EU Presidency Statement - Peacekeeping operations

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. This statement is endorsed by the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the associated countries of Cyprus and Malta and the EFTA country belonging to the European Economic Area Iceland, align themselves with this statement.

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to start by thanking Under-Secretary-General Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno for the statement he made at the start of our session. I should also like to express the European Union's appreciation of the work the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations has done this year. We should especially like to thank the Committee Chairman, Ambassador Arthur Mbanefo (Nigeria), and the Chairman of the Working Group, Ambassador Michel Duval (Canada) for having chaired our discussions so successfully.

We are generally pleased that all the delegations have shown a spirit of co-operation during the Special Committee's proceedings, enabling it to come up with a series of constructive recommendations and proposals which are sure to bring about a marked improvement in the conduct of peace-keeping operations.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union has once again contributed actively to the Special Committee's proceedings this year. Its contribution is a measure of the importance it attaches to the settlement of conflicts, but above all to the suffering of the people who are, directly or indirectly, the primary victims.

The European Union once again reaffirms its commitment to United Nations' peacekeeping operations. As in the past, it will continue to make its contribution in terms of troops, civilian police and military observers. Indeed, it should not be forgotten that the European Union contributes nearly 40% of the United Nations peacekeeping budget. There are currently 5,115 nationals of European Union countries, both civilian and military police, taking part in peacekeeping operations under the United Nations flag. In UN-mandated operations such as SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and KFOR in Kosovo, it is the European Union, which supplies the bulk of the troops. Some 40 000 nationals of European Union countries are deployed on these missions.

Mr. Chairman, we are all aware that the comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations is a dynamic process, which has to adapt to constantly changing realities. Nowadays, most of the mandates for peacekeeping missions are made up of very diverse components, which render them more complex than in the past. The Secretariat, especially the DPKO, therefore needs a solid and efficient support structure for United Nations peacekeeping operations. In recent years, there have been many encouraging developments, which have opened the way for reform of the planning and management of peacekeeping operations and for an enhanced United Nations peacekeeping capability. The Brahimi report and the recent comprehensive review have given the Special Committee an overall picture of the issue and thus enabled it to formulate a series of considered recommendations.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union welcomes the outcome of the Special Committee's discussion of the comprehensive review. The outcome of our joint proceedings reflects the international community's shared vision, aimed at improving United Nations capability and reforming its procedures, practices and working methods in this field. We believe that better co-ordination between the different players and an integrated approach are needed in order to carry out the mandates for peacekeeping operations.

We hope that in the light of the latest report from the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations, the relevant United Nations bodies will release the necessary resources. The European Union has demonstrated that it is ready to increase its contribution to peacekeeping operations and that it now expects its investment to produce tangible improvements. In this connection, it is also necessary for the Secretariat, in particular the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, to apply new working methods, take on a new management culture and become a true meritocracy.

As regards the package of budget proposals currently under discussion in the Fifth Committee, the European Union wishes to point out that it favors a larger increase in human resources for the Peacekeeping Best Practices Unit. Experts on public information, on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants (DDR) and on gender are crucial if this Group is to have real potential. The Union would also point out that it is committed to an integrated and effective approach to training.

Mr. Chairman,

Although the European Union welcomes the outcome of the latest meeting of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, we had hoped for more tangible progress on information collection, strategic analysis and dissemination. It is essential for the UN to have efficient capability in this area. We are therefore anxious to see what new proposals the Secretary-General will come up with. It is unfortunate that the issue should have been postponed, despite the fact that most delegations acknowledged that such capability was crucial for the conduct of peacekeeping operations.

Mr. Chairman,

One of the comprehensive review's conclusions particularly caught the Union's attention: the Department for Peacekeeping Operations must not go it alone, but must continue to receive support from other departments and agencies which also play an important support role. These departments and agencies must also be given additional resources if they are to provide appropriate and effective support. Quite apart from the question of money, there needs to be real co-operation between the agencies involved. This means a change in culture and mentality and in working methods. Physical co-location might help to break down the barriers, but we feel that geographical proximity should go hand in hand with intellectual rapprochement. Apart from financial resources, Mr. Chairman, it is determination and motivation, which are at issue here.

Mr. Chairman,

There are a number of factors which may influence the success or failure of a peacekeeping operation. First of all, the Secretariat needs adequate staff and a high-quality management capability. Secondly, the operations need to be based on clearly defined, realistic and credible mandates. Thirdly, the resources allocated to an operation must be commensurate with the demands made upon it and the troop-contributing countries must supply well-trained and properly equipped contingents.

There is also a need for a close and efficient partnership between the Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop-contributing countries. The European Union welcomes resolution 1353 and looks forward to its broad implementation and forthcoming review. The Union encourages the Security Council to continue to give serious consideration to proposals to further strengthen and formalize co-operation between the Security Council, troop contributing countries and the Secretariat.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union urges the Secretariat to continue to work towards the goal of rapid and effective deployment within 30 days of adoption of a mandate for peacekeeping operations and within 90 days for complex peacekeeping operations, as proposed by the Brahimi report. In this connection, the Union has been calling for a global logistics strategy for some years now. The Special Committee's endorsement of the concept of a strategic reserve at Brindisi, the Secretary-General's proposals and the consultations held last October are encouraging. We must now press ahead. We are therefore anxious to see the budget estimates, which the Secretariat will be submitting to the relevant United Nations bodies.

The European Union attaches great importance to the safety and security of United Nations and associated personnel in areas where peacekeeping operations are under way. We were very pleased to see that the Secretary-General had gone into this question in some detail in his report. We feel that UN capability must be stepped up at headquarters and on the ground, especially in the present circumstances.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union is actively engaged in stepping up cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations on conflict prevention, crisis management, humanitarian aid, post-conflict reconstruction and long-term development. To that end, it is currently setting up its own crisis-management capability, which will substantially increase its contribution to conflict prevention and settlement. The increase in capability engendered by the Common Foreign and Security Policy will enable the Union to respond better to United Nations peacekeeping needs in future.

Mr. Chairman,

There are many facets to peacekeeping operations, not all of which can be gone into here. The Special Committee's discussions have shown that this is a complex subject, but we all know that there need to be changes and improvements in order to meet the challenges and realities stemming from our common determination to keep peace in the world. So we must not delay. Let us act on the report and let us issue the right guidelines and recommendations in the Special Committee and the General Assembly.

I could not end my speech without paying tribute to the men and women who serve in the peacekeeping operations. Their courage and commitment deserve our respect. Special tribute should be paid to those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. Amongst many others, Mr. Chairman, our thoughts go out to the blue berets who were killed in Georgia recently and to those who died in Sierra Leone.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Peacekeeping operations (18/6/2001)
• EU Presidency Statement - Peacekeeping Budget (7/5/2001)
• EU Presidency Statement - Peacekeeping operations (8/11/2000)
• EU Presidency Statement - UN peacekeeping operations (3/10/2000)