EU Presidency Statement - Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

Mr. Chairman,

It is a great honor for me to make a statement on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated to the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and other countries associated, Cyprus and Malta support this statement, as well as the EFTA country belonging to the European Economic Area, Iceland, aligns itself with this statement.

Mr. Chairman,

The publication of the Brahimi Report in 2000 and the Comprehensive Review in 2001 have given an unprecedented impetus to the UN's capacity for peacekeeping, undoubtedly one of the most critical functions and the one by which the organisation is universally judged. Much progress has been achieved in the last two years. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is now better resourced in order to cope with the requirements of the planning, deployment and management of traditional and multifunctional peacekeeping operations. It must continue to develop also its capability to react effectively and rapidly to a sudden surge in requirements.

Mr Chairman,

The EU, which has supported the Brahimi process from the outset, is pleased with the results achieved in terms of additional resources, in spite of some fundamental capacities that we believe the Department still lacks. A reinforced DPKO, once the recruitment processes underway are completed, will clearly result in a greater and improved ability for the UN to successfully meet the challenge of peacekeeping. But more must be done. The Secretariat should adopt a new management culture. Sufficient capacity must be developed to enable the UN to carry out an operation rapidly and effectively. There must be a comprehensive policy for training. The organisation must be able to manage and analyse information relevant to its role in the maintenance of peace and security.

Resources are not, however, the only aspect which must be improved to enable the UN to meet this challenge. There must be the necessary political will on the part of member states. They must take steps to bridge the commitment gap with regard to personnel and equipment.

It is also paramount to incorporate an effective approach to peace and security of integration and coordination, that takes into account the complex and multidimensional character of modern peacekeeping activities. Such coordination is necessary at all levels: among different entities within DPKO, between DPKO and other departments and relevant actors, between Headquarters and the field, and in the field itself.

The application of the Integrated Mission Task Force (IMTF) concept has shown not only the usefulness of this instrument, but also the unquestionable advantage of an integrated approach. We trust that an integrated approach will continue to be incorporated, both in the planning and the management of peacekeeping operations.

There is still a number of areas in which DPKO does not have sufficient capacity to give strategic guidance and support to efforts in the field, and to coordinate effectively with other entities and serve as a focal point for efforts undertaken by them. To address these shortfalls, the EU supports, inter alia, that entry points be established in the Best Practices Unit for the following specialized activities: disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), public information, gender, humanitarian affairs and safety and security.

DDR often plays an integral and critical part in the success of peacekeeping operations. Where DDR programs are part of PKOs, we support the funding of their start-up phase through the assessed budgets of PKOs. DPKO must have the capability to fully backstop and coordinate DDR efforts on the field and should be given the necessary resources to that end.

DPKO, in coordination with DPI, should have the adequate capacity to prepare and deliver strategic guidance and support for public information in peacekeeping operations and, in crisis situations, to give day-to-day directions in respect to public information at Headquarters and to missions in the field.

The EU fully supports the principle of gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping. We commend steps taken by the Secretariat to incorporate a gender perspective in its activities and welcome particularly the example of the Gender Affairs Office in UNTAET. We continue to encourage the establishment of the proper back-up capacity in the Secretariat to guide and support the needs of the gender focal-points in the field, as well as to disseminate to other operations best practices and lessons learned in issues related to gender.

Mr. Chairman,

The EU supports the same integrated approach with regard to the necessary process of reform of the DPKO's management culture. We were disappointed to see the Fifth Committee decide at the end of the year not to support the creation of a post of Director for Management, which we consider essential to lead the much needed overhauling and strengthening of the entire department's management system and practices. We look forward to its reconsideration and approval during this session of the General Assembly.

Mr. Chairman,

The most recently deployed PKOs show us that peacekeeping can go from traditional operations, like UNMEE, to multidimensional operations like UNAMSIL or MONUC. Mandates today are often complex and comprise elements that range from the traditional aspects of PK, such as monitoring ceasefires, to DDR, technical advice and training to new or revitalised police forces, protection of the delivery of humanitarian assistance, mine clearance, electoral assistance, the initial stages of the establishment of basic law and order services and basic elements of the rule of law, or monitoring and assistance in the field of human rights. In specific situations PK can even require, as in the recent cases in Kosovo and East Timor, the establishment of UN transitional civil administrations.

We do not try to say, of course, that such aspects will always have to form part of peacekeeping mandates. But experience continues to show that under certain circumstances they are needed, particularly at the initial stages of the UN presence. As a peacekeeping operation nears its end, and probable conversion into a post-conflict peacebuilding exercise, those aspects will in any case become elements of peacebuilding and be treated and funded as such.

