As Fourth Committee Continues Peacekeeping Debate, Speakers Stress Need to Understand Issues Surrounding Use of Force by ‘Blue Helmets’
Many Delegates Underline Importance of Strict Respect for Charter Principles
While peacekeepers must adapt to rapidly evolving situations, it was important to clarify — and understand — the legal, humanitarian and related issues surrounding the use of force in any operation of the “flagship” United Nations enterprise, speakers in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) emphasize today as they continued their comprehensive review of peacekeeping in all its aspects.
In that context, the representative of the International Committee of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said contemporary peace operations increasingly required police and military components to resort to force. Certain robust tasks assigned to United Nations forces risked involving them — and their respective missions — in armed conflict. He said that the applicability of international humanitarian law to United Nations forces was determined by facts on the ground, irrespective of mandate.
Nonetheless, Pakistan’s representative urged caution in mandating enforcement tasks, stressing the need for utmost care in judiciously retaining the distinction between peacekeeping and peace enforcement. The need for such prudence stemmed from concern that peacekeepers not become part of an external intervention in internal or regional conflicts. She urged careful study of the impact of change, including where international humanitarian law, immunity of United Nations peacekeepers, and their safety were concerned when neutrality was perceived to have been compromised.
Rwanda’s representative said rapid deployment capabilities should be enhanced and regional partnerships strengthened. Peacekeeping efforts should be more people- and field-focused, and the numbers and roles of women in peace operations increased. Those and other endeavours were embedded in the Kigali Principles, which were best practices for the protection of civilians, the ultimate goal of all peacekeeping operations.
Throughout the debate, many speakers recalled that the principles of consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence or mandate protection underpinned any peacekeeping operation. “These principles are not only valid and relevant, they are the real source of strength of United Nations peacekeeping,” Eritrea’s representative emphasized. Others recalled that the reports of the Secretary-General and the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations recognized that “a United Nations peace operation is not designed or equipped to impose political solutions through sustained use of force”.
Still other speakers said the most important issue was the opaque manner in which the Security Council formulated mandates. India’s representative noted in that regard that the Council had a proclivity for mixing traditional peacekeeping mandates with “new, interventionist” mandates for a small number of troops in the same mission, as seen with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He urged the Council to ensure the mandatory inclusion in all peacekeeping operations of legally binding provisions for prosecuting, penalizing and neutralizing any non-governmental armed groups and armed militias that caused, or threatened to cause, harm to peacekeepers.
Mali’s representative said 56 people from the peacekeeping operation in his country had died from targeted, asymmetrical attacks, making the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission Mali (MINUSMA) among the most deadly of the Organization’s 16 peace operations. He called upon the world body to work with regional organizations and troop contributors in developing more realistic mandates, and in providing equipment, skills and resources specific to the theatre of operations, a point reiterated throughout the day.
Also speaking today were representatives of Lebanon, Myanmar, Honduras, Viet Nam, Philippines, Qatar, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Israel, Haiti, Ghana, Cameroon and the United Arab Emirates.
The Fourth Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 5 November, to conclude its general debate on peacekeeping operations.
Background
As the Fourth Committee continued its comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all its aspects, members had before them several relevant documents. (See Press Release GA/SPD/594 of 30 October for more information.)
Statements
RAHUL KASWAN, Member of Parliament from India, associated himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, and said his country was the largest cumulative troop contributor to United Nations peace operations, with more than 185,000 troops having served in 48 of the 69 missions mandated so far. The most important issue at hand was the opaque manner in which the Security Council formulated mandates, he said, noting that the process was without any transparency or accountability. Moreover, direct and formal consultations between the Council and troop-contributing countries when formulating or changing mandates was a sine qua non for effective peacekeeping operations. The Council had a proclivity for mixing traditional peacekeeping mandates with “new, interventionist” mandates for a small number of troops in the same mission, as seen with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), mandated by Council resolution 2098 (2013). India had contributed more than 4,000 troops to that Mission and therefore had concerns about that important issue, he said.
