CHALLENGES OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS REVIEWED BY COUNTRIES WITH FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

Press Release
GA/SPD/201

CHALLENGES OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS REVIEWED BY COUNTRIES WITH FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

Representatives of Sierra Leone, Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia Among Speakers as Committee Continues Discussion of Panel Report

Delegates of several countries with experience of hosting United Nations peacekeeping missions addressed the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon as it continued its general exchange of views on the comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations.

The representative of Sierra Leone said it was not surprising the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (the Brahimi Panel) had concluded that the need for change in peace operations had been rendered even more urgent by recent events in his country. But under the Panel’s recommendations, civilian populations might have to remain under threat for months while the Secretary-General continued knocking on the doors of potential troop contributors, and before the Security Council took action to deploy peacekeepers.

He said that in complex and critical situations, every effort should be made to complement United Nations peacekeeping operations with rapid reaction capabilities contributed by individual States or groups of States, in consultation with the United Nations and with the consent of the host country. In Sierra Leone, the deployment of British forces had stabilized the situation. However, that arrangement was not a substitute for United Nations operations, but it provided a supplementary security blanket.

The representative of Rwanda said the failures of some United Nations missions had shown similar characteristics, leading to the conclusion that the Organization’s peacekeeping operations required reform. Besides adequate logistics, clear mandates and trained personnel, peacekeeping required well- equipped troops with the skills required to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel as well as themselves.

Haiti’s representative said that while not minimizing the concerns of Member States over interventions that did not respect national sovereignty, the principle of non-interference in internal affairs should not bar operations meant to stop such horrors as genocide. International consensus along clear principles must guide such actions.

Fourth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SPD/201 22nd Meeting (PM) 9 November 2000

Pointing out that the root causes of conflicts were complex, he said that peacekeeping action, in itself, could not resolve them. More attention must be paid to socio-economic conditions, to engendering a culture of peace in the population and to the promotion of educational programmes to combat racism and xenophobia.

Ethiopia’s representative, referring to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, said military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that plans were under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The Government of Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s success. To that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the draft “status of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

Also speaking in this afternoon’s general debate, Poland’s representative said that as current chair of the Steering Committee of the Multinational Standby High-Readiness Brigade, Poland continued to work with other participants to ensure that the brigade became fully operational. It offered important advantages in training and coordination between national contingents which were useful in preparing the troops of participating countries to play a more effective part in peacekeeping operations.

The representative of Turkey said his country played an increasingly prominent part in peace-building and peacekeeping efforts, within both the United Nations and regional missions. It had made training an integral part of its peacekeeping commitments, with participants from around the world attending its Peace Training Centre in Ankara.

Israel’s representative said his country had developed a training programme in peacekeeping. The Israel Defence Forces would again hold its annual International Liaison Course at the Israel Defence Forces Liaison and Foreign Relations Division Headquarters in Tel Aviv next May. The course was designed to stimulate professional dialogue in military liaison, and would include lectures, field trips and simulations, as well as dealing with the theory and practice of military liaison.

Also speaking this afternoon were the representatives of Ghana, Togo, Mongolia, Jamaica, Colombia, Cyprus, Thailand, Canada, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nepal and Algeria.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 10 November, to conclude its general debate on the comprehensive review of the question of peacekeeping operations in all its aspects.

Fourth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/SPD/201 22nd Meeting (PM) 9 November 2000

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to continue its general debate on the comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.

Statements

SYLVESTER ROWE (Sierra Leone) associated his views with those expressed by Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. He said that no one should be surprised by the conclusions of the report of the Panel on Peace Operations -- the Brahimi report -- that the need for changes in peace operations had been rendered even more urgent by recent events in his country. But, under those recommendations, civilian populations under threat might have to wait for months while the Secretary-General continued knocking on the doors of potential troop contributors, before the Security Council took action to deploy United Nations-led forces.

To prevent that, he suggested that whenever possible, in complex and critical situations, every effort be made to complement United Nations peacekeeping operations with rapid reaction capabilities contributed by individual States or groups of States, in consultation with the United Nations and with the consent of the host country. In Sierra Leone, such a deployment of United Kingdom troops stabilized the situation. That arrangement was not a substitute for United Nations-led operations under a unified command, but it could, in embattled situations, provide a supplementary security blanket. Presently, as the Secretary-General searched for troops to replace those of India and Jordan in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), any like effort of the United Kingdom should be endorsed by the international community.

