SPECIAL COMMITTEE, CONCLUDING 1998 SESSION, WELCOMES SUBMISSION TO ASSEMBLY DRAFT DECLARATION TO PAY TRIBUTE TO PEACEKEEPERS

15 May 1998

Press Release
GA/PK/156

SPECIAL COMMITTEE, CONCLUDING 1998 SESSION, WELCOMES SUBMISSION TO ASSEMBLY DRAFT DECLARATION TO PAY TRIBUTE TO PEACEKEEPERS

19980515 Committee Reaffirms Central Role 0f Peacekeeping in Maintaining International Peace and Security

Member States would pay tribute to hundreds of thousands of men and women who had served in more than 40 United Nations peacekeeping missions in the last 50 years, and honour the memory of more than 1,800 peacekeepers who had died in the cause of peace, according to a draft declaration to be submitted to the General Assembly President by the Chairman of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.

The draft declaration is contained in the report of the Special Committee, adopted this afternoon, as orally amended, at the conclusion of its 1998 session.

The report recalled that last year the Assembly, recognizing that 1998 marked the fiftieth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping, endorsed a recommendation of the Committee to dedicate part of the first day of its next regular session in September to a commemorative meeting to pay tribute to those who had served peacekeeping operations, especially those who had lost their lives.

By the draft declaration, Member States would reiterate their support for efforts to promote the safety and security of United Nations peacekeeping personnel, and would reaffirm their commitment and willingness to provide full support to peacekeepers to ensure that they were able successfully to fulfil the tasks entrusted to them.

In its three-part report, the Special Committee reaffirmed that peacekeeping should continue to be a key instrument available to the United Nations in discharging its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It cautioned, however, that peacekeeping operations should not be used as a substitute for addressing the root causes of conflicts. Clearly defined mandates, objectives, and command structures, as well as

secure financing were important. Congruity between mandates, resources, and objectives should be ensured. All Member States must pay their assessed contributions in full, on time, and without conditions.

While regional arrangements and agencies could make an important contribution to peacekeeping, the Special Committee cautioned against any arrangement not authorized by the Security Council, which should be informed of activities undertaken or contemplated by regional groups for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The report further called for police and military tasks to be clearly differentiated, and emphasized the need for full integration of civilian police in the planning phase of new peacekeeping operations. There should be clear and appropriate guidelines for civilian police activities in peacekeeping. The code of conduct developed for peacekeepers should also apply to civilian police personnel. It urged all Member States that had not yet done so to consider ratifying the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, to bring about its entry into force soon.

Reiterating the importance of stand-by arrangements and a rapid deployment system, the Special Committee stated that the United Nations should be able to rapidly deploy a peacekeeping mission as soon as the Security Council adopted an authorizing mandate. Concern at the continued delays in the reimbursement of troop costs and contingent-owned equipment leases was also expressed. The Special Committee called for an increase and broadening of the number of qualified suppliers on the procurement roster.

Also in its report, the Special Committee called on the Secretary- General to review the organizational structure and staffing of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. It stated that the Secretary-General's initiative to give special representatives authority over resident representatives and humanitarian coordinators, as well as over peacekeeping operations had enhanced coordination.

Introducing the report, Hossam Zaki (Egypt), Rapporteur of the Special Committee, said the cornerstone of the report was the assertion that the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security rested with the United Nations and that peacekeeping was its major weapon for fulfilling that role.

Before adopting the report, the Committee had an extended discussion over the wording of paragraph 38 on the expansion of the Bureau of the Special Committee. The draft report had contained a sentence that modalities for rotation of the Bureau could also be reviewed. However, a delegation said that it could not support that sentence without the addition of another indicating that several other delegations had differed.

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After a 20-minute suspension of the meeting, the Committee accepted one of the suggestions of its Chairman, Ibrahim A. Gambari (Nigeria), and the two sentences were not included in the report.

The Chairman expressed his gratitude to Committee members and officers of the Secretariat for their patience, dedication and understanding during the session. Closing statements were also made by the representatives of China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Thailand (for the Non-Aligned Movement), Ukraine and the United Kingdom (for the European Union).

Report of Special Committee

The report of the Special Committee, which reviews the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all its aspects, includes recommendations and conclusions on the following: guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates; consultations; cooperation with regional arrangements; and enhancing United Nations peacekeeping capacity. Issues addressed on enhancing peacekeeping capacity included those concerning personnel; organization, planning and coordination; safety and security; training; civilian police; stand-by arrangements and rapid deployment; and finances.

Reaffirming that peacekeeping should remain a key instrument of the United Nations in discharging its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, the report stated that the Organization should improve that capacity by effectively planning, deploying, and managing current and future peacekeeping operations.

The Special Committee emphasized the need to respect the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of States, as well as non-intervention in matters that were essentially within their domestic jurisdiction. Respect for the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as the consent of the parties, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in self-defence, were essential to its success. Peacekeeping operations should not be used as a substitute for addressing in a coherent, well-planned, coordinated, and comprehensive manner the root causes of conflict.

In its report, the Special Committee also stressed the importance of clearly defined mandates, objectives, and command structures, as well as secure financing. There should be congruity between mandates, resources, and objectives. Changes in mandate during a mission should be based on a thorough and timely reassessment, including military advice, to the Security Council of the implications on the ground.

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Reaffirming the need for continuing consultations between troop contributors and the Council, the Special Committee emphasized the need to invite prospective troop contributors for consultations at the earliest possible stage to enable them to make an informed decision on participation. There should also be adequate consultations among the Security Council members, contributors, affected countries, and others from the region concerned.

