UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ANNOUNCES PROPOSAL TO END USE OF GRATIS PERSONNEL IN PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT BY END OF YEAR

2 April 1998

Press Release
GA/PK/155

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ANNOUNCES PROPOSAL TO END USE OF GRATIS PERSONNEL IN PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT BY END OF YEAR

19980402 Stresses Need to Maintain Core Capacity of Peacekeeping Department While Aiming at Balanced Geographical Distribution

A plan would be presented to the United Nations Controller and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) to end the use of gratis personnel in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations by the end of 1998, the Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations announced this morning.

Addressing the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations as it concluded its general debate, he said the plan, under which 106 posts would be converted for open recruitment, would respect the right of each individual to complete his contract. While balanced geographical distribution was a key political objective, it was essential to maintain the Department's core capacity, he stressed.

On the same theme, the representative of the United States strongly cautioned against any rapid phase-out of gratis personnel that would undermine the Department's capabilities. Although the Department supported fewer peacekeepers in the field, it must be assisted in meeting the new requests which were continually placed upon it, she said.

The representative of Romania said that while the decrease in the number of United Nations peacekeepers could not be denied, the importance and complexity of operations was more evident than ever. The increasing interest of States in joining the Special Committee, the broad political support for standby arrangements, and the coming of age of ideas aimed at enhancing rapid reaction capacity were more telling than statistics, he said.

The representative of Kenya said that any regional initiatives which did not recognize the United Nations responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security could only create difficulties. All new initiatives must be coordinated by the Peacekeeping Department. They should

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also remain within the framework of existing arrangements, such as the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Statements were also made by the representatives of Turkey, Chile, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Belarus, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Cote d'Ivoire.

The Special Committee will meet again at a date to be announced in the Journal.

Special Committee Work Programme

The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations met this morning to continue its general debate. It had before it a report of the Secretary- General on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee (document A/AC.121/42). The five-part report covers such issues as guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates; consultations with troop contributors; enhancing the capacity of the United Nations; and cooperation with regional arrangements. (For information on the report, see Press Release GA/PK/150 of 30 March.)

Statements

TULUY TANC (Turkey) said his country attached great importance to the role of preventive diplomacy to forestall the outbreak or aggravation of conflicts. Peaceful prevention of disputes was not only a desirable and ideal method of controlling and resolving conflicts, but also the most cost- effective way of doing so. It was obviously better to prevent conflicts than to have to undertake major political-military efforts to resolve them after they had broken out and caused loss of life and economic devastation.

Greater attention should be given to such measures of preventive diplomacy as fact-finding missions, preventive deployment and early warning capabilities, he said. Turkey supported the establishment, wherever necessary, of small support missions for special envoys on the ground.

The United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in Macedonia was a successful example of preventive deployment and should not be terminated while the potential for conflict there remained, he said. The crisis in Kosovo had further aggravated the risks and increased the need for a United Nations presence in the region.

JUAN LARRAIN (Chile) said the major changes that had been taking place in the area of national defence in his country demonstrated very clearly the important role it gave to peacekeeping. Fostering world peace was a major goal, especially in modern times. Chile viewed positively the contribution made by countries which had greater expertise in peacekeeping. Peacekeeping operations must adapt their procedures to current realities and so improve on them. Consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries reflected some progress, but that mechanism had yet to be institutionalized; those countries had a right to be heard by the Council.

The role of the civilian police was increasing, and the recent seminar on that issue had been a truly significant step forward towards the drafting of a document on their use. It was also important to ensure that personnel selected for civilian police posts had the requisite qualifications. The incorporation of a larger number of female officers in the police force would

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be a fair and just way of expressing the social positions of the time. There was also a need for diversity and geographic balance in the selection process.

Improved mechanisms were needed to ensure cooperation and consultation with regional organizations, he said. There was also a need to ensure coordination with humanitarian agencies, whether or not they were part of the United Nations. Changes in the Department for Peacekeeping Operations showed the Organization's determination to adapt to changing needs.

ION GORITA (Romania) said his country was making considerable efforts to enhance its potential in peacekeeping operations and to diversify its contributions. It would be presenting an offer with respect to the standby arrangements and would then be ready to sign a memorandum of understanding. Also, a programme had been completed for the purpose of training a group of 60 civilian police officers according to United Nations standards. Intensified cooperation was being pursued with other countries in Central and Eastern Europe in support of the Organization's peacekeeping efforts.

While the decrease in the number of United Nations peacekeepers deployed in various conflict areas could not be denied, the importance of peacekeeping operations and their complexity was more evident than ever, he said. That was proven by the success of operations as different in their scope and conception, as the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) and the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES). The increasing interest of States in becoming members of the Special Committee, the broad political support for the standby arrangements, and the coming of age of new ideas aimed at enhancing rapid reaction capacity were additional arguments for Member States not to be misled by statistics.