Apart from that, he said, the Panel’s recommendations of political support and a sound peace-building strategy were welcomed. In fact, Sierra Leone and UNAMSIL contained all the elements of a complex peacekeeping operation and many of the recommendations could be tested there. Sierra Leone also welcomed the recommendation that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes be brought into the assessed budgets of complex operations for the first phase of an operation, in order to reduce the likelihood of resumed conflict.

YAW O. OSEI (Ghana) said that the current system under which troop contributors were required to deploy their contingents under wet lease arrangements was clearly not feasible. It caused gaps in commitment and undermined the cohesion of a mission. This was even more pronounced where a troop contributor was participating in more than one peacekeeping mission. It was becoming increasingly clear that any solution to the problem of the commitment gap with regard to personnel and equipment for peacekeeping operations would require the assumption by all Member States of their shared responsibility to support United Nations peacekeeping. Equally crucial to international peacekeeping was the provision of adequate resources for financing peacekeeping operations. While this was the responsibility of all Member States, the economically more developed countries were in a better position to make larger contributions to peacekeeping operations.

Experience had shown that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration must be integral parts of the peace process. As the situation in Sierra Leone had shown, poor management at any phase could endanger that entire exercise with serious consequences for the peace process and the stability of the country. Incomplete disarmament and inadequate reintegration could result in the rearming of the already disarmed, leading to banditry and armed violence. He particularly endorsed the Special Committee’s recommendation that mission planning for those aspects of peacekeeping should accommodate the special needs of women and children. He also endorsed the Special Committee’s proposal that the United Nations should establish minimum training, equipment and other standards required for forces to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Ghana attached importance to gender-sensitivity and its mainstreaming and so he welcomed the appeal to Member States to put forth women candidates for participation in all components of field mission, he said. He also commended the current arrangement under which the Security Council and troop-contributing countries meet to consult on pertinent issues arising from force generation or mission operations. This process was helpful in fostering a common understanding of mandates of missions and their implementation. He suggested that these consultations not only be held at the request of the Security Council, but also at the request of troop contributors whenever the circumstances justified it.

ROLAND KPOTSRA (Togo) said that while the Brahimi Panel had been established as a result of the tragedies in Rwanda and Srebrenica, the United Nations had not been in a position to discharge its main responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. This was because of an absence of political will, a lack of financial resources and the complexity of recent conflicts. Deep reflection was required in designing appropriate peacekeeping operations with the means available to the Organization.

Associating himself with the statement of the Non-Aligned Movement, he said it was essential that, in establishing peacekeeping missions, the same attention be given to conflicts in all regions, particularly those in Africa. Although the Security Council had recently undertaken to seek greater knowledge of African conflicts through visiting missions and dialogue with the protagonists, the African continent was not receiving the same attention as other regions.

In most cases, he said, the deployment of missions in African conflict areas had not taken place in a reasonable period, but had always been a reaction, leading to a radicalization of the situation on the ground while a search was mounted for contributors to a peacekeeping operation. At the same time, more complex missions were deployed elsewhere to resolve domestic conflicts.

He said the humiliation of United Nations peacekeepers in Sierra Leone had demonstrated the need for troops to be able to defend themselves. Mandates should be adopted only when they had adequate financing and means. A mission without deterrent credibility could not carry out its mandate in the field, resulting in situations like Sierra Leone.

He said delays in reimbursing troop- and equipment-contributing countries posed a serious problem to contributors from African and other developing countries. Similarly, it was imperative that under-representation of African and other developing countries in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations be rectified. The field knowledge of such personnel would be essential in the preparation and establishment of peacekeeping missions.

J. ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) said he agreed to the need for well-conceived and clearly defined peacekeeping mandates, without which peacekeeping operations would not be effective. The question of symbolic presence, credible military deterrent and war-fighting, as well as many other questions needed to be addressed. The Brahimi report could be a useful basis for tackling those and other similar issues of both policy and operation.

