Amid Growing Global Instability, Special Political Missions Crucial for Conflict Prevention, Require Separate Fund, Speakers Tell Fourth Committee
Against the backdrop of an increasingly “grim” and “complex” global security landscape, special political missions — with their rapid, nimble and tailored approaches — were a key part of the United Nations peace operations toolbox, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today as it took up the matter in a half-day debate.
Delegates also stressed that the missions, which made up over 20 per cent of the United Nations regular budget, required new and improved sources of financing, with many speakers calling for the creation of a separate fund to pay for their widely varied activities.
“We are currently at a crossroads,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman as he addressed the Committee and introduced the Secretary-General’s report on policy matters pertaining to special political missions. The global peace and security environment had continued to deteriorate in 2015, he said, pointing to signs that the instability would not abate. Indeed, the number of major wars had tripled since 2008, humanitarian needs were setting new records and the world was seeing the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in decades.
A global effort was urgently needed not only to respond to the proliferating number of crises, but to prevent them from emerging or prevent a relapse into conflict, he said. Special political missions were a crucial part of that effort. Such missions varied significantly in terms of their mandates, size and structure, and were individually tailored to provide the best possible United Nations response to a specific situation. Flexibility was one of their greatest assets; however, they had one common characteristic — the focus on preventing and resolving conflict.
Highlighting some of the key themes addressed in the various recently concluded reviews of peace operations, he spotlighted the renewed and urgent emphasis on conflict prevention and mediation, adding that “we must sharpen our focus and make real and sustained efforts to stop crises before they escalate into violence”. Targeted and smart investments in such tools would be required, as would sustainable political support from Member States.
“We are operating during a time of great challenge in the delivery of this field support platform,” said Atul Khare, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, who also addressed the Committee. In recent years, the Organization had deployed missions as varied as the joint United Nations-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons, to the electoral observer mission in Burundi.
While the overall number of special political missions had been relatively constant, over the last decade, the complexity of their tasks had increased, as had their risks in highly volatile environments. Of the 4,200 personnel authorized for deployment, nearly 90 per cent had been in areas where there was high-intensity conflict. The nature of support required placed a much higher premium on rapid, nimble and tailored responses, he said, as in Burundi, or on conducting long-term but temporary operations from outside a country, as had been the case in Libya. Field support had to benefit from economies of scale, as well as be rapid, agile and fit for purpose in its responses.
When the floor was opened for statements in the general debate, a number of speakers echoed concerns that global tensions were at an all-time high since the end of the cold war. In that vein, Ethiopia’s delegate said it was “absolutely critical” to adequately address the root causes of conflict and strengthen the whole range of conflict prevention and mediation tools. Special political missions had become an extremely significant political tool to address conflicts, he emphasized, calling for better analysis and sharper assessment of situations on the ground.
Thailand’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said special political missions should be planned and assessed in a more inclusive, accountable and transparent manner to fulfil their mandates. He reaffirmed the prominent role of the host country — which should help missions to strengthen capacity in the areas of security, State institutions and development — and stressed the need to include national stakeholders, notably the host Government, in early stages of the mission.
Also widely discussed today was the issue of financing. In that regard, Brazil’s representative stressed that the funding of special political missions by the Organization’s regular budget was one of the “most important distortions” in that budget. It was impossible to overlook the fact that, while the Security Council established most of the special political missions, the vast majority were funded by the regular budget. He urged Member States to discuss reforms previously suggested by the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), including the much-discussed establishment of a separate account.
Similarly, Morocco’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, noted the “exponential increase” in the financial requirements and complexity of special political missions over the past decade. Such missions were unique in terms of their establishment and financing, he said, noting that they did not follow the regular budget cycle of the United Nations despite being funded by that budget. Such missions must be financed through the same criterion, methodology and mechanisms used to fund peacekeeping operations, he said, and endorsed the call for creation of a separate account for them.