That is why it is important that peacekeeping operations have exit strategies that are as well?defined as possible. The Security Council must determine what the objectives of an operation are and thus be able, in due course, to declare that they have been achieved and that the time has come for another form of UN presence. Clear and effective exit strategies will meet the concerns of those who think that including aspects of what has traditionally been considered peacebuilding into the mandates of a mission may prolong it endlessly.

The EU shares the perspective of the Brahimi Report that a continuum exists in the activities of the UN in the maintenance of peace and security, stretching from conflict prevention into peacekeeping and peacebuilding. As we have said before, there must be coordination and continuity of peace efforts before, during and after peacekeeping activities.

The EU continues to believe that the Secretariat should have a capacity for information management and analysis. Such a capacity is essential for an efficient and integrated approach to the maintenance of peace and security. It would also contribute to the enhancement of the ability of the Secretariat to provide information and analysis useful, among others, to TCCs, and ultimately to the safety and security of personnel in the field. The EU looks forward to continued consultations on this matter.

Mr. Chairman,

The EU welcomes the adoption of the Note by the President of the Security Council of 14 January 2002 that establishes a mechanism for strengthening cooperation between the Council and troop-contributing countries, in addition to the forms of consultation established by Security Council resolution 1353 so as to complement effectively the ongoing process of consultation meetings. We look forward to the full and effective implementation of the recommendations included in both documents, that shall enhance and strengthen cooperation between the Council, TCCs and the Secretariat in planning, preparing and managing a mission.

Mr. Chairman,

The EU believes that the Secretariat should continue to work towards the goal of enhancing its capacity to deploy peacekeeping operations within 30 days, or within 90 days in the case of complex peacekeeping operations, after the adoption of a mandate.

Rapid deployment is one of the fundamental goals set out in the Brahimi Report. The Secretariat has made considerable progress in implementing its proposals, especially with regard to the question of strategic deployment stocks. The EU welcomes the way in which the dialogue with member states requested by our Committee was conducted last September. We consider that this is a good example of how the Secretariat should pursue an effective and constructive dialogue with the Committee on issues critical to its work. We look forward to the presentation of the relevant budget by the Secretariat and support its aim to make the mechanism fully operational by early 2003.

We also need to look more closely at other fundamental aspects of rapid deployment. In particular, the EU looks forward to an exchange of views with the Secretariat on the Stand-by Arrangement System (UNSAS), especially on how to make operational the idea behind the concept of on-call lists. We look forward to the results of the Conference on Experts for the Civilian Police Division of the DPKO that will take place in Helsinki later this week (14-15 February).

The EU encourages an increased emphasis on training and professional capacity development, both in the planning and in the support phases of PKOs. We urge the Secretariat to replace the currently fragmented functions by a comprehensive and integrated approach that reflects the multidimensional character of modern peacekeeping activities. We thus support the designation of a central focal point for coordination of DPKO's military and civilian training activities. We welcome the intention of the DPKO to continue to develop and strengthen its relationship with the UN System Staff College in Turin.

The EU supports the new focus of DPKO on providing the national and regional peacekeeping training centres with the guidance required to train their own personnel. We also support the revitalization of the concept of Training Assistance Teams (UNTAT).

Mr. Chairman,

The EU remains, as always, committed to UN peacekeeping. EU member states are present in all UN peacekeeping operations. We currently have some 4.000 troops, military and civilian police, in the field; as well as thousands of men and women assigned to UN-mandated operations. We also contribute over 40% of the peacekeeping budget.

Since 1999, the EU has been working hard in the development of its crisis management and conflict prevention capabilities, both civil and military. As a result of this, the European Council of last December adopted a Declaration on the operational capability of the Common European Security and Defence Policy, acknowledging that the EU is now able to conduct some crisis management operations and that the Union will be in a position to take on progressively more demanding operations, as the assets and capabilities at its disposal continue to develop.

The development of ESDP will strengthen the Union's capacity to contribute to international peace and security in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and recognising the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. The EU is developing its crisis management capacities with a view to improve its ability to contribute to operations conducted by lead organisations such as the UN or the OSCE. A framework for EU-UN cooperation in conflict prevention and crisis management has been established and specific areas and modalities for cooperation have been identified. The EU looks forward to continue its dialogue with the UN on these issues.

Mr. Chairman,

In concluding, I would like to pay tribute to the memory of all those who have lost their lives in the service of peacekeeping under the UN flag.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

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