The comprehensive nature of the report was demonstrated by the fact that it included conflict prevention and early warning, peacekeeping doctrine, mandates and resolutions, personnel and deployment, peace building, as well as expanding headquarters support. He welcomed the report as a frank analysis of the prevailing situation and as presenting forthright recommendations for change. Mongolia was committed to making practical contributions to peacekeeping operations. To that end, it not only signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations and communicated to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations its first candidates, but also took an active part in the recent training exercises held in Kazakhstan for central Asian countries.

DAVID ZOHAR (Israel) cited his country’s statement to the General Assembly on 28 September that Israel supported initiatives to modify the scale of assessments, so as to share the burden of peacekeeping operations more equitably. It would also support efforts to introduce a 25 per cent ceiling on individual assessments. Israel had decided to forego the 80 per cent reduction it had previously enjoyed, and to pay its full assessment to the United Nations peacekeeping budget.

Apart from its financial contribution, Israel had developed a training programme in the field of peacekeeping, he said. The Israel Defence Forces would again hold its annual International Liaison Course at the Israel Defence Forces Liaison and Foreign Relations Division headquarters in Tel Aviv next May. The course was designed to stimulate professional dialogue in military liaison, based on the Israel Defence Forces’s own experience with foreign organizations. It would include lectures, field trips and simulations, as well as dealing with the theory and practice of military liaison. The course was designed for officers holding the rank of major and lieutenant-colonel. Applications could be addressed to the Israel Defence Forces through military attachés and embassies accredited to Israel.

PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica) said that Jamaica associated itself with the statement of Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. She said that, coupled with the paradigm shift in United Nations The plight of refugees and displaced persons, the spread of diseases, and the protection of vulnerable groups could not be ignored. Gross violations of human rights could not be tolerated.

She underscored the recommendations of the Brahimi report relating to clear and credible mandates, robust rules of engagement, and regular consultations between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council, among others. Conflict prevention, addressing the root causes of conflict and involving women in all stages of a peace process were also important. Systematic training of peacekeepers and civilian police was equally important. Finally, she underlined the need for greater coordination between missions and Headquarters and the need to review the so-called “wet lease agreement”.

ALFONSO VALDIVIESO (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said his States members recognized the need to strengthen the structures and the functioning of peacekeeping mechanisms in order to make them more efficient. That would enhance the credibility of the United Nations and its promotion and maintenance of international peace and security in different areas.

He said the Group also recognized the importance of prevention and peace building in the Organization's work. The recommendations contained in the Brahimi report on which the Special Committee had reached agreement should be implemented as soon as possible. It would be necessary for the Committee, however, to consider in greater detail at its meeting in February 2001, the recommendations in the report which required more discussion.

He said the Group attached great importance to respect for the principles of consent of the parties, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in self- defence, in peacekeeping missions. The Group also hoped that, as the Organization continued to strive to improve its operations to ensure peace and international security, initiatives would be undertaken to strengthen its efforts in the field of development. He hoped that the implementation of peacekeeping reforms would not be to the detriment of resources allocated to development.

GEORGE KASOULIDES (Cyprus) said that Cyprus was a very relevant case demonstrating the pros and cons of peacekeeping and the necessity to combine peacemaking and peace-building to avoid stalemate and stagnation. The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) did not have the necessary mandate and backing to prevent The latest effort -- still in progress -- had raised hopes again, but one need only read of the Turkish insistence for creating two separate States on the island to realize Turkish objectives.

Only a few months ago, the Turkish occupation army advanced its positions along the ceasefire line in the area of Strovilia, resulting in what the Secretary-General described as a "clear violation of the status quo". The inability to this day of UNFICYP to return the situation to the status quo ante eroded even further the credibility of the United Nations. Peacekeeping that continued for so many years was a real disappointment to the people of Cyprus and the international community, and the inability of the Organization to find a solution to the problem was a real failure for peacekeeping. As long as this effort was not based on the Security Council resolutions, and intransigence and non-compliance with international law was condoned and tolerated, the problem would remain unresolved.

