The secretaries general unite

Posted By David Bosco Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - 3:16 PM Share

Richard Gowan examines the not always smooth relationship between Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon but concludes that, on Syria, the two cautious diplomats must work together to bolster a project they both cherish--the responsiblity to protect:

Last year, Ban made a point of supporting the Western campaign in Libya. Annan, although sympathetic to the initial NATO intervention in March, told the Financial Times in April that the U.S. and its European and Arab allies had “crossed a line and are now part of the civil war and fighting on one side of the civil war.”

If Ban and Annan were divided over Libya, why are they now working together on the Syrian crisis?

One answer is moral: Both Annan and Ban have invested significant political capital in the the responsibility to protect doctrine, which is now at stake in Homs and Damascus.