Madame President,
Sweden aligns itself fully to the statement made by the European Union. I would like to add a few remarks in a national capacity, some of them based on observations from our participation in the country specific Commission on Sierra Leone.
The establishment of the PBC constitutes one of the major reform achievements of the 2005 Summit and we need to follow up on its progress. This debate provides an opportunity to make some preliminary assessments of the first experiences and provide guidance for our future work. The issue of peace building is from now on a standing feature on our agenda and we look forward to participating actively in the annual debates in the General Assembly as envisioned in the founding resolution. Madame President,
We participated in the initial two meetings of the Sierra Leone Commission in October and in December. These first substantive discussions form a good basis for the future engagement of the PBC in Sierra Leone. The Commission has identified a set of challenges and gaps, based on the input from the Government of Sierra Leone. It has also started to monitor progress and make recommendations.
Sweden believes that in the next phase, the level of engagement and commitment by the Commission should become more concrete and action oriented, based on an interactive and frank exchange of views. In order to achieve this it is vital to ensure that the meetings are thoroughly prepared. This should be done through an inclusive process, involving all relevant stakeholders, also at the field level.
The Commission should help achieve a higher level of coordination and burden-sharing among actors in Sierra Leone, focusing on efforts directly related to peace building. The Commission should also become a forum for open dialogue between the Government and the other participants to make clear what is expected by the various actors and to follow through on the goals that have been set.
A mapping exercise of ongoing activities within the priority areas is needed in order for participants to be able to contribute more effectively. We therefore appreciate the intention by the Chairman to elaborate a concrete work plan on measures to be taken by the Government of Sierra Leone and the international community. This is an important step in further strengthening the link between the PBC and the activities in the field.
We furthermore welcome the fact that the Peace building Support Office is now more or less fully staffed and that with increased capacity the office should be in a better position to prepare and follow up the meetings of the Commission.Madame President,
On a more general level, it is evident to us that the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council all have vital and complementary roles to play in the work of the PBC. In order to avoid overlap and inefficiencies, we would strongly encourage enhanced coordination among these bodies.
We also need to fully involve the international financial institutions in our work. IFI’s have an essential role to play in peace building efforts, including in the implementation of the recommendations by the Commission. Furthermore, NGO:s have an important role, not least in ensuring local ownership of the peace building strategies. NGO:s should be part of our common efforts in the PBC framework.
Within the UN, concerted efforts under the leadership of the PBSO should ensure coherence and coordination of activities. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme have all special responsibilities in this regard.
The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is an important component of this architecture. We support the use of the Fund in Sierra Leone and Burundi, and would encourage the Secretary-General to consider using the resources in other countries emerging from conflict, in accordance with the Fund’s mandate. We would also like to reemphasize the Fund’s catalytic role and that it is to support key activities for peacebuilding. It is important to keep in mind that the Fund was never intended to become the main vehicle for financial support to any country in any given situation. In addition to contributing substantially to the Fund, Sweden for its part will also increase its funding to peace building activities within the framework of UN:s funds and programs. We urge other Member States to come forward with voluntary contributions to the Fund.
We understand fully the initial need for the Commission not to strain limited capacity and to gain experience. While it may be too early just yet to expand the number of countries on the agenda, it is essential that we relatively soon consider addressing also other post-conflict situations in the PBC. In our view, PBC’s most added value lies in the initial stages of post-conflict.
The ultimate goal of the PBC is to lower the rate of recurrence of conflict. In order to reach that goal, it is time to intensify the concrete action taken in the PBC-framework. But in doing so we must also show long term commitment, in order to achieve progress that will meet the coming challenges in specific countries.
The primary responsibility for peace-building lies with the countries on the PBC agenda themselves. But the Commission and its participants must be ready to assist in a spirit of partnership. Sweden is committed to doing its share.
Thank you.