Effective peacekeeping operations must rest on a sure and stable financial footing, he said. Cyprus, therefore, reiterated the need for prompt payment of contributions and without conditions attached. In relation to the financing of UNFICYP, the Government of Cyprus voluntarily contributed one third of the total cost of the Force. This was a considerable and extremely heavy burden. Furthermore, Cyprus currently voluntarily contributed an additional one third more than its assessed contribution to all United Nations peacekeeping operations. Cyprus had also made a commitment to give up voluntarily the discount to which it was entitled under the present system.

JANUSZ STANCZYK (Poland) associating himself with France’s statement on behalf of the European Union and associated countries, said that as current Chair of the Steering Committee of the multinational Standby High-Readiness Brigade, Poland continued to work with other participants to ensure that the brigade became fully operational.

He said that Brigade offered important advantages in training and coordination between national contingents which were useful in preparing the troops of participating countries to play a more effective part in peacekeeping operations. The contribution to it of developing countries from outside Europe, both as members and observers, would significantly enrich, diversify and enhance the Brigade’s functioning and effectiveness.

As a major troop contributor to peacekeeping operations, Poland had designated troops for SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for KFOR in Kosovo, he said. Altogether, more than 2,300 Polish troops, military observers, civilian police and other civilian specialists served in various missions. In addition, a special 115-strong police unit had just been deployed in the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK).

That effort in the field was paralleled by the importance Poland attached to discharging its financial obligations in full and on time, he said. Given the country’s limited resources, that effort posed a considerable burden. Thus, timely reimbursement of costs borne owing to participation in peacekeeping operations was increasingly important.

ASDA JAYANAMA (Thailand) said his country attached great importance to peacekeeping and was contributing to it, notably in East Timor. With the Brahimi report, the United Nations could adapt to the post-cold war era. Agreeing with the report on many issues, he added, however, that reconciliation between warring factions was a top priority task in a complex, intra-national peacekeeping operation.

In addition, he found it unfortunate that countries commanding abundant resources did not contribute their fair share of troops to peacekeeping operations. When they did contribute, their troops remained outside the command of the United Nations. Reimbursement and safety of personnel in peacekeeping operations were important issues, but they were not included in the Brahimi report. He suggested creating a trust fund for that, which would be replenished from the United Nations budget when needed.

In line with other recommendations of the Brahimi report, he believed there was a need for good entry and exit strategies for every peacekeeping operation. But peacekeeping should never become a permanent feature of the global political landscape. More work needed to be done on the root causes of conflicts.

MICHEL DUVAL (Canada) said that the Brahimi report was the beginning of an important process -- which aimed to critically evaluate the United Nations, and thereby making it a stronger and more effective Organization. It was also an invaluable tool which provided proactive and pragmatic mechanisms aimed at improving United Nations peacekeeping.

He commended the integrated approach taken by the Panel and its recognition that, in today's security environment, the United Nations needed the "tools" to address any conflict situation. United Nations approaches to peacekeeping should, therefore, better reflect the multifaceted nature of United Nations action in countries affected by war. This meant it should become more proficient in promoting the rule of law and economic recovery, by better integrating the military, policing, institution building, reconstruction and civil administration functions of peacekeeping operations, especially in regions where it substituted for collapsed local government.

He added that Canada already had in place some of the initiatives called for in the Brahimi report, including participation in the Standby High-Readiness Brigade and an international standby list which provided a list of 25 military officers available to deploy to international operations. It was also important, he added, that the United Nations be able to deploy civilian police officers quickly into complex missions. In this regard, Canada was refining its procedures to ensure that its civilian police officers were dispatched to new peacekeeping operations as quickly as possible.

NASTE CALOVSKI (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said it was essential that all Member States supported the Secretary-General's request for implementation of the Brahimi report recommendations, thus making the Organization a truly credible force for peace. His country had been host to the first United Nations preventive peacekeeping mission; the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP). It was praised as a success story of the United Nations. As a kind of follow-up to UNPREDEP, the International Centre for Preventive Action and Conflict Resolution had been established in Skopje, his country's capital.