Stressing the need to increase support for the full range of diplomatic tools to prevent conflicts, the representative of the United States struck a different tone, spotlighting the draft resolution on special political missions set to be discussed in the Fourth Committee. She trusted that that resolution would respect the Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and that it would avoid duplication of work with the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
Also speaking today were the representatives of India, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, Cuba, Iraq, Eritrea, Turkey, Japan, Sweden, Finland and Libya.
The Fourth Committee will reconvene on Monday, 9 November at 3 p.m. to take up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Introduction of Report
JEFFREY FELTMAN, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, introduced a report of the Secretary-General on “Overall policy matters pertaining to special political missions” (document A/70/400). “We are currently at a crossroads,” he said, adding that “the global peace and security landscape has continued to deteriorate in 2015, with grim signs that instability will not abate”. The number of major wars had tripled since 2008, a worrying trend after a long period of steady decline. The world was seeing the highest number refugees and internally displaced persons in decades, and humanitarian needs were setting new records by the day. Today, almost 90 per cent of special political mission personnel were working in peace operations covering countries experiencing high-intensity conflict. A global effort was urgently needed not only to respond to the proliferating number of crises, but to prevent them from emerging or avert a relapse into conflict.
“Special political missions are a crucial part of this effort,” he said. They remained at the forefront of the United Nations response to conflict, and had become an indispensable instruments for conflict prevention, peace-making and peacebuilding. Such missions varied significantly in terms of their mandates, size and structure. They were individually tailored to provide the best possible United Nations response to a specific situation. Flexibility was one of their greatest assets; however, they had one common characteristic — the focus on preventing and resolving conflict.
The report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations appointed last year by the Secretary-General had been issued, as well as the Secretary-General’s own response and implementation plan, he said. The review of the peacebuilding architecture had now entered its intergovernmental phase, and the recently concluded review of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) had given new impetus to efforts to promote the women, peace and security agenda.
Highlighting some of the key themes addressed in the peace operations reviews, he spotlighted the renewed and urgent emphasis on conflict prevention and mediation, adding that “we must sharpen our focus and make real and sustained efforts to stop crises before they escalate into violence”. That included stronger partnerships with regional and subregional actors, closer cooperation with the wider United Nations family, and the creation of rapidly-deployable mediation expertise, supported by the Department of Political Affairs. Targeted and smart investments in those tools would be required, as would sustainable political support from Member States.
Strong partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations remained a critical aspect of the work carried out by special political missions, under the framework of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, he went on, adding that the role of the missions in peacebuilding had also been recognized by the peace operations’ reviews. In three of six countries on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission, such missions were either deployed on the ground — in Burundi and Guinea-Bissau — or provided remote support, as in Guinea. In Sierra Leone, the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office had successfully concluded its mandate in 2014 following the significant progress achieved by the country in the consolidation process.
The peace operations’ reviews recognized that peacebuilding was an inherently political process, and that transitions from conflict to peace were non-linear, complex and long-term processes, he said. As such, they required sustained support. The report before the Committee contained detailed information on various policy issues outlined in General Assembly resolution 69/95, to which many Member States attached great importance. It outlined the significant efforts by the Secretariat to further improve transparency and accountability for special political missions. The Secretary-General’s report on the “The Future of United Nations Peace Operations” also outlined a number of proposals aimed at empowering the field and promoting more agile field support. Such proposals were based on the need to align authority and accountability with responsibilities, and foresee the development of strong accountability frameworks. The report also addressed efforts to enhance geographical representation and women’s participation in the context of special political missions.
ATUL KHARE, Under Secretary for Field Support, said in recent years the Organization had deployed missions as varied as the joint United Nations-Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons, and the electoral observer mission in Burundi. Support models and mandates had allowed his Department to respond effectively.
“We are operating during a time of great challenge in the delivery of this field support platform,” he said. While the overall number of special political missions had been relatively constant, over the last decade, the complexity of their tasks had increased, as had their risks in highly volatile environments. Of the 4,200 personnel authorized for deployment, nearly 90 per cent had been in areas where there was high-intensity conflict.
