Sixty-second General Assembly

Fourth Committee

26^th Meeting* (AM)

FOURTH COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT URGING IMPLEMENTATION OF SUBSIDIARY BODY’S

 

PROPOSALS ON REVIEW OF ALL UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING QUESTIONS

 

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this morning urged Member States, the Secretariat and other relevant United Nations organs to implement the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee tasked with reviewing the whole questions of peacekeeping in all its aspects.

By the terms of a draft resolution (document A/C.4/62/L.20) that it approved without a vote, the Committee welcomed the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and endorsed its proposals, recommendations and conclusions.  The Special Committee held its session from 10 March to 4 April, and its concluding meeting on 3 July.

Also by the text, the Assembly, convinced of the need to continue improving United Nations peacekeeping capabilities and enhancing the effective deployment of its operations, would reiterate that Member States that became personnel contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations in years to come, or participated in the future as observers in the Special Committee, would become members at its following session.

The Assembly would also decide that the Special Committee would continue its efforts for a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, review implementation of its previous proposals and consider any new ones to enhance the capacity of the United Nations in that field.

Introducing the draft, Canada’s representative, in his capacity as Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee, said its recommendations covered the main areas of peacekeeping, including guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates; restructuring of peacekeeping; safety and security; conduct and discipline; operational capacity; strategies for complex operations; quick-impact projects; cooperation with troop-contributing countries; enhancement of African peacekeeping capacities; cooperation with regional arrangements; and best practices, training, personnel and financial issues.  The Special Committee had also recommended that, in order to mark the sixtieth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping this year, the Assembly hold a commemorative meeting at its sixty-third session and adopt a declaration on that occasion.

In its report (document A/62/19), the Special Committee requests the Secretary-General, among other things, to ensure a clear chain of command, accountability, coordination and maintenance of an adequate system of checks and balances in peacekeeping.  It also recognizes the intended role of integrated operational teams in facilitating the horizontal coordination and integration of the activities of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the recently established Department of Field Support.

The report also recommends the strengthening of the Office of Military Affairs within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and welcomes the establishment of the Military Adviser post at the Assistant Secretary-General level.  It also underscores the vital importance of the military function within the Department and requests the Secretary-General to ensure it is appropriately and adequately staffed and structured.

According to the report, the Special Committee emphasizes that security sector reform is an important aspect of multidimensional peacekeeping operations.  Recognizing that the reform process must be nationally owned, it stresses that the international community should avoid imposing external models and concentrate on strengthening the capacity of the host country to develop, manage and implement security sector reform through inclusive consultation processes at all stages of transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding and sustainable development.

By approving the draft resolution, the Fourth Committee concluded its work for the sixty-second session of the General Assembly.

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*     The 25^th Meeting was covered in Press Release GA/10714 of 4 June 2008.

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