FOURTH COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT ON REVIEW OF ALL ASPECTS OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
Press Release
GA/SPD/146
FOURTH COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT ON REVIEW OF ALL ASPECTS OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
19981104 The General Assembly would decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fourth session the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, by the terms of a draft resolution approved this afternoon by the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) as it concluded its review of peacekeeping operations.By other terms of the draft, which was approved without a vote, the Assembly would decide that the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations would continue its efforts for a comprehensive review and also review the implementation of its previous proposals. The Special Committee would also consider any new proposals so as to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil its responsibilities in that field.
According to the draft, the Assembly would reiterate that those Member States that became personnel contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations in years to come, or participated in the future in the Special Committee for three consecutive years, as observers would, upon written request, become members at the Committee's following session.
Also this afternoon, the representative of Kenya said that in the nearly 22 months since his country had been elected to the Security Council, conflicts in Africa had not only increased, but had also mutated into even more complex crises. Although most of the agenda items before the Security Council were African, the focus and resource allocation to cope with those crises continued to be non-African.
He said that even if there might be a justification for that, a balance should be struck that allowed for a realistic re-allocation of focus and resource distribution that conformed to the Council's Charter-based, primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The weight of the imbalance continued to press on the Organization's collective conscience. It was hoped that burning African peace-making and peace-building issues would receive the attention they deserved.
The representative of Ukraine said he hoped that the present unprecedented pattern of interaction between the United Nations and other
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international arrangements in the settlement of the Kosovo crisis would become a practical model of collective efforts undertaken both on the global and regional levels for preventing and resolving potential future conflicts.
He said that Security Council decisions of vital importance, especially those on launching new peacekeeping operations or resorting to the use of force to stop violence, should not be taken behind closed doors. Council decisions should be made with the participation -- actual rather than symbolic -- of the countries concerned, particularly the potential troop contributors.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Slovakia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Angola.
The Fourth Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 9 November, to begin its consideration on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Committee Work Programme
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to conclude its comprehensive review of aspects related to peacekeeping operations. It was also expected to take action on a related draft resolution (document A/C.4/53/L.8).
(For background on the draft resolution and on documents before the Committee, see Press Release GA/SPD/144 of 2 November and GA/SPD/143 of 29 October.)
Statements
NJUGUNA M. MAHUGU (Kenya), associating himself with the statement made previously on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement countries, said that nearly 22 months had passed since Kenya had been elected to the Security Council. It had been hoped that by the time his country left the Council, the number of agenda items on Africa would have been reduced, signalling the beginning of a genuine African renaissance. Unfortunately, the conflicts in Africa had not only increased, but had also mutated into even more complex crises.
He said there were four categories of African conflict situations before the Council: those that had been resolved, and where post-conflict, peace- building issues prevailed; crises that were hopefully close to being resolved; crises that refused to go away; and new and mutated peace and security problems. In the first category, Liberia was a crisis that had been resolved and where post-conflict, peace-building issues dominated. In the second category, it had been hoped that Sierra Leone would soon join the first category of nations. Unfortunately, the rebels had increased their onslaught against the people of that country. The United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) continued to do a good job, and Kenya supported its efforts, especially towards the disarmament, demolition and reintegration of former combatants.
In the second category, he said, the situation in the Central African Republic was stabilizing with the help of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA). With elections imminent and national reconciliation on track, there was some hope. In the third category, crises that refused to go away, there was Angola, among other countries. The assault on the Lusaka Protocol and the refusal by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) to extend State administration had brought the peace process to its knees. The mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) had been renewed, but the assault on its effectiveness had severely hampered operations.
He said the fourth category, new and mutated conflicts, was growing in size and included the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Ethiopia/Eritrea border dispute. Regional efforts aimed at resolving those
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conflicts were active, serious and needed maximum support by the Security Council and the international community. Even as those efforts continued, the Council should begin to explore what other peace-making steps it might have to put in place should those serious attempts at solving the conflicts not bear fruit.
He said that although most of the agenda items before the Security Council were African, the focus and resource allocation to cope with those crises continued to be non-African. Even if there might be a justification for that, Kenya would like to see a balance struck that allowed for a realistic re-allocation of focus and resource distribution that conformed to the Council's Charter-based, primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. As Kenya celebrated 50 years of United Nations peacekeeping, the weight of that imbalance continued to press on the Organization's collective conscience. It was hoped that burning African peace-making and peace-building issues would receive the attention they deserved.
VOLODYMYR YEL'CHENKO (Ukraine) said that over the past six years, more than 8 thousand military and civilian personnel from Ukraine had been part of the Blue Helmets. His country remained firmly convinced that the time had come to strengthen the theory and practice of peacekeeping by adopting a comprehensive and generally acceptable document which provided the legal and political framework for current and future peacekeeping operations.
While recognizing the primary responsibility of the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security, he said the decision- making process in the Council had not yet become transparent. The Council's consultative mechanism with troop-contributing countries also required further improvement. Decisions of vital importance, especially those on launching new peacekeeping operations or resorting to the use of force to stop violence, should not be taken by the Security Council behind closed doors. Council decisions should be made with the participation -- actual rather than symbolic -- of the countries, concerned, particularly the potential contributors.
