DECISIONS TO DEPLOY PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS SHOULD BE EFFECTED QUICKLY, FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD
Press Release
GA/SPD/119
DECISIONS TO DEPLOY PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS SHOULD BE EFFECTED QUICKLY, FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD
19971111 Decisions to deploy peacekeeping operations should be effected as quickly as possible, the representative of Japan said this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its review of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. Japan, therefore, welcomed the recent creation of the Multinational United Nations Stand-by Forces High- readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG).[The establishment of SHIRBRIG is a response of a group of nations to a statement of the President of the Security Council in 1995 inviting Member States to suggest ways and means of improving the United Nations capacity for rapid deployment. The 12 nations participating in SHIRBRIG are Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The SHIRBRIG is expected to be fully operational in 1999.]
Preventive diplomacy and deployment could help resolve conflicts, the representative of Mozambique said. Such measures could prevent tensions from escalating. His country also supported the efforts under way in the United Nations for enhancing stand-by arrangements.
Subregional and regional organizations in Africa were playing greater roles in conflict resolution, the representative of Burkina Faso said. The representative of the Sudan emphasized the need for cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
The representative of Myanmar stressed the importance of the strict observance by peacekeeping missions of the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, particularly those regarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-intervention in domestic affairs.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Singapore, Russian Federation, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Jamaica, Egypt, Haiti, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Cuba and Kuwait.
The Fourth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 12 November, to continue its consideration of peacekeeping operations.
Committee Work Programme
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to continue its consideration of peacekeeping operations.
It had before it the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (document A/52/209) which covers that body's 1997 session and presents a number of observations and recommendations on recent operations. The Committee also had before it a six-Power draft resolution (document A/C.4/52/L.9), by which the Assembly would endorse the proposals, recommendations and conclusions in the report of the Special Committee and urge Member States, the Secretariat and relevant organs of the United Nations to take all necessary steps to implement them. (For information, see Press Release GA/SPD/118 of 10 November.)
Statements
HISASHI OWADA (Japan) said that since the end of the cold war there had been a proliferation of conflicts. Those conflicts often resulted in an outflow of refugees. There was, therefore, a need for an expanded role of United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, the number of missions dispatched had declined. In that context, Japan wished to emphasize the importance of taking advantage of peacekeeping capacities.
How and when to do so would have to be decided on a case-by-case basis, he said. Cost and benefits had to be carefully weighed. If conditions were met, it should be incumbent on the United Nations to act. The recent trend of scepticism with regard to United Nations peacekeeping operations was alarming.
It was important to look at the role of peacekeeping operations in a humanitarian context, he said. There was an increasing need for international cooperation in that regard. The United Nations must continue to evolve the concepts of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building. Japan would, therefore, host a conference on conflict management in Tokyo in January.
The timing of embarkation of peacekeeping operations must be handled carefully, he said. The time between the point when the Security Council decided to act and the time when that action was carried out must be as short as possible. That was crucial. The creation of the Multinational United Nation Stand-by Forces High-readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG) was extremely welcome.
Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations was also very important, he said. He welcomed the trend of revitalization of the roles of regional organizations working in the field under United Nations auspices. Regional expertise and leadership were often irreplaceable, especially in regional conflicts.
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ONG SIEW GAY (Singapore) said Singapore wished to associate itself with remarks made yesterday by the representative of Thailand on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement. The limits of the United Nations capacity in peacekeeping had been revealed in recent years. There had been a sense of what was termed as "peacekeeping fatigue". From the peak of $3.6 billion, the annual United Nations peacekeeping expenditure had declined to $1.2 billion for 1997.
Singapore, however, believed that there was no turning back for peacekeeping activities, he said. There was a need to ensure that such activities should have clear and achievable goals. When there was no agreement among decision makers on goals, peacekeeping commitments should not be made.
There should be close coordination between humanitarian activities and peacekeeping operation, he said. Many humanitarian organizations had their own agendas that did not always coincide with those of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Those gaps should be bridged.
It was important to continue to recognize that there were no hard-and- fast rules to approaching peacekeeping operations, he said. Each operation had its own idiosyncratic set of political, historical and cultural circumstances. Singapore had hosted the third in the series of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)/Institute of Policy Studies of Singapore conferences on lessons learned in peacekeeping.
SERGEI LAVROV (Russian Federation) said that given the active demand for and greater complexity of United Nations peacekeeping operations, raising the efficiency of the Organization's arsenal was becoming an increasingly relevant task. The theory and practices of international peacekeeping should continue to be developed through the strengthening of the basic, generally recognized principles in carrying out peacekeeping operations, including ensuring the political guidance and control of the Security Council over the operations, impartiality, consent of the parties and clearly defined mandate, among others.
He said the issue of "coalition operations" had become particularly topical. In many cases, United Nations peacekeeping operations had indisputable advantages over coalition operations or actions by multinational forces. However, with the Organization's resources being objectively limited, it was justifiable in certain circumstances to conduct peacekeeping operations by the interested States in a framework of ad hoc coalitions or multinational forces. Nevertheless, such innovations should be fully adapted to the purpose and principles of the United Nations Charter.