He urged the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, to ensure the mandatory inclusion in all peacekeeping operations of legally binding provisions for prosecuting, penalizing and neutralizing any non-governmental armed groups and armed militias that caused, or threatened to cause, harm to peacekeepers. The reports of the Secretary-General and the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations rightly recognized that “a United Nations peace operation is not designed or equipped to impose political solutions through sustained use of force”, and nor did they constitute the appropriate tool for military counter-terrorism operations. India endorsed that recommendation because United Nations peacekeepers were not suited to targeted offensive action against armed militias, non-State actors and terrorists. Investment in equipment, logistics and training would go a long way in making peacekeeping operations more viable and sustainable, he said. However, with the emergence of “multidimensional” mandates, there were now new mandates without matching financial resources. There was an urgent need to rectify the mismatch between the resources required and the resources actually allocated, he emphasized.
CHARBEL WEHBI, Director of Political and Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, associated himself with the Non-Aligned Movement. He said the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations should remain the key forum for discussing policies and guidance. Enhanced regional and triangular cooperation was required for smooth mandate delivery, as were partnerships, including among the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of Field Support and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), or between Headquarters and the field. Such partnerships hinged on close relationships with host countries, he added. The Departments of Peacekeeping and Field Support should finalize strategies to streamline the leadership of peace operations, given recent global commitments to increase women’s participation in that regard. Describing Lebanon’s experience as host of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), he warned against Israeli attempts to undermine that mission’s credibility.
TIN MARLAR MYINT (Myanmar), endorsing the statement on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), emphasized that peacekeepers must uphold the United Nations Charter, as well as the principles of consent of the parties and the host Government, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence or defence of mandate. Host Governments bore the primary responsibility for protecting civilians, with peace missions playing a support role. She said civilian protection mandates should be realistic and result from consultations among Member States and the host Government concerned. Stressing that the Special Commission was crucial to a successful review process, she said Myanmar had made significant progress in its own reforms, having signed a historic ceasefire agreement with eight armed ethnic groups. After a long gap, it had resumed its role as a troop-contributing country and had military personnel deployed in Liberia and South Sudan, he said.
DULCE SÁNCHEZ (Honduras), associating herself with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Non-Aligned Movement, said the United Nations Charter did not actually contain the concept of maintenance of peace. However, former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold had said that the concept could be found in Chapter “VI-and-a-half” of the Charter. Honduras, a troop contributor since the 1990s, supported efforts to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, as well as other resolutions relating to peacekeeping, she said. History showed that the maintenance of peace and security on the basis of international law was a prerequisite for attainment of sustainable development.
NGUYEN PHUONG NGA (Viet Nam), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN, said United Nations peacekeepers now faced extraordinary challenges in fulfilling their duties. Many were deployed in the midst of ongoing conflicts, and in evolving and increasingly hostile environments. The safety and security of peacekeepers should therefore be one of the Committee’s main concerns, she emphasized. Commending the priorities set by the Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations in the coming years, especially the renewed focus on prevention and mediation, she said a stronger partnership between the United Nations and regional and interregional organizations was needed. It was also essential that United Nations peace operations uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter, as well as the guiding principles of peacekeeping — impartiality, non-use of force except in self-defence, and consent of the parties concerned. Wider consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries, as well as strict observation of Charter and peacekeeping principles in preparing and implementing mandates, would help to build a sustainable culture of peaceful United Nations involvement in conflict resolution, while avoiding any misunderstanding with the parties concerned, she said.
IRENE SUSAN B. NATIVIDAD (Philippines), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN, said thousands of Filipino men and women had served in at least 23 peacekeeping operations in 15 countries. Noting the Secretariat’s field initiatives aimed at greater agility, flexibility, and responsiveness, she called for further consultations on how to protect peacekeepers from breaches of security. The report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations had found that the United Nations had yet to embrace a “culture of prevention”, and that Member States had not sufficiently invested in addressing the root causes of conflict. She reiterated the need for holistic reform of the funding and backstopping of special political missions, which would enhance the delivery of development mandates.
