ofori Boafo noted that even though there was a drastic reduction in the number of armed conflicts on the continent, it was important for stable nations to safeguard and strengthen institutions of democracy.
He said it was equally important that strife-torn countries built institutions of justice, rule of law and respect for human rights as a well as establish appropriate infrastructure for development.
The Deputy Minister held the view that even though Africa had not realized its hopes of development, due partly to internecine conflict, “we cannot derail the development process any further because if we do, posterity will not forgive us”.
“We have struggled to pull ourselves from mire and begun taking steps to reclaim the lost years….. Nothing should stop us….Nothing must stop us”.
Mr Ofori Boafo challenged the participants to develop ways to undertake their duties within the legal framework of the state, saying, “At this point in her history, Africa needs lateral thinkers who are willing and ready to go that extra mile to succeed”.
He said the continent needed committed persons who were ready to take up challenges of peacebuilding even in difficult situations, to stand up for the rights of the poor, oppressed and marginalized.
“But we are confident that despite the challenges of peace building, we will succeed. We are a resilient people who have survived many traumas and emerged the victor. We have a history of hope and a future filled with faith.
“Our people cannot wait; they are expecting the public goods which democracy promised. Let us work together to make their dreams a reality”, he said.
Traditional peacekeeping has given way to complex, integrated operations that requires a combination of political, military and humanitarian actions, thus increasing the role assigned to civilians who are engaged to provide relief assistance, promote human rights and assisting in institution building.
And unlike the military, many civilians go on peace missions with very little training and preparation, which calls for the need to give practical training to the civilian component of peace operations.