He welcomed the valuable efforts which had led to the establishment of the Multinational United Nations Stand-by Forces High Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG), he said. As long as it was based on voluntary participation by individual Member States and its use was subject to political control by the United Nations, the Brigade could contribute to enhancing the capacity of the Organization to act swiftly and efficiently.

The standby arrangement had been developing for some time, he said. Considering that reviews of the arrangements undertaken so far had been of a statistical nature, an analysis should now be done from an operational point of view. For the time being, it was not known whether the system that looked so promising on paper, would be able to work effectively in an emergency situation.

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ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People's Democratic Republic) said that given the increasing complexity and multidimensional nature of modern peacekeeping, it was necessary to establish a code of conduct to guide all peacekeeping operations. Those operations should remain within their prescribed mandates and be implemented with respect for the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in self-defence and as a last resort.

Noting the late distribution of the Secretary-General's report on progress made in implementation of the Special Committee recommendations, he said the document should be released well in advance. On the question of gratis personnel, he said they should only be used for limited and specified periods. The argument that loaned personnel had become a necessity because of constraints in the hiring of new staff was debatable. If the present situation was allowed to continue, with the United Nations in a constant state of financial crisis, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations could end up being run by loaned officers. All efforts should be made to rectify the existing imbalance with regard to the recruitment of gratis personnel.

ALYAKSANDR SYCHOU (Belarus) said United Nations peacekeeping operations should respect the principles of the sovereignty and independence of States, and non-interference in their internal affairs. His country favoured giving peacekeeping operations a preventive character. They were not there to settle conflicts but to give temporary relief while political solutions were being sought. There needed to be a clear distinction made regarding the mandates of peacekeeping and peace-enforcing activities. Peacekeeping operations should also be implemented with minimum expenditure, and in as short a time as possible.

Belarus supported the intention of Member States to implement standby arrangements, he said. The establishment of a rapidly deployable mission headquarters was a significant development that would enhance peacekeeping activities. Regional organizations, acting in coordination with the United Nations and the Security Council, could help significantly to ease tensions and prevent conflicts. However, the activities of regional organizations were not a substitute for the Organization's involvement. The only time that might be the case would be when the United Nations or the Council did not take adequate measures and the regional organization had the proper resources to address the situation.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia) said his country welcomed all efforts and initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity and preparedness of African countries to participate fully and effectively in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Ethiopia's support for and participation in such efforts was based upon a clear understanding of the fact that the maintenance of international peace and security in Africa, as in other parts of the world, was the primary responsibility of the United Nations. As such, it should not

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be perceived solely as the responsibility of African countries and the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Formal links and coordination between the United Nations and the OAU should be combined with the various initiatives by individual countries aimed at enhancing African capacity and preparedness, to ensure that the two organizations fulfilled their respective mandates, he said. It was important that initiatives aimed at enhancing African capacity and preparedness focus on strengthening the institutions established by African countries and making use of them. That applied, in particular, to the OAU's mechanism for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

ENRIQUE ALBERTO SALMANCA (Bolivia) said on 22 May 1997, his country signed the standby agreement with the United Nations. Peacekeeping operations were essential to fostering peace between nations and enhanced international peace and security. His country had showed its full commitment to the Organization's activities in that field. The main principles of the Special Committee's mandate -- consent of the parties, impartiality, the non-use of force and the sovereignty of States -- provided fundamental guidance for all areas of peacekeeping. Bolivia supported the view that standby arrangements should be used to their fullest capacity.

He said that Bolivia had contributed its own civilian police to operations in Haiti and Mozambique and considered the police component to be essential to peacekeeping operations. In addition, Bolivia's armed forces were carrying out specific training programmes, so as to have personnel ready to contribute to United Nations peacekeeping operations. His Government had also stated its preparedness to participate in and support the Organization's operations on the ground.

AKMARAL ARYSTANBEKOVA (Kazakhstan) said her country supported the Secretary-General's proposal for involving potential troop-contributing countries in peacekeeping operations, but the proposed mechanism was still in need of further improvement. In particular, the process of identifying and involving potential troop-contributing countries should be made more transparent and the provision of information to them -- particularly those States which had recently joined the United Nations standby arrangements system -- should be improved.

She said her country was gradually acquiring peacekeeping experience. It was faithfully discharging its obligations for the maintenance of peace in Tajikistan as part of the collective peacekeeping forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In 1995, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had established a collective Central Asian peacekeeping battalion, "Centrasbat", under the auspices of the United Nations. In 1996, Kazakhstan had joined the standby arrangements system as its fifty-first participant. Last September, the first successful joint peacekeeping exercises of

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"Centrasbat-97" were successfully conducted in the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with the participation of military units from the United States, the Russian Federation and Turkey.

The establishment of "Centrasbat" represented a practical contribution by her country to the strengthening of stability in the region and to the peacekeeping activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security, she said. Kazakhstan was grateful to Member States and to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for their technical and advisory assistance in setting up "Centrasbat".