The experience had taught three important lessons, he said, namely: the spread of regional conflict and the rise of domestic ethnic violence were averted by timely action; international preventive action was not a threat to national sovereignty; and the United Nations increased the effectiveness of its efforts by working cooperatively with a regional organization, in this case, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

He said one of the common characteristics of United Nations peacekeeping missions was that they lasted a long time. This illustrated the ineffectiveness and irrelevance of the Organization and a lack of political will of Member States to resolve the conflict. He suggested the General Assembly might decide to consider all peacekeeping missions of more than five years' duration to ascertain the future of those missions. Regarding the Panel's recommendations, he said that preventive action and peace building required much more attention as that style of operation would be much more dominant than the traditional peacekeeping operations in the future.

SAFAK GOKTURK (Turkey) said his country played an increasingly prominent part in peace-building and peacekeeping efforts within both United Nations and regional missions. It has also signed on to arrangements such as the United Nations standby system, and had made training an integral part of its peacekeeping commitments, with participants from around the world attending its Peace Training Centre in Ankara. It also supported efforts to rebuild the socio-economic base of post-conflict societies.

He said members of the Security Council, when mandating missions, should act as if they were contributing personnel from their countries. In addition, resolutions mandating a mission should avoid prejudging the dispute, so as not to help perpetuate the conflict. All consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries should be interactive and allow for modification of the resolution texts.

While standby arrangements needed to be strengthened, he went on, the inseparability of military contingents and hardware must be taken into account. Contingent-training should be offered by Member States and coordinated by the United Nations, which should also work with regional organizations to project credible force and a workable transition structure. Special attention should be paid to providing assistance in law enforcement and justice. Finally, the restructuring of the Secretariat needed to go far beyond the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, since peacekeeping had become multidimensional. The Department itself needed to become the home of a truly specialized workforce for establishing and streamlining missions. The recommendations of the Brahimi Panel for integrated mission task forces point in the right direction.

HIRA BAHADUR THAPA (Nepal), associating himself with the statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, noted that the hasty deployment of a peacekeeping mission with an inadequate mandate could lead to crisis, as had been demonstrated by the recent events in Sierra Leone. The UNAMSIL presented a case study highlighting the urgent need for closer consultations between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council.

He agreed that it was imperative to equip the Secretariat in a manner commensurate with its peacekeeping responsibilities, but stressed that increased peacekeeping requirements should not be met at the expense of development activities. There should be no diversion of funds from development to peacekeeping in the name of additional resources for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The Brahimi Panel had vividly spelt out that peacekeeping operations should be supported by all Member States, he said. Unfortunately, hesitation by some countries, particularly those entrusted with the special responsibility of maintaining global peace and security, sent a negative signal to other States, discouraging them from committing their troops to peacekeeping missions. That anomaly must be removed if future peacekeeping was to bring about the desired results.

He said the fact that 77 per cent of deployed peacekeepers were from developing countries using deficient equipment should not be allowed to continue. The present arrangement of contingent-owned equipment, requiring that troops be fully self-sustained, required proper review as it constrained the participation of some willing countries. In addition, delayed reimbursement for contingent- owned equipment put the least developed among the developing countries at even greater disadvantage.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia), associating himself with the statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, stressed the contribution of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. He said the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was actively engaged in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in the region, including continuing efforts to resolve the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in cooperation with the United Nations and other interested States.

Referring to recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, with regard to enhancing African peacekeeping capacity, he said Ethiopia recognized that the United Nations and the OAU had continued to cooperate over the past year. Nevertheless, much remained to be done in implementation of the Special Committee’s recommendations and Ethiopia looked forward to concrete action in that regard.

Turning to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, he noted that military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that plans were under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The Government of Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s success. To that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the draft “status of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

BERTRAND FILS-AIMÉ (Haiti) said that without new commitment on the part of Member States, the United Nations would not have the means in the future to keep peace as desired by those Member States. The prevention of conflict and promotion of development was, though, a better way of keeping that peace. On the other hand, he would not want to minimize concerns of Member States over interventions that did not respect national sovereignty and other principles of the United Nations Charter. However, principles of non-interference should not bar operations meant to stop such horrors as genocide. International consensus along clear principles must guide such actions.