ALI AL-HASHMI, Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said missions must respect their mandates in order to safeguard their credibility. The Security Council should tackle each situation independently when preparing peacekeeping operations, especially given the importance of protecting civilians. Coordinating peacekeeping efforts in a manner that not only focused on security aspects, but also addressed root causes of conflict was the best way to resolve disputes, he said. Qatar also urged consideration of the language and culture of a host country in order to facilitate communication between peacekeeping troops and local people. Welcoming the comprehensive review of peacekeeping, as well as the Security Council’s follow-up on women, peace and security, he expressed support for enhancing women’s participation in all aspects of conflict prevention and response, adding that his delegation also advocated zero-tolerance of sexual abuse by peacekeepers.
DIANGUINA DIT YAYA DOUCOURÉ (Mali) said the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which had begun on 1 July 2013, had been extended and amended, in line with the evolving situation. He commended the Mission for having solved the multidimensional crisis in his country. There was a disconnection between emerging security challenges and the peacekeeping doctrine of the United Nations, which should be updated, he said. Indeed, mandates and missions had all too often been crafted on models and standards, rather than being tailored to each situation. Pointing out that the situation in Mali was not a classic peacekeeping theatre, he said MINUSMA had been targeted by 50 asymmetrical attacks, which had resulted in more than 56 deaths, placing it among the most deadly of the 16 United Nations peace operations. Mali called upon the United Nations to work with regional organizations and troop contributors to develop more realistic mandates. Calling for the provision of equipment, skills and resources specific to the theatre of operations, he said the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union required a sustainable mechanism based on the Organization’s budget contributions.
LILA NADIA ANDRIANANTOANDRO (Madagascar), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, reiterated her country’s commitment to United Nations efforts for the maintenance of international peace and security. Madagascar had sent troops to a number of peacekeeping missions, she said, adding that an entire peacekeeping battalion would be dispatched by 2017. In addition to traditional threats facing peacekeepers, emerging ones included terrorism, piracy, organized crime and human trafficking. “We need to strengthen and build our capacity within peacekeeping operations,” she emphasized, recalling that the recent Peacekeeping Summit had identified a number of training opportunities for peacekeepers. Protection of civilians must be another priority, she said, describing the sexual exploitation and abuse of civilians as a blight that tarnished the image of peacekeeping missions and detracted from their ability to carry out their mandates.
AMRITH ROHAN PERERA (Sri Lanka) said it was imperative that the United Nations seek ways and means to carry out reform in order to be at its most effective. Since the landmark publication of the Brahimi report in 2000, numerous attempts had been made to effect structural and institutional reform of United Nations peacekeeping endeavours. The report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations was the most recent. “The huge scale and complexity of the mandates of peacekeeping operations dictate that we keep reform initiatives under careful review, and seek to develop a better model of sustainability,” he said. Noting that his country had recently accepted the Kigali Principles, focusing primarily on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping, he expressed hope that other countries would join that initiative.
SUKHBOLD SUKHEE (Mongolia), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the Secretary-General and the High-level Panel rightly recognized that United Nations peace operations were not designed or equipped to impose political solutions through the sustained use of force. Nor were they the appropriate means for carrying out military counter-terrorism actions. As such, Mongolia urged adherence to the principles of consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of mandate. Priority must be given to the peaceful settlement of disputes as the main objective of operations. As a troop-contributing country, Mongolia would continue to participate in the Fourth and Special Committees, he said, noting that 1,000 Mongolian peacekeepers, including 70 female soldiers, were serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur and South Sudan. Its Peace Support Training Centre was conducting regional and bilateral exercises, as well as trainings for observer staff and logistic officers, according to United Nations standards.
RIADH BEN SLIMAN (Tunisia), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the reports of the Secretary-General and the High-Level Independent Panel were a valuable contribution to improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping. Tunisia welcomed the greater focus on conflict prevention, peaceful resolution of disputes, supporting sustainable political solutions to armed conflict and contributing to the conditions necessary for durable peace. All aspects of peacekeeping should include a gender perspective, he said, adding that the international community should call for reinforcing measures to prevent sexual abuse and bring perpetrators to justice. Additionally, there was a great need for troop-contributing countries to be fully involved in all aspects of peace operations, and for greater interaction between contributors and the Security Council.
TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, described the outcome of the peacekeeping review as “quite balanced”, saying it reflected the range of views and concerns expressed during the consultation process. Indeed, African countries attached great importance to the review, he said, welcoming the High-level Panel’s recommendation to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and Africa, while noting the proposal to use United Nations assessed contributions, on a case-by-case basis, in support of African Union peace operations authorized by the Security Council. For its part, Ethiopia had pledged to add two battalions to the more than 8,000 peacekeepers already deployed, not including the 4,000 Ethiopian peacekeepers in Somalia under the African Union umbrella. Ethiopia’s Peace Support Training Centre had state-of-the-art facilities for training peacekeepers from the wider region, he said, adding that his country was on the way to becoming a police contributor.
BENJAMIN SHARONI (Israel) said his country was located in a region where peace-creation remained elusive, but peacekeeping operations were needed to maintain stability. Israel attached great importance to UNIFIL as a stabilizing force in the region, he added. Noting that tensions and volatility were escalating, he reaffirmed his delegation’s commitment to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and called on Israel’s neighbours to do the same. The twenty-first semi-annual report on implementation of Council resolution 1559 (2004) had found that Hezbollah maintained sizeable and sophisticated military capabilities outside the control of the Government of Lebanon, which remained a matter of grave concern.
Indeed, Hezbollah continued to build an army equipped with tens of thousands of missiles, and it now had access to a large stockpile of strategic weapons, he continued. It had smuggled surface-to-air as well as cruise missiles into Lebanon, he said, emphasizing that Israel had an interest in that country’s stability. History had shown that “we simply cannot rely on others to ensure our security”. From its earliest days as a nation, Israel had been forced to defend its borders against those who sought its annihilation. Finally, he recognized the need for reform in peacekeeping, saying he looked forward to working with the Secretariat on the basis of the High-level Panel’s reports and others, such as that of the Expert Panel on Technology and Innovation in United Nations peacekeeping.
WILLY LOUIS (Haiti), associating himself with CELAC and the Non-Aligned Movement, said that the planning and management of transition, national capacity-building and the prioritization of security and development challenges were the three pivotal points for the establishment of durable peace, a condition which was also essential for socioeconomic development. Recalling that the Security Council had established the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) on 30 April 2004, he said the Government was convinced that the transfer of responsibilities from the Mission to national authorities must take place gradually, taking into account existing vulnerabilities that could jeopardize gains made in the country’s security. Council resolution 2243 (2015), which had extended MINUSTAH’s mandate until 15 October 2016, affirmed the Council’s intention to study Haiti’s capacity to ensure its own stability, and to explore the possibility of a transition and drawdown of MINUSTAH. In that context, Haiti called for an orderly and progressive drawdown that would take the country’s security situation into account.
MARTHA AMA AKYAA POBEE (Ghana), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said that despite the major efforts and successes scored on some fronts, the history of peacekeeping had equally been marked by striking failures. It had changed considerably in response to the complex nature of modern conflicts, which, in Africa, were characterized by a multiplicity of actors, unconventional combat methods, including rape and terrorism, and serious violations of human rights. Conflicts crossed borders, so that the speed at which any conflict could be contained within a country’s borders was of strategic value, she noted. Of critical importance was the Africa Standby Force, which would allow the rapid deployment of troops for effective conflict resolution. From September 2014 to July 2015, Ghana had hosted the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, which had been critical in bringing the pandemic under control in West Africa, she said.
ELSA HAILE (Eritrea), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said peacekeeping operations were not meant to be permanent or a substitute for addressing the root causes of conflict. Peacekeeping should not be regarded as the only tool available to the international community for the maintenance of peace and security. More efforts must be exerted in averting conflicts rather than merely managing them, she said, adding that early-warning and early-response systems would be helpful in that regard. While peacekeeping missions must adapt to changing environments, such adjustment processes must be strictly consistent with the principles of peacekeeping — respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force except in the case of self-defence and mandate protection. “These principles are not only valid and relevant, but are the real source of strength of United Nations peacekeeping,” she emphasized. Any adaptation of peacekeeping should be agreed in the relevant intergovernmental negotiating processes. He went on to warn that in many places, especially Africa, caution should be taken when deploying troops from neighbouring countries because some were often driven by their own national interests.