GUEORGUI Z. VOLSKI (Georgia) said the world had encountered new types of confrontations in the aftermath of the cold war. An effective mechanism for preventive action could have been very useful in resolving the conflict in Georgia. Preventive measures were still lagging behind the times. The conflict in his own country, which was begun by aggressionist separatists, had taken its toll in lives lost. The question of peace-enforcement needed to be rethought, especially with regard to situations of genocide and human rights violations.

The presence of civilian police was a significant component of post- conflict peace-building, he said. The safety of the Organization's peacekeeping personnel also needed to be addressed. Georgia was convinced that the answer to such challenges was firm action. In addition, his country fully supported the establishment of a structure to enforce demining efforts.

ROSE ODERA (Kenya) said that any new initiatives which did not recognize the United Nations responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security could only create difficulties and lead to questions which were difficult to answer. If an African force were created, would Asian, Latin American and European forces also be created? What about the role of the United Nations, particularly the role bestowed on the Security Council and enshrined in the Charter? All such initiatives must be coordinated by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and remain within the framework of existing instruments and mechanisms, such as the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.

Unpaid assessed contributions for all peacekeeping operations amounted to $1.7 billion, she said Kenya had paid its contributions in full, and many troop-contributing countries, including her own, were owed a lot of money by the United Nations because of the pathetic financial state of the Organization which could easily be addressed if every country met its share. Expenses for peacekeeping operations must be borne by all Member States, in accordance with the Charter and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.

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NANCY SODERBERG (United States) said that as new peacekeeping tools were being developed to meet today's complex and changing demands, the United Nations must remain flexible and agile. Increasingly, the lines were being blurred between preventive strategy, preventive deployment, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and post-conflict peace-building.

The long-sought and hard-won capacity improvements within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations over the past several years must not be lost, she said. Even though the Department supported fewer peacekeepers in the field, it must be assisted in meeting the new and complex demands which were continually placed upon it. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations existed to help the Department conduct its operations more effectively and efficiently. The United States strongly cautioned against any rapid phase-out of gratis personnel that would undermine the Department's capabilities.

Civilian police monitors had proven to be an effective tool as part of larger institution-building efforts, she said. While the role of civilian police in peacekeeping operations had proven successful for short- to medium- term reconstruction efforts, longer-term efforts should be integrated with those of other United Nations departments and agencies. Another important long-term goal was enhancement of the preventive strategy mechanisms of the United Nations and regional arrangements. The United States continued to support the enhancement of African peacekeeping capacity through the Africa Crisis Response Initiative.

The United States supported efforts to rapidly plan and start-up peacekeeping operations, she said. It fully supported strengthening the standby arrangements system and improving logistics start-up support. The means by which the United Nations assessed Member States for peacekeeping costs was increasingly divorced from reality and should be revised. Her country agreed with the European Union and others that the ad hoc peacekeeping scale was inequitable. It should be brought in line to better reflect every Member State's capacity to pay. Her delegation also agreed with the Non- Aligned Movement's position that those with the capacity to pay should pay their assessments.

BERNARD TANOH-BOUTCHOUE (Côte d'Ivoire) said his country had always attached great importance to the practice of preventive diplomacy in Africa and throughout the world. It had contributed, discreetly but efficiently, to the political solution of many conflicts in the West African subregion and beyond. However, with the proliferation of conflicts marked by a generalized destruction of life and property, particularly Africa, his country had decided to commit itself further to the search for new, efficient responses to conflicts confronting the United Nations.

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In expression of that commitment, Côte d'Ivoire, in 1993, joined the OAU Mechanism for the Prevention, Management and Resolution of Conflicts, he said. His Government had decided at the highest level to take part in peacekeeping and was participating, for the first time in the country's diplomatic history, not only in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, but also in the standby arrangements system.

IBRAHIM A. GAMBARI (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee, then invited Bernard Miyet, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, to provide a brief response to questions and issues raised in the course of the general debate.

BERNARD MIYET, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that while the concept of balanced geographical distribution in the staffing of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations was a key political objective, it was essential to maintain the Department's core capacity for the maintenance of peace and security. He said 106 posts would be converted, and recruitment to them would be open to all countries.

The capacity of the Department had been built over the past few years and could not be disrupted, he said. A plan would be presented to the Controller and to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) to end the use of gratis personnel by the end of 1998, while respecting the right of each individual to complete his contract. "We will try to get rid of them all by the end of this year."

He said it was clear that for reasons of political sensitivity, it was not possible to include all countries in certain specific missions. That did not reflect any intention to discriminate and there should be no "bashing" of any initiative because of such perceptions.

The Rapidly Deployable Mission Headquarters was not owned by any particular country, and it should have the capacity to react rapidly to any mission, he said. Those questions could not be approached in a bureaucratic manner, but had to be addressed from an operational standpoint.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia) said that last year, the Special Committee requested a special report on the cooperation between the United Nations and the OAU but it had not yet been issued. To date, no report had been issued. He asked for clarification about the status of that report.

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