He said nearly 40 percent of all deployed were dedicated to security, up from 30 per cent three years ago. His Department supported 36 field-based missions, half of which were special political missions. Yet, they accounted for 3 per cent of all deployed personnel and 5 per cent of all financial resources managed by his Department. Their small size meant that disproportionate effort was needed to support them. That was driven by various factors.
Special political missions lacked significant administrative and logistical support structures that were normally found in peacekeeping missions, meaning that greater relative support was required from either regional or global support centres, or Headquarters.
He said the nature of support required placed a much higher premium on rapid, nimble and tailored responses, as in Burundi, or on conducting long-term but temporary operations from outside a country, as had been the case in Libya. Field support had to benefit from economies of scale, as well as be rapid, agile and fit for purpose in its responses.
Globally, he said, striking the right balance included a steady reduction in the proportion of personnel dedicated to support functions, from 39 per cent in 2013 to 29 per cent today. With more than 70 per cent of special political mission personnel receiving transactional support from locations, those efforts had not only realized efficiencies but allowed for a significant reduction in mission support footprint in volatile, high-cost locations. That, in turn, allowed space to maximize programmatic presence in non-permissive environments.
Umoja, one of his Department’s highest priorities, offered another opportunity to increase efficiency, he said, noting that the first stage of the Umoja rollout in special political missions had been deployed in March 2014. The next phase would be rolled out in the coming days, marking the second stage of a four-stage rollout.
More broadly, he said being globally efficient and locally effective required focus. The five issues crucial for effective peacekeeping missions — cooperation, focus on performance, aligning authority and responsibility, building stronger partnerships, and pursuing immediate support priorities – were equally relevant for special political missions.
“We must invest more in technology and innovation,” he said and he intended to ensure that opportunities presented by those technologies, especially with regard to safety and security, were robustly pursued. In addition, more must be done to overcome misalignment between authority, responsibility and resources for field operations. Personnel must be empowered with authorities commensurate with their responsibilities in extraordinarily difficult scenarios. Special political missions were “handicapped” in that the biennial programme budget was not the optimal vehicle for funding them.
Staffing was the main cost driver for special political missions, accounting for 60 per cent of all mission costs, versus 21 per cent for peacekeeping. “We have trimmed all the fat and, indeed, some of the muscle,” he said, stressing that further cuts would “go to the bone”.
Interactive Dialogue
When the floor was opened, the representative of Iran asked about the increase in the number of women in special political missions this year. He also requested information on the geographical representation of missions.
The representative of Norway said special political missions were an important investment in conflict prevention. She hoped that the funding and backstopping which had been blocked in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) for years would soon no longer be an issue. She asked about changes that could be made in the short-term to improve backstopping and about what States could do to support the Department of Political Affairs and Department of Field Support in that regard.
Mr. FELTMAN, on the question of geographical representation, said “it is important that our special political missions represented the broad range of States and groups in the Organization. We have more to do in this area.” There were fluctuations in senior personnel changes. The Department of Political Affairs would be guided by what was contained in this year’s resolution in terms of what it provided. “We need broad representation in our missions, particularly at the senior level,” he said.
To Norway’s question, he said backstopping was not simply an issue for the Department of Field Support or the Department of Political Affairs. Other parts of Secretariat-provided support to special political missions, including the Department of Management and the Department of Safety and Security to name a few. “We want to solve this to avoid our colleagues not having the support to back us when they need to,” he said, noting that the Department of Political Affairs was working with the Department of Field Support to find short-term solutions.
Mr. KHARE, on women in leadership positions in peacekeeping and political affairs, said “we have been somewhat stuck at 20 per cent”. To correct that, a senior women talent pipeline project had been launched, which asked countries to suggest the names of candidates. He was pleased to say that of the four women selected through that process, one had been selected as a Special Representative of the Secretary-General.