He appealed to Member States to fulfil their financial commitments fully and on time. Some of the small developing Members, it was true, worried about the financial implications of the Brahimi report’s recommendations. Such implications should be openly discussed. He said that the roots of conflicts were complex; peacekeeping operations alone could not deal with them. More attention must be paid to socio-economic conditions, and me to combat racism and xenophobia.

HIRA BAHADUR THAPA (Nepal), associating himself with the statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, noted that the hasty deployment of a peacekeeping mission with an inadequate mandate could lead to crisis, as had been demonstrated by the recent events in Sierra Leone. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) presented a case study highlighting the urgent need for closer consultations between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council.

He agreed that it was imperative to equip the Secretariat in a manner commensurate with its peacekeeping responsibilities, but stressed that increased peacekeeping requirements should not be met at the expense of development activities. There should be no diversion of funds from development to peacekeeping in the name of additional resources for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The Brahimi Panel had vividly spelt out that peacekeeping operations should be supported by all Member States, he said. Unfortunately, hesitation by some countries, particularly those entrusted with the special responsibility of maintaining global peace and security, sent a negative signal to other States, discouraging them from committing their troops to peacekeeping missions. That anomaly must be removed if future peacekeeping was to bring about the desired results.

He said the fact that 77 per cent of deployed peacekeepers were from developing countries using deficient equipment should not be allowed to continue. The present arrangement of contingent-owned equipment, requiring that troops be fully self-sustained, required proper review as it constrained the participation of some willing countries. In addition, delayed reimbursement for contingent- owned equipment put the least developed among the developing countries at even greater disadvantage.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia), associating himself with the statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, stressed the contribution of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. He said the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was actively engaged in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in the region, including continuing efforts to resolve the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in cooperation with the United Nations and other interested States.

Referring to recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, with regard to enhancing African peacekeeping capacity, he said Ethiopia recognized that the United Nations and the OAU had continued to cooperate over the past year. Nevertheless, much remained to be done in implementation of the Special Committee’s recommendations and Ethiopia looked forward to concrete action in that regard.

Turning to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, he noted that military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that plans were under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The Government of Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s success. To that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the draft “status of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

BERTRAND FILS-AIMÉ (Haiti) said that without new commitment on the part of Member States, the United Nations would not have the means in the future to keep peace as desired by those Member States. One prevention of conflict and promotion of development was, though, a better way of keeping that peace. On the other hand, he would not want to minimize concerns of Member States over interventions that did not respect national sovereignty and other principles of the United Nations Charter. However, principles of non-interference should not bar operations meant to stop such horrors as genocide. International consensus along clear principles must guide such actions.

He appealed to Member States to fulfill their financial commitments fully and on time. Some of the small developing members, it was true, worried about the financial implications of the Brahimi report’s recommendations. Such implications should be openly discussed. He said that the roots of conflicts were complex, peacekeeping operations alone could not deal with them. More attention must be paid to socio-economic conditions, and to engendering the culture of peace in populations, promoting educational programs to combat racism and xenophobia.

JOSEPH MUTABOBA (Rwanda) said that wherever the United Nations had deployed peacekeepers, the failures of some missions had shown similar characteristics, leading to the conclusion that the peacekeeping operations of the Organization must be reformed.

He said peacekeeping required adequate logistics combined with clear mandates, trained personnel and well-equipped troops, with the skills required to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel as well as themselves.

He said that the Brahimi report was clear on disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation. Peace could not be maintained for long if the enemies of peace remained armed and active. The question was, who would do the job? It was hoped that the new Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations would lend his talents to enable the Security Council to maintain lasting peace.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) said his country shared the views, expectations and concerns expressed by Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Concerning recommendations for the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, he said a reorganization of available resources would be, in that area, preferable to the creation of a new structure.

He said he agreed with many of the other recommendations of the Brahimi report, such as the need for clear, viable mandates and the need to put in place all conditions necessary for the success of a mission. Those conditions included respect on the part of all parties for mandates and for the relevant peace agreements. Peacekeepers should be in a position to defend themselves, the peace and the populations.

It was difficult for him to accept the dwindling participation of developed countries in providing troops, as well as delays in reimbursement of the developing countries who have so provided troops. Algeria was also disturbed that non-mastery of English would bar participation in peacekeeping operations, when a majority of countries used other working language.

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