He said an encouraging example of collaboration in peacekeeping or, rather, post-conflict peace-building, could serve the transfer of functions from the United Nations Support Group in the Danube in Croatia -- which had been successfully terminated last month -- to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission. Ukraine hoped that the present unprecedented pattern of interaction between the United Nations and other international arrangements in the settlement of the Kosovo crisis would become a practical model of collective efforts undertaken both on global and regional levels for preventing and resolving potential future conflicts.
TOMAS HRBAC (Slovakia) said his country aligned itself with the statement made previously by the representative of Austria on behalf of the European Union. Drawing lessons from past setbacks in order to better
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understand and cope with the complexity of today's conflicts should be the preferable course of action. Slovakia hoped that the establishment of MINURCA and UNOMSIL might be a turning point in that regard.
Enhancing the role of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, who has authority over all United Nations activities in the field in cases of multidimensional peacekeeping operations, was a step in the right direction, he said. Nevertheless, it was also vital to ensure that mechanisms existed for the effective coordination between the political and military components of a United Nations operation on the one hand, and the human rights and humanitarian components on the other. Moreover, the failure of States to bring to justice those who violated the law had been a major problem resulting in the development of a culture of impunity. The issue had become more complex because of the involvement of irregular groups, foreign mercenaries, criminals, and, in some cases, child soldiers in many conflict situations. Those groups had little knowledge of or respect for the rules of international law. The recent decision to establish the International Criminal Court had been a significant development.
Regional arrangements or agencies could play an important role in the maintenance of international peace and security, he said. Based on lessons learned from some successfully completed multifunction operations like the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Eastern Slavonia, cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations allowed each organization to complement the other. Moreover, regional organizations could be part of the United Nations exit strategy from a country in conflict, by playing a leading role in the successor arrangements which were established after the United Nations operation was withdrawn from the country.
IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal) noted that over the past five decades, the Security Council had authorized 41 peacekeeping operations. Since 1988, the year when the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to the United Nations peacekeepers, 36 of those missions had been deployed. Those missions, which had increasingly involved thousands of men and women, had contributed significantly to preventing wars, saving lives and consolidating peace throughout the world.
It must be recognized that the traditional concept of peacekeeping operations had evolved considerably, he said. That concept had adapted over time and had given way to interventions that were much more complex. It had had to take stock of the nature of new conflicts that could destabilize entire regions and generate such new problems as illicit trafficking of weapons and drugs, as well as environmental degradation. Furthermore, today's peacekeeping operations demanded not only sufficient resources, but also, and above all, the rigorous application of the recognized principles of consent of parties, non-use of force except in cases of legitimate defence, impartiality and the definition of clear mandates.
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He said that Senegal, which had participated in peacekeeping operations since 1960, followed with particular attention the work of the Special Committee and shared a number of its recommendations. It especially shared those relating to: the definition and implementation of the mandates of the operation; consultations between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council; training of peacekeeping personnel; the growing participation of civilian police; and cooperation with regional and sub-regional arrangements, while bearing in mind the primary responsibility of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace.
SAHR SUNDU, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, endorsing the Non-Aligned Movement statement, said that while supporting the role of the United Nations as the cornerstone of peacekeeping operations, the timely and valuable role of regional and sub-regional organizations in addressing security issues should be underscored. In Sierra Leone, there was a saying that the role of a good neighbour was commensurate with the anticipated responsibility of a distant relative. Considering the present situation in Sierra Leone, the good neighbours were the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU), while the distant relative was the United Nations.
He said it was against that background that his delegation strongly supported the initiative to strengthen regional and sub-regional efforts in peacekeeping operations, while recognizing the overall role of the United Nations. The preliminary roles played by regional and sub-regional organizations not only minimized the escalation of conflicts, but also supported the rapid deployment mechanism of the United Nations. With the general understanding that Africa was potentially volatile to conflict situations, the need to strengthen the conflict management, prevention and resolution arm of the OAU and its sub-regional institutions could not be over- emphasized.
Africa and the developing countries could ill afford to spend their meagre resources to settle unnecessary armed conflicts, he said. The truth of that statement underlined the concerted efforts of developing countries in ensuring world peace and security to address the basic needs of food and shelter and the enhancement of socio-economic development of their people.
JOSEFA COELHO DA CRUZ (Angola) said his country associated itself with the statement made previously by Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Angola encouraged the United Nations to play a role in advising and participating in training activities, and acknowledged the decision by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations training unit to establish a focal point for African peacekeeping training within the unit. Moreover, the need to improve the mechanisms for cooperation and consultation with the OAU and other regional organizations for the purpose of ensuring the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations.
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A great concern for Angola was demining, she said. Angola was one of the countries in which the largest number of anti-personnel landmines could be found. She urged that the United Nations mine action service be placed on a firm financial footing. Moreover, her country had benefited from the presence of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) since 1992. Unfortunately, the bad faith of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) in carrying out its tasks, accompanied by its continued acts of aggression all over the country, had transformed the mandate of MONUA for an indefinite period.
Action on Draft Resolution
The Committee then took up the draft resolution related to its review of peacekeeping operations and approved it without a vote.
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