Mr. President,Finding ways to break the vicious cycles of violence and poverty in the poorest and most vulnerable countries is one of our greatest challenges. It is not acceptable that 30% of countries fall back into conflict within five years of a peace agreement. As the Secretary General highlights in his report on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict, we need to be able to support national efforts to secure a sustainable peace in post-conflict countries more rapidly and more effectively.Sweden like all other members of the European Union welcome the Secretary General’s report and look forward to his continued engagement and commitment to this agenda. It is fully in line with the appreciated efforts by the Secretary General to enhance the overall coherence, effectiveness and accountability of UN operational activities in the field. The report’s recommendations need to be urgently implemented. The members of the EU stand ready, in all relevant inter-governmental fora as well as at the country level, to actively support the efforts of the Secretary General to achieve this change. Mr. President,Peacebuilding efforts need to start immediately after a peace agreement is signed and national capacity must be built and strengthened from the very beginning of the process. All aspects of peacebuilding must be considered from the start. Alongside the deployment of peacekeepers in order to support national authorities in rapidly providing security, efforts must be made to stimulate economic recovery, revamp basic services, and restore rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights, as well as other key peacebuilding priorities. The EU fully supports the emphasis given in the report to national ownership with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Special efforts may be needed to reach out to women, youth and minority groups that are at risk of exclusion.The EU supports the report’s recommendation on the need for effective and accountable senior UN leadership on the ground. The UN leader should be enabled to bring together international actors behind an early strategy, identifying priorities, in support of national peacebuilding efforts, before more detailed long-term planning is undertaken. Measures should be put in place to make this a reality. Mechanisms for more effective monitoring, evaluation and adjustments of strategies, as well as a system of clear accountability, should also be developed. The members of the EU are committed to engaging in the early strategy process and to support the designated UN leader on the ground. Mr. President,As emphasised in the report greater clarity on roles and responsibilities for core peacebuilding sectors, both within the UN and between the UN and World Bank, is needed for more effective international support to peacebuilding. It is essential that those designated as lead agencies make the appropriate investments in order to provide timely and predictable support. These arrangements should be kept under regular review. It is also important to utilize the full potential of the Peacebuilding Support Office. The role of the PBSO should be clearly defined.Effective peacebuilding also requires rapid deployment of civilian experts in order to help meet the immediate capacity building needs of the country concerned. In this regard, we have been encouraged by the positive assessment of the value added by the Standing Police Capacity and would welcome its further development and expansion to other areas of rule of law. We look forward to the proposed overall review on how the UN, and international community, can help broaden and deepen the pool of civilian experts, particularly from the affected regions and from the South.The EU further supports the emphasis in the report on joint needs assessments, planning and support. Ways should now be found to put this into practice. In this regard we look forward to the recommendations on the integrated task forces and the HQ support to Resident Coordinators and the UN Country Teams.Sweden and the EU as a whole welcome the report’s recognition of the need for a more timely and flexible role for the Peacebuilding Fund in the early stages of a peace process, the importance of effective Multi-donor Trust Funds (MDTFs), and improvements in donor- and agency practises to make funding faster and more flexible. We are committed to a timely conclusion of the DAC discussions that should generate donor and agency reforms towards this end.Mr. President,I would also like to underline the important role of the Peacebuilding Commission in providing advice, stimulating coordination, mobilising resources and maintaining the international spotlight on countries emerging from conflict. The PBC is unique in its membership structure, the consistent involvement of civil society and in its country specific approach. It is important that we build on the achievements of the Commission so far. The 2010 review offers an opportunity to learn from its first years of operation and make suitable improvements. In addition, we would like to see a central role for the PBC in monitoring progress made in implementing recommendations of the Secretary General’s report.The United Nations has an important role and clear added value in supporting peacebuilding efforts. We need to take the opportunity before us to enhance its capacity to help build peace in conflict-affected societies. Sweden and the EU as a whole stand ready to work with the Secretary General and member states to deliver on this important agenda.Thank you!