The UN Security Council has opened its public debate into the US demand that its peacekeepers be immune from prosecution in front of the newly-launched International Criminal Court.
Canada's ambassador to the world body, Mr Paul Heinbecker, asked that the session be convened and was the first to take the floor in the debate that will likely underscore the increasing US isolation from its traditional Western allies.
"I expect a certain unanimity and I hope it will be taken into consideration," Irish ambassador Mr Richard Ryan told reporters before heading into the session, for which 18 countries from outside the council have registered to take part and more than 25 representatives have signed up to speak.
The United States has threatened to oppose the renewal of UN peacekeeping operations unless UN personnel, including the so-called "blue helmet" soldiers, are exempted from prosecution in the court, which came into being on July 1st.
The United States under George W. Bush joins only China in rejecting the mission of the court, which was established to try those accused of war crimes from nations without satisfactory judicial infrastructure.
Under president Bill Clinton, the United States was among 139 nations to sign the treaty in Rome, but the United States has never ratified the treaty.
US ambassador to the UN Mr John Negroponte late last month cast the US veto of the renewal of the UN police-training mission to Bosnia, one of the only UN blue-helmet missions to include US troops, over the ICC flap.
The US position risks the closure of all 15 peacekeeping missions as each mandate comes to term and expires. Currently the UN has peacekeepers in: Bosnia; the Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia/Eritrea; Sierra Leone; Western Sahara; East Timor; India/Pakistan (Kashmir); Cyprus, Georgia; Kosovo; Prevlaka Peninsula (Croatia/Yugoslavia); Golan Heights (Israel); Iraq/Kuwait; Lebanon; as well as a general Middle East force.
The United States contributes 25 per cent of the UN peacekeeping budget, and has also threatened to withdraw some or all of that funding over the ICC.
But it remained steadfast in its unilateral position today, with delegation spokesman Mr Richard Grenell emphasising "we are going to hear criticism but our position is unchanged."
AFP