On ways to enhance the capacity of peacekeeping, the Special Committee emphasized that all offers by Member States to participate in peacekeeping operations should be considered. Recalling the Assembly's decision to phase out gratis personnel, it urged the Secretariat to take early effective measures to expedite the staff recruitment process on a broad geographical basis to replace such personnel. Adequate funding for appropriate posts was needed. The staff selection process in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations should be transparent. Female participation in peacekeeping should be encouraged through innovative strategies. The Special Committee encouraged the Secretariat to develop guidelines to apply in cases when current and former peacekeeping personnel were requested to testify before the International Criminal Tribunals.

It called on the Secretary-General to review peacekeeping Department's organizational structure and staffing, according to the report, and noted the importance of early planning and coordination to reduce the risk of resumption of conflict and to create conducive conditions for reconciliation, reconstruction, and recovery. The Secretary-General's initiative to give special representatives authority over resident representatives and humanitarian coordinators, as well as over peacekeeping operations, had enhanced coordination of peacekeeping.

The Special Committee requested the Secretariat to intensify its efforts to increase the number of qualified suppliers on the procurement roster, and to broaden its geographical base. Transparency must be the key to procurement practice. Procurement information should be disseminated in a timely manner. Also, the Special Committee reiterated the need to develop a coherent and comprehensive concept for logistics support of peacekeeping operations.

Welcoming the formation of the United Nations Mine Action Service, the Special Committee requested the Secretary-General to keep it informed of the Organization's experiences in demining in peacekeeping operations.

It urged the Secretary-General to finalize appropriate guidelines for peacekeepers to adhere to international humanitarian law. It also called for early consideration of the United Nations liability and procedures for settlement of claims for any injury, damage, or violation by concerned personnel participating in peacekeeping. It reaffirmed the importance of an effective public information capacity as an integral part of peacekeeping operations.

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Emphasizing the need to differentiate between peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance, the Special Committee called for clear mandates to be implemented in an impartial manner, as well as adequate resources for United Nations peacekeeping operations authorized to protect humanitarian assistance in conflict situations.

On safety and security, the Special Committee expressed concern over continued attacks and acts of violence against peacekeepers and once again urged all Member States that had not yet done so to consider ratifying the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, to bring about its entry into force soon. It stressed the need for adequate budgetary provisions to ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel.

While acknowledging that the training of personnel for peacekeeping operations was primarily the responsibility of Member States, the report emphasized, however, that the United Nations had a valuable role to play in developing and maintaining training standards and rosters of expert peacekeeping trainers. Due to the increasingly close contact between United Nations peacekeeping personnel and local populations during peacekeeping operations, the Special Committee stressed the importance of giving specific training, including gender-sensitive training, to peacekeepers in managing those contacts.

The increasing participation of civilian police in United Nations peacekeeping operations called for tasks of police and military to be clearly differentiated, the Special Committee said. It emphasized the need for full integration of civilian police elements in the planning phase of new peacekeeping operations, and for clear guidelines for civilian police activities in peacekeeping. The code of conduct developed for peacekeepers should also apply to civilian police personnel.

Regarding stand-by arrangements and rapid deployment, the Special Committee reiterated the importance of this system to the increased effectiveness and rapid deployment capacity of peacekeeping operations. The United Nations should be able to rapidly deploy a peacekeeping mission on the adoption of an authorizing mandate by the Security Council. It encouraged Member States to make available resources such as air/sea lift, logistics, communications, civilian police, medical staff, and engineers.

The Special Committee stressed that all Member States must pay their assessed contributions in full, on time, and without conditions. It encourages the Secretary-General to address as a matter of priority the operational and financial liquidation of completed operations, particularly as regards finding satisfactory arrangements with contributing Member States. It expressed deep concern at the continued delays in the reimbursement of troop costs and contingent-owned equipment leases.

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While reaffirming the important contribution that regional arrangements and agencies could make to peacekeeping, the Special Committee stated that no enforcement action should be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the Security Council. Furthermore, the Council should at all times be kept fully informed of activities undertaken or contemplated by regional arrangements or regional agencies. The Committee reaffirmed its recommendation that particular attention be given to strengthening the institutional capacity of the Organization of African Unity.

Recognizing that 1998 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations peacekeeping, the Special Committee welcomed the intention of its Chairman to convey to the President of the General Assembly a draft declaration in commemoration of those who served in United Nations peacekeeping operations, for its adoption. The Assembly had endorsed at its last session a recommendation of the Special Committee to dedicate part of the first day of its next session to a commemorative meeting to pay tribute to those who had served in peacekeeping operations, especially those who had lost their lives under the United Nations flag.

The draft declaration would pay tribute to hundreds of thousands of men and women who had, in the last 50 years, served under the United Nations flag in more than 40 peacekeeping operations around the world, and honour the memory of more than 1,800 peacekeepers who had died in the cause of peace. It would recall with pride the awarding of the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize to United Nations peacekeeping forces, and would welcome the establishment by the Security Council of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, as a tribute to the sacrifice of United Nations peacekeepers who had died in various missions.

Membership and Officers

The members of the Special Committee are Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Its officers for the 1998 session were Ibrahim A. Gambari (Nigeria), Chairman; Fernando Enrique Petrella (Argentina), Michel Duval (Canada), Motohide Yoshikawa (Japan), and Zbigniew Matuszewski (Poland), Vice-Chairmen; and Hossam Zaki (Egypt), Rapporteur. * *** *

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