The Russian Federation, he said, had consistently favoured better interaction between the United Nations and regional organizations. Specific parameters of cooperation and of a rational division of labour in peacekeeping
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between the Organization and regional partners should be developed based on the primary responsibility of the Security Council to maintain international peace and security.
The financial difficulties of the United Nations, he said, highlighted the necessity of improving the cost-effectiveness of peacekeeping. A reliable system of logistic and financial support for peacekeeping operations was needed. "We appreciate the first results of a transfer to a new procedure of reimbursement of expenses to the troop contributors. This is a practical step to ensure the fairness, transparency and rationality of the methodology of reimbursement of national peacekeeping expenses."
U TIN WINN (Myanmar) said that early post-cold war euphoria had exaggerated the range of possibilities for expanding the scope of United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, important lessons had been learned from recent experiences, as a result of which peacekeeping and its institutional support structures had continued to be refined. The importance of the strict observance by peacekeeping missions of the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, particularly the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non- intervention in domestic affairs were to be emphasized.
Myanmar, he said, had responded favourably to the Secretary-General's request to provide personnel and equipment for the stand-by forces arrangements. The Organization's efforts to further develop and improve the system were appreciated. The effective implementation of stand-by arrangements would contribute significantly to improving the response time for deployment of peacekeepers in emergency situations.
He said that most of today's conflicts were of an intra-State nature. As such, different regional organizations had been involved in preventive action, peacekeeping and other peace-related activities carried out under a Security Council mandate. Myanmar welcomed the growing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations.
KINGMANO PHOMMAHAXAY (Lao People's Democratic Republic) said if the desire was to strengthen the role of the United Nations in maintaining world peace and security, it was necessary to work collectively and earnestly to project the image of peacekeeping operations as an accountable and effective instrument in handling international conflict situations.
It was incumbent upon all Member States to thoroughly review the whole concept of United Nations peacekeeping operations by drawing on lessons learned from past failures and successes, he said. Doing so would strengthen already existing mechanisms. New pragmatic approaches must be adopted so as to ensure continued vitality.
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In the course of enhancing the United Nations capacity to plan, deploy and manage peacekeeping operations more effectively, it was essential to continue devoting particular attention to the strict observance of some important principles. Those included the consent of the parties involved, impartiality and the non-use of force except in self-defence.
EDUARDO ZAQUEU (Mozambique) said the question of peacekeeping operations was of paramount importance to his delegation. Scepticism over financing peacekeeping operations, as well as the non-payment of contributions, could jeopardize the successful outcome of those operations. That should be avoided. Member States should pay their dues on time and without conditions.
Preventive diplomacy and preventive deployment could help prevent conflicts from developing and escalating, he said. Mozambique supported the efforts under way in the United Nations for enhancing stand-by arrangements.
The basic guiding principles of peacekeeping forces, such as impartiality, consent of parties and non-use of force except in self-defence must be observed, he said. Moreover, it was necessary to respect the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. There should not be intervention in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State.
HILARY WILLIAMS (Jamaica) associated her delegation with the statement made on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. One of the more important accomplishments of the Special Committee's 1997 session was its strong recommendation to correct the anomaly over compensation paid for death and disability of troops serving in peacekeeping operations. Jamaica wholeheartedly supported the recommendation made by the Special Committee for those rates to be standardized as with the mission subsistence allowance.
Despite the current downward trend in peacekeeping operations, recent situations, as in the Republic of the Congo, most vividly demonstrated the need for a rapidly deployable mission headquarters. Had such a mission headquarters been in existence, it would conceivably have led to less instability in that country.
She said Jamaica shared the concern of the Non-Aligned Movement regarding the apparent exclusive character of the SHIRBRIG and believed that such initiative should not undermine the ability of Member States, especially troop-contributing counties, to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said his delegation was concerned over the failure of the Security Council to launch operations under Chapter VI of the Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes. The approach to peacekeeping should not be based on narrow financial considerations or lack of political will.
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Egypt hoped that mechanisms for consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries would be improved.
He praised the recommendation for the standardization of death and disability compensation payments for troops participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
AMADOU TRAORE (Burkina Faso) said that the report of the Special Committee pointed out the need to find new ways to resolve conflicts. Burkina Faso supported the proposal for a commemoration -- to be held during the fifty-third session of the General Assembly -- of those who had died during peacekeeping operations. Such an occasion would hopefully provide a forum for reconsidering peacekeeping operations.
Subregional and regional organizations in Africa were undertaking increasing roles in conflict resolution, he said. A rapprochement between the United Nations and regional organizations in Africa was desirable.
Burkina Faso believed in the value of preventive diplomacy, he said. The end of the cold war had seen a renewed hope in a resurgence of peace and stability. However, that hope had been short-lived. Since the end of the cold war, development assistance for Africa had dropped, and tensions and crises had risen. Development was a key in conflict prevention. Education was also a factor.
BERTRAND FILS-AIME (Haiti) said that 1,400 peacekeeping personnel had died since the debut of peacekeeping operations after the Second World War. They had fallen in the defence of older persons, women and children. The international community should offer them eternal tribute.
