Mr Facilitator,
Sweden fully aligns itself with the statement made by Luxemburg on behalf of the European Union. However, I would like to focus on a topic very dear to Sweden, namely the challenge to the UN of managing transition from conflict to peace, from peacekeeping to long-term development. The proposals by the Secretary General in the area of peace-building seem to enjoy overwhelming support by Member States, and are among the most promising for the summit in September.
Often, a peacekeeping mission has a mandate to disarm and demobilize, but not to rehabilitate and reintegrate former fighters. In Liberia, in the early stages, UNMIL disarmed over 100 000 ex-combatants without any link to rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. The UNDP Trust Fund, to which Sweden is the second largest contributor, has been able to offer rehabilitation and reintegration opportunities for a large part of those who were demobilized. But because of shortage of funding, there are still tens of thousands waiting for reintegration. Without reintegration, they will continue to pose a threat to the entire peace process.
Liberia is an example of the need for a Peace-building Commission in order to ensure coordination between various actors, prepare coherent decision-making on peacebuilding, and ensure predictable funding and monitoring of its implementation. A Peace-building commission is a necessary tool to help countries in transition from conflict to long-term development. Mr Facilitator,
The explanatory note from the Secretary General is an excellent paper on the functions, modalities and membership of a future Peace-building Commission. I am pleased to say that Sweden can fully support the overall recommendations in that paper.
Let me mention seven points that we find particularly important,
First, the Peacebuilding Commission's main role should be to give advice and promote overall strategies on post-conflict peacebuilding, focusing on country-specific situations.
Second, the Commission should play an important role in relation to the rule of law, human rights and democracy, which are prerequisites for both for development and security. It should help promote respect for human rights, and the strengthening of the rule of law and transitional justice. This should be reflected in the Commission's working methods.
Third, we believe in a flexible approach to the question of membership, letting each conflict determine the exact composition of the Peace-building Commission. The core membership could encompass all the players mentioned in the Secretary General's explanatory note, including representatives from international finance institutions and from relevant regional organisations. We look forward to receiving the results from the Secretary-General's consultations with the international finance institutions on this matter.
We welcome the recommendation for a single UN delegation in the Peacebuilding Commission and foresee input from the UN Funds and Programs in the development field, as well as from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the High Commissioner for Human rights.
We must ensure that development actors are involved in the setting of UN's political and security agenda, and vice versa. This is in line with our view that the UN, both in the field and at headquarters, should work as one organisation.
Fourth, we support the Secretary-General's recommendation that the Peacebuilding Commission should report to the Security Council and the ECOSOC in sequence, depending on the phase of transition. This would establish a firm link to both Councils.
Fifth, we also support the functions of the Peacebuilding Support Office. It should assist the Commission, the Security Council and ECOSOC in their work as well as undertake overall analysis of peacebuilding transition phases.
Sixth, we strongly believe that crucial peacebuilding activities such as the DDRR-process should in a long-term perspective be financed by assessed contributions. We believe that a multi-year voluntary replenishable fund based on negotiated contributions with a broad donor base would be the most suitable short-term option.
Seventh, and my final point, we also support the notion that the Peacebuilding Commission should be entrusted with a mandate to review and evaluate the performance of peacebuilding activities. By evaluating various transition phases, it could be a centre of best practices. Mr Facilitator,
We now hear strong support from all regions for the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission. Let us use this momentum and move towards a decision on this issue as soon as possible.
I thank you.