Peacebuilding Commission

Organizational Committee

3^rd Meeting (AM)

Yukio takasu of japan elected chair of peacebuilding commission

The governing body of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission today elected its new Chairperson, Ambassador Yukio Takasu of Japan, to lead the year-old Commission through the end of June 2008.

In a brief meeting, the Commission’s Organizational Committee elected Mr. Takasu by acclamation.  He is Japan’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and he replaces career diplomat Kenzo Oshima of Japan, who has been reassigned from New York.  In June 2007, Mr. Oshima was elected Chair, succeeding the Commission’s inaugural head, Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins of Angola.

The Commission, created in 2005 to prevent countries emerging from conflict from sliding back into chaos, last year chose Burundi and Sierra Leone as the first two post-war nations on its agenda to receive intensive international support, as well as initial grants of $35 million each, for critical post-conflict peacebuilding projects paving the way for sustainable development.

Upon his election, Mr. Takasu pledged his and Japan’s full commitment to achieving the objectives as set forth in the Commission’s founding General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.  “At an important juncture, the Commission needs to respond to the international community’s high expectations by making a concerted effort to respond to peacebuilding needs around the world and producing tangible results on the ground,” Mr. Takasu said, adding that the Commission’s credibility would depend to a great extent on what it did in its second year.

The United Nations peacebuilding architecture was now in place, he said.  It included the Peacebuilding Commission, which consisted of the Organizational Committee, country-specific meetings, as well as integrated peacebuilding strategies as its tools of engagement and working group on lessons learned.  It also included the Peacebuilding Fund, which was now 60 or 70 per cent full, and the Peacebuilding Support Office.

Each of those instruments needed to function effectively so that the Commission’s intended goals could be fulfilled in a coherent and coordinated manner.  He said that the Organizational Committee’s role was pivotal for promoting coordination within the peacebuilding picture and mobilizing all possible support to prevent the recurrence of armed conflict.

Laying out his vision for the Commission’s work in 2008, he said that special efforts were needed to ensure the closest possible coordination among the United Nations principal organs, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretariat.

Stressing the need to identify gaps and find remedies, he said he would do his best to strengthen the relationship between the different bodies.  It was also essential to promote the closet possible linkage between the Commission and United Nations funds and programmes, as well as the international financial institutions, an area which he would stress.  Regional banks could play an important role in that regard, and he wanted to see their full involvement in the Committee’s work.

It was also time for the Commission to begin thinking about a possible addition of a country or countries and give additional scrutiny to thematic or cross-cutting issues relevant to peacebuilding, such as post-conflict job creation, rule of law and security sector reform.  The Organizational Committee’s work should be complementary to the work carried out by country-specific meetings.  Without creating jobs and mobilizing economic activity, the creation of stability would not be possible.  The Commission would also need to think of innovative ways to promote private sector initiatives.

In his capacity as Chairman, he would conduct candid exchanges of views with all Members, as well as other stakeholders, to ensure the Commission’s smooth functioning.  That was his vision for the next several months, and he would seek the Commission’s goodwill and understanding.

Following Mr. Takasu’s statement, he was welcomed by outgoing Chair, Ambassador Martins, who praised his track record in the peacebuilding arena and looked forward to working with Mr. Takasu and Japan to make the Commission’s work more than rhetoric and to produce concrete results in countries that needed assistance.

Among other Committee members speaking today, the representative of Jamaica welcomed the new Chair and praised the work that Mr. Martins had accomplished during the Commission’s challenging first year, particularly regarding the elaboration of rules of procedure and working methods.

Egypt’s representative joined others urging the Commission to continue to seek greater cooperation with other United Nations bodies, but he added that the Organizational Committee should strive for balance as well, drawing on the expertise of all its members, who included donors, recipients and countries that were “new to the game”.   France’s representative reminded the Committee that, at some point during the coming year, it would have to look closely at adding new countries to its agenda.

The representatives of Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Brazil, and Guinea-Bissau also addressed the Committee.

The Organizational Committee of the peacebuilding Commission will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record