Haiti welcomed the setting up of a headquarters and field staff for a rapid deployment force, he said. Quick actions could help prevent catastrophes. The United Nations must not remain passive or quibble when international security was threatened. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) had placed particular emphasis on conflict management and resolution, setting an excellent example.
The physical presence of United Nations personnel had helped to restore democracy to Haiti, he said. They had demonstrated impartiality. The non-use of force had prevailed, except in clear cases of self-defence.
United Nations programmes of economic and social assistance should be expanded, he said. The nightmares that people lived through should be alleviated, both in the short term and long term. That would help minimize and prevent conflicts.
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HASMY AGAM (Malaysia) associated his delegation with the statement made on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. The last three years had seen a scaling-down in United Nations peacekeeping operations and an increase in intra-State conflicts, as opposed to warfare between States. Those conflicts had not only affected the nature of peacekeeping but had also strained the traditional multilateral framework for solving them. However, Malaysia believed that despite those drawbacks, peacekeeping operations remained an important instrument of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security.
He said that although United Nations peacekeeping operations had been one of the Organization's main activities in recent years, prevention or resolution of conflict through diplomacy had a role in the maintenance of international peace and security. It was unfortunate that the wide divergence of views between Member States on the definition of preventive diplomacy had prevented the General Assembly from coming out with clear guidelines on that issue.
The Malaysian delegation was concerned about the continued borrowing of money from the peacekeeping fund for the regular budget of the United Nations, resulting in the delay of payment to troop-contributing countries, especially the developing ones. That problem was compounded by the delay in the processing of claims which remained outstanding well after the termination of peacekeeping operations.
Malaysia, he said, recognized the need for and supported the establishment of the United Nations stand-by arrangements and was convinced that the system was critical to the increased effectiveness and rapid deployment of troops. While the system would enhance the rapid reaction capability of the Organization, the initiative should be presented to the Special Committee, which had been mandated to consider all aspects of peacekeeping. Since most peacekeeping operations involved developing countries, either as recipients or troop contributors, it was essential that any discussion on peacekeeping matters should include such Member States.
PARK SOO GIL (Republic of Korea) said that despite the downsizing trend in international peacekeeping, both in the number of missions and in terms of size, the United Nations should be prepared for more demanding and multidimensional tasks, given the growing prevalence of intra-State conflicts. In light of the increasingly diverse range of duties and limited resources available to peacekeeping operations, it was likely to be "a bumpy road ahead". Hence the need for continued focus on enhancing peacekeeping efficiency.
He said that a rapid deployment capability was another essential ingredient for the strengthening of peacekeeping effectiveness. The rapidly deployable mission headquarters should be established without further delay.
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The Republic of Korea hoped to see a geographically equitable representation among the staff of that body. It would also like to see further progress in the stand-by arrangements, as they constituted one of the main pillars of the United Nations rapid reaction capability.
Another important contribution to the Organization's rapid reaction capability was the SHIRBRIG, he said. "We welcome this initiative as well as other similar ones currently being pursued in Africa and elsewhere." The High-readiness Brigade and other regional initiatives would provide a valuable supplement to the United Nations stand-by arrangements once they became operational.
PEDRO NUNEZ MOSQUERA (Cuba) said that peacekeeping operations could not be a substitute for the peaceful settlement of disputes. They were last resort measures that could only be temporary. In all cases, full respect for the sovereignty and non-intervention in internal affairs must be maintained. A prior definition of specific, clear mandates for peacekeeping operations was necessary. Cuba rejected the use of peacekeeping operations in internal conflicts.
The prompt application of the Secretary-General's proposal to eliminate gratis personnel was to be encouraged, he said. The current situation was alarming. Personnel on loan were usually from developed countries and occupied key posts, causing an imbalance that needed to be addressed. It was hoped that urgent measures would be taken to correct the situation as quickly as possible.
The financing of peacekeeping operations was a collective responsibility, he said. Cuba continued to be concerned with the position of the greatest contributor, which was withholding its payments.
ADEL AL-ADGHAM (Kuwait) said that peacekeeping operations in various parts of the world were essential in reducing tensions, providing humanitarian assistance and the monitoring of human rights violations. Those contributed to a feeling of collective security.
The need to clearly determine the mandates of peacekeeping operations should be stressed, he said. Member States should pay their contributions on a timely basis. The establishment of rapid reaction forces were also essential.
ELFATIH ERWA (Sudan) supported the statement on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement. Despite shortcomings in some peacekeeping operations, most missions had proved useful in many regions of the world when they had acted impartially, a clearly defined mandate and were free of political motives. Full compliance with the United Nations Charter was the "safety valve" of peacekeeping operations. Missions should never be used as a pretext to
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interfere in the internal affairs of a Member State or to undermine national sovereignty.
He emphasized the need for cooperation between the United Nations and the OAU in preventing crises in Africa. Peacekeeping missions should not be used to address the root causes of conflict, which should be resolved through the use of social, economic and political instruments.
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