JEANNE D’ARC BYAJE (Rwanda), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said that her country, as the fifth largest troop and police contributor, had a significant stake in the success of peacekeeping efforts. Rwanda called for a common understanding of such efforts and a clear direction for mandates. Rapid deployment capabilities should be enhanced and regional partnerships strengthened, she said. Peacekeeping efforts should become more people- and field-focused, and the numbers and roles of women in peace operations should be increased. Those and other endeavours were embedded in the Kigali Principles, which were best practices for the protection of civilians, the ultimate goal of all peacekeeping operations. She called on the international community to join the growing number of police- and troop-contributing countries in endorsing the Kigali Principles.
MALEEHA LODHI (Pakistan), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said troop- and police-contributing countries must be fully and formally consulted on decisions about formulating and changing mandates. Peacekeeping principles must be given primacy, since the edifice of peacekeeping had been built upon them. They did not impede civilian-protection mandates, she pointed out, while urging caution in mandating enforcement tasks. Such mandates must be crafted judiciously so as to retain the distinction between peacekeeping and peace enforcement, she said, emphasizing that conflating peacekeeping with peace operations would be a “recipe for confusion”.
She went on to stress that resource adequacy was critical to the fulfilment of mandates. Moreover, the Secretariat must flag resource gaps, and the Security Council must move quickly to fill them. For its part, Pakistan had contributed more than 150,000 peacekeeping personnel who had served 41 missions in 23 countries since 1950. Its cautious approach to peace enforcement stemmed from concerns that peacekeepers not become an external intervention in internal or regional conflicts. She urged careful study of the impact of change, including where international humanitarian law, the immunity of United Nations peacekeepers and peacekeeper safety were concerned, especially when neutrality was perceived to have been compromised.
MAMOUDOU MANA (Cameroon), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said his country had a long-standing tradition of seeking peace and stability on the basis of tolerance and compromise. It had often heeded calls by the United Nations and the African Union to provide troops, he said, noting that some 1,400 Cameroonian men and women were presently deployed to different missions. Indeed, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was headed by a Cameroonian general.
He recalled that Cameroon had established the International School for Security Forces (EIFORCES) in 2008 for the training of troops. In order to harmonize its training programmes with those of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, EIFORCES had participated in a training project held in Jordan in September 2015. Cameroon was working to domesticate United Nations and international standards to govern the behaviour of its forces, he said. Two female officers trained at the Chiefs of Staff School had participated in courses on the protection of children, held in Italy and Sweden earlier in 2015. Missions must be endowed with the appropriate elements, including experts in political affairs, the rule of law and security-sector reform, he said.
AHMED ABDELRAHMAN AHMED ALMAHMOUD (United Arab Emirates) stressed the importance of enhancing the integration of peacekeeping and peacebuilding so as to ensure that peacekeeping efforts were accompanied by economic recovery and capacity-building on the basis of national ownership. Describing his country’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon, Somalia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, he said that the United Arab Emirates had organized discussions aimed at enhancing equal participation for women in all efforts to maintain peaceful societies. The Emirates supported the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. Its Government had translated into Arabic a publication based on the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, in close collaboration with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, he said.
PHILIP SPOERRI, Permanent Observer, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), warned that certain robust tasks assigned to United Nations forces risked making them — and their respective missions — parties to armed conflict. As such, it was important to clarify and understand the legal framework governing the use of force in the context of any given United Nations peace operation, including determining when and how international humanitarian law applied to missions. The applicability of international humanitarian law to United Nations forces was determined by facts on the ground, irrespective of mandate, he emphasized, adding that it applied without adverse distinction when conditions for applicability were met, and governed the involvement of peacekeepers for such time as they were a party to conflict. On civilian protection, he said the roles and responsibilities of each actor should be widely understood in local communities. The “do no harm” principle was crucial in mitigating the personal risk posed to local individuals associated with multidimensional missions, he said.