I don't think the police in Canada keep talking about what the law is. Their job is to investigate and to arrest people, and to bring them before the courts, which decide. Generally, my approach is different from my predecessor. There are many other parts—necessary humility, but also pragmatism. I'm not the High Commissioner for Human Rights. I'm not a special rapporteur in Geneva.
What preventative statements can do is show the impotence of international law. If people don't listen to it, every day of the week I'll be spending time giving statements on different situations that nobody heeds. I think this is a moment where we have to show them law in action. We do it by trying to do our job. Take the criticism, take the slaps of criticism, because it goes with the job, but in the end, as long as we act with fidelity to the law, over a period of time we'll show that the office has changed—it's building stronger cases and it's moving as quickly as the resources allow—and move forward.
That's my approach in terms of preventative statements. It's nothing against Sudan. I report twice a year to the Security Council, and then I say things quite openly. In my last report to the Security Council, I made it very clear that the co-operation had deteriorated, that the next period was going to be a litmus test as to whether or not Sudan was co-operating with the Security Council and whether or not the Security Council itself was willing, on its own decision, to be so flagrantly ignored, and the consequence of that.
If Sudan can ignore it, why can't every other country? But we will keep trying to work as well as we can.