ABSTRACT: "Spare us the dead," said Camus. And use every means possible to save lives. If there has been an occasion in which humanitarian aid has had to exploit every single one of its resources, it has been during the war in the Ex-Yugoslavia.

Conventional diplomacy and political pressure from international organizations failed from the start, leaving what is known as "humanitarian diplomacy" to cover the various situations, imposing, if not peace, at least a cease-fire.

(THE PARTY new, N. 11, 27 july 1993)

An example of this? The initiatives undertaken in recent months by Bernard Kouchner, France's former Minister of Health, who became famous the world over for his spectacular and provocative actions, such as storming the naval blockade around Dubrovnik and his mission to Iraqi Kurdistan to deliver aid to the Kurdish population. In July, Kouchner was summoned to Sarajevo by the Bosnian President Aljia Izetbegovic to act as mediator between himself and the Serbo-Bosnian leader Radovan Karadzic. The martyred city of Bosnia-Hecegovina had been without drinking water for ten days, and had no electricity or gas. After two days of running back and forth between Karadzic's headquarters in Pale and the Presidential Palace in Sarajevo, Kouchner succeeded in getting the two adversaries to sign an agreement: Sarajevo was to have its drinking water, electricity and gas on condition that Izetbegovic attended the Geneva peace-talks.Two days later, 20% of the population had drinking water again, and the gas supply had been t

urned on: this was made possible with the assistance of the blue helmets.

Kouchner then took a plane from Sarajevo to Bari, where the "Droit de Parole" was anchored in the port. This is the ship from which Radio Brod broadcasts, an independent station that covers two-thirds of the territory of the former Yugoslavia, thanks to its multiethnic staff of Slovenians, Croats, Serbs and Bosnians. Radio Brod has not been able to go on the air for weeks, because the UIT (International Communications Union - a body recognized by the UN but not directly dependent upon this Organization) agreed to the request of the Serbo-Montenegrin Federation to stop the transmissions. The "Humanitarian Ambassador" set sail with the broadcasting staff on 14 July, and the "Droit de Parole" moved into international waters where it waited for France, Italy and the UN to take action to have the embargo imposed by the UIT, lifted.

On the one hand, the UN tries to create more human conditions for the civilian population; on the other hand, it does not take specific action to affirm the right to information. What sense does "humanitarian diplomacy" have in a situation like this? Bernard Kouchner gives us some answers::

KOUCHNER - Human diplomacy still makes sense and it still has a chance. Certainly, one cannot ask too much of this form of negotiation. But one must realize just how much humanitarian action can influence conventional diplomacy and politics, and how necessary it is to their transformation. Using this means, we are in the process of creating a right of interference which is the right to prevent war, for the twenty-first century. For hundreds of years, other people's wars interested nobody. But in the last few years of the present century, there have been some innovations in this area. First of all, we have begun to be concerned about the wars and misfortunes which beset other people. Secondly, we have realized that the borders and the sovreignty of States must be respected only if these States respect human rights. Failing this, human beings and human rights must be placed above national sovreignty. This has become a reality thanks to humanitarian actions, and their having introduced a new method for dealing

with these problems.

Which method?

KOUCHNER - Previously, humanitarian action was provided for within the context of war because traditionalist conventions and protocols accepted conflicts while attempting, at the same time to humanize, moralize and "treat" war. The new political approach must stop wars before they start, not afterwards.

However, the United Nations has to be reformed to achieve this...

KOUCHNER - Certainly. We have to define the concept of humanitarian aid more clearly; the Security Council has to pass more precise resolutions; the UN has to enforce the right of interference, which must be thoroughly discussed before being put into practice and which must assign responsibility with absolute clarity.It must be a right of interference which is a right to prevent war by applying to the legal system an adage popular with doctors: prevention is better than cure. And a permanent "humanitarian army" has to be created to uphold this right.