I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European Countries associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, as well as the EFTA countries members of the EEA, Iceland and Liechtenstein, align themselves with this statement.
Mr President,
The EU is committed to strengthening UN peacekeeping. All of the members of this organisation have to continue to improve the way in which it conducts its peacekeeping activities. This is why we have been fully engaged in the process that was initiated last year with the publication of the Report of the Panel on UN Peace Operations. The work done by the Secretariat and the General Assembly, especially the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, were important steps in the right direction.
We need a Department of Peacekeeping Operations that works efficiently and is able to cope with the challenges it faces. The very credibility of the United Nations is at stake. DPKO must have the capacity to effectively plan, deploy, and manage operations, as well as a capacity to react quickly to a sudden surge in new missions or activities. A better rapid deployment system and a useful policy and analysis capacity must be put into place. The additional requirements imposed on the Secretariat by complex peacekeeping operations should also be taken into consideration in the reformed structures.
The Secretary-General's report is yet another step forward in the on-going process. The EU warmly welcomes the work that has been carried out in such a short period of time. The report provides us with a clear picture of the needs to be addressed if UN peacekeeping is to meet present and future challenges. We appreciate the concise presentation of the status of implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee and of the recommendations of the Panel on UN Peace Operations.
The EU broadly supports the recommendations contained in this report and encourages the Secretary-General to implement those measures that are under his purview. These will improve significantly the performance of the Department through changes to its structures, systems and procedures.
The report rightly recognises that additional resources, as well as the better use of existing ones, are needed in order to get a better functioning peacekeeping department, with sufficient capacity to engage in long-term strategy, policy and capacity development, mission support, as well as relations to troop contributors. In this context, the list of projects and activities that have not yet been completed is proof that more is needed if we want the Secretariat to be able to better perform its duties. The Secretariat needs resources to be able to do what it has been asked to do.
Additional resources would represent steps towards strengthening the relationship between troop contributors, the Secretariat and the Security Council. The EU also welcomes the proposals on improving the planning process for peacekeeping operations, which would enhance DPKO's capacity to reach out to the members of the Security Council and potential troop contributors more frequently and with greater transparency.
At the same time, DPKO's working methods and structure should be reformed. The EU supports the proposals by the Secretary-General to strengthen DPKO, in particular its management, strategic planning, mission support and policy development. We also fully support in this context the enhanced use of IT by DPKO, as proposed in the report.
In light of the increased requirements for logistics and administrative support, there is a need for sufficient and adequately trained staff to administer the work. The EU supports a strengthening of the administrative and logistic planning and support capacity, including the increased emphasis on training in this field. This should take into consideration the will expressed by the General Assembly to develop a common management culture in the UN system.
Given the increased role of civilian police in peacekeeping, the Civilian Police Division should be further strengthened. The report rightly underlines this need. The EU supports the proposed upgrading of the rank of the Civilian Police Adviser.
In order to enhance the capacity of peacekeeping operations to fulfil their mandates, the EU supports the creation of a unit for criminal law and judicial affairs to, inter alia, train law enforcement personnel in domestic law prior to their deployment and to advise them while conducting their mission.
The EU supports all efforts to solve the problems of fragmentation within DPKO. Creating a less fragmented DPKO is not simply an issue of mission planning; it is also extremely important for the Department's day-to-day work in mission support. We therefore warmly welcome the Secretary-General's recommendations on the employment of a "task team" approach, and especially the co-location of staff from the Office of Operations, the Logistics Operations Section, the current Military Operations Service and the Civilian Police Division's Mission Management Unit.
Peacekeeping activities could also be made more efficient through an increased delegation to the field, which must, however, be based on proper policies and guidance from headquarters. In this regard, it would be useful to foster the standardisation of planning and conduct procedures, and to clearly define chains of command and decision-making.
