U.N.'s assertion of immunity in cholera outbreak is morally, legally 'right' decision

Published on March 1, 2013 at 5:09 AM · No Comments

"When U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invoked diplomatic immunity last week for peacekeepers who unwittingly caused the cholera outbreak that killed nearly 8,000 Haitians, his decision looked cold-hearted," but "sympathy for Haitians should not mask the necessity of the secretary-general's decision," Boston Globe correspondent Juliette Kayyem writes in an opinion piece in the newspaper. "It was right as a legal matter -- and as a moral one, too," she states, adding, "This case is about disaster management, not public health." She continues, "Putting aside whether the U.N.'s attitude has been sympathetic enough, whether it should vet peacekeeping forces better before deploying them, and whether the organization has a moral obligation to give Haiti more help with its public health needs, Ban's decision will protect all relief efforts in the future," adding, "It is the only outcome that provides the necessary protections to those who are asked to work voluntarily in dangerous situations."

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