In this Committee the EU has repeatedly stressed the importance of co-ordination at every level, both at headquarters and equally important in the field. Co-ordination mechanisms within the Secretariat should be used to their fullest extent. The EU therefore welcomes the progress made to improve co-ordination, including the smaller-scale version of the first integrated mission task force mechanism (IMTF). We encourage the Secretariat to take steps towards the establishment of a full IMTF, as envisaged by the report of the Panel on UN Peace Operations.
The EU also welcomes the on-going work to improve the selection process of future mission leadership, so that a potential mission leader can be closely involved in the planning process of a new mission.
The rapid deployment of peacekeeping operations calls for the combined action of the Security Council, the Secretariat, Member States and the General Assembly. The EU has for some time called for the development of a comprehensive logistics strategy and a reform of the procurement process, which are urgent priorities to ensure rapid deployment.
The EU continues to believe that the Secretariat should work towards the goal of being able to deploy peacekeeping operations within 30 days, and to deploy complex peacekeeping operations within 90 days after the adoption of a mandate. In this regard, the EU notes with interest the three options for rapid and effective deployment capacity presented in the report. The EU would welcome further details from the Secretariat on all three and possible related options in order to assess them in full. We look forward to an examination of these issues in the competent organs at a later stage.
The EU also welcomes the further development of pre-mandate commitment authority given to the Secretary-General, prior to a mission's full authorization by the Security Council, as proposed in the report. This would enhance the rapid deployment capacity.
The EU supports continued reform of the United Nations standby arrangements system (UNSAS), in order to reinforce it and make it more operational. We are looking forward to work together with the Secretariat in the further elaboration of mechanisms that could improve this system.
Furthermore, experience gained during the last couple of years, in Kosovo and East Timor, has clearly demonstrated the difficulties in ensuring a rapid deployment of a sufficient number of civilian peacekeepers. The recruitment of civilian staff must be carried out more efficiently. The EU therefore supports steps to address this problem.
The EU fully recognises the need to strengthen DPKO's links with other relevant parts of the UN system, as well as to give the departments engaged in peacekeeping support sufficient resources. In this context, the EU is particularly concerned about the conclusions in the report on the current inadequate support for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The EU believes it is important to address this problem, as human rights aspects need to be fully integrated in the planning process and implementation of peacekeeping operations.
The EU agrees that more resources need to be allocated in order to address gender issues in peacekeeping. We also support the proposal to include a number of gender experts in the Peacekeeping Strategic Planning Unit in order to make sure that a gender perspective is interwoven into all aspects of its work.
The safety and security of peacekeeping personnel is a matter of utmost concern. Particular attention must be paid to this issue during the planning phase of a peacekeeping operation. Further measures in this regard should be developed as a matter of priority. The EU warmly welcomes the comprehensive review of security requirements in peacekeeping missions but is seriously concerned about the apparent deficiencies in the current system. We urge DPKO to pursue this matter as a priority, where appropriate in co-operation with UNSECOORD. The EU stresses the importance of the implementation of the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel. The safety and security of peacekeeping personnel is also the responsibility of Member States, especially host countries to peacekeeping operations.
The EU warmly welcomes the Secretary-General's proposal on establishing a new unit for system-wide policy and analysis. The EU continues to believe that such a unit would make a considerable contribution to improving the co-ordination and information-sharing within the UN system.
The implementation of the reforms proposed by the Secretary-General would significantly enhance UN peacekeeping. However, these reforms are only part of the solution. The political will of Member States is another necessary element. Member States must take steps to bridge the commitment gap with regard to personnel and equipment.
The EU as well as its Member States are committed to contribute to the objectives of the UN in conflict prevention and crisis management, reaffirming the UN's primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and to the core function of peacekeeping. This is evident in the continued financial support and contributions of troops, police officers, military observers, and civilian personnel from the Member States of the EU to UN peacekeeping operations.
The EU Heads of States and Government at their Summit in Göteborg last week reaffirmed EU's determination to develop and strengthen co-operation with the UN in the area of crisis management and conflict prevention. The co-operation should develop progressively in close co-ordination with the UN, focusing on substantive issues and concrete needs.