On backstopping, he said various departments, including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office of Legal Affairs, provided support to special political missions. A proper arrangement for backstopping was required not only for reasons of efficiency, but also to generate greater transparency. He did not want to make specific proposals, which might delay the outcome of a resolution in the Fifth Committee. However, it was important to recognize that some backstopping requirements were built into the missions’ budget. That should be recognized and supported by States. In addition, there should be a willingness to support budgets in line with mission requirements, as volatile environments did not lend themselves to a biennium cycle. He was working to present proposals in 2016.
In a second round of questions, the representative of Indonesia, on the human rights monitoring mandate in six political missions, asked how to ensure there would be no duplication, in terms of mandates and reporting, with work being undertaken by the Human Rights Council.
Mr. FELTMAN said the human rights aspect was given by the Security Council and it was done for two reasons: to serve the normative principles on which the United Nations stood, as well as a prevention role. One advantage to that aspect was that it placed United Nations professionals on the ground to build local credibility and partnerships, which was more difficult to do from Headquarters. Political reporting by the missions had a “richness” that people who might watch from Headquarters might not be able to acquire.
In terms of coordination, he said his Office worked with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) several times a week to ensure that they both understood what missions were doing and to ensure analysis was shared. There was no formal mechanism for such contact. Coordination mechanisms within the system met regularly on countries where there were special political missions. There had been several examples where the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the country and the Government would compare notes. He would defer to Member States on how mandates should be written so as to avoid duplication. In practice, coordination on human rights worked “extremely well”.
OMAR HILALE (Morocco), speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, pointed to the need for coherence, synergies and complementarities among ongoing reviews of the United Nations peace and security architecture. He attached great importance to reaching consensus among Member States on the development of policies related to special political missions, and ensuring that only ideas and approaches that had been adopted by Member States collectively be implemented. He stressed that it was crucial for the Council and the Assembly to draft clear and achievable mandates for field-based missions, based on an objective assessment and without rushing into adopting mandates that lacked political basis or sufficient resources or were not practically achievable. He called on the Secretary-General to give further consideration to transparency, balanced geographical representation and women’s representation when making appointments to senior leadership positions.
Stressing the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States, he went on to request that the Secretary-General hold interactive dialogues on overall policy matters related to special political missions, with prior consultations with Member States. That would ensure maximum and meaningful participation, learning from experiences where limited consultations had hindered the success of an initiative. Finally, he took note of the “exponential increase” in the financial requirements and complexity of those missions over the past decade and acknowledged their unique characteristics in terms of establishment and financing, noting that they did not follow the regular budget cycle of the United Nations despite being funded by that budget. In order to enhance efficiency and transparency of that budgetary process, he therefore demanded the missions be financed through the same criteria, methodology and mechanisms used to fund peacekeeping operations, including the establishment of a new separate account for them.
CHAYAPAN BAMRUNGPHONG (Thailand), speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said special political missions should be planned and assessed in a more inclusive, accountable and transparent manner to fulfil their mandates. The Association supported calls by the High-level Independent Panel and the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations capacity for conflict prevention and mediation, encouraging special political missions to focus more on those areas. Such efforts should be complemented by political backing from Member States and regional partners.
He reaffirmed the prominent role of the host country, which should help missions to strengthen capacity in the areas of security, state institutions and development. He stressed the need to include national stakeholders, notably the host Government, in early stages of the mission. He also advocated closer consultation among the Council, Secretariat and Member States, notably through inclusive dialogues on overall policy matters related to the missions. Women’s participation must be integral to all stages of the peace process. He supported promoting more women to senior leadership positions. The Assembly should adopt recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the review of arrangements for funding and backstopping.
RATTAN LAL KATARIA (India) emphasized the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States where special political missions were operating. Reiterating the significance of principles of impartiality, consent of parties and national ownership, he stressed the importance of having clear-cut mandates for those missions. The flow of communication between the Council, Assembly, and the Secretariat must be free and not routine in nature. When the Council decided to increase the mandate of missions, there should already be well-established mechanisms in place to ensure their proper accountability. Political processes must be given their due place and not be substituted with peacekeeping operations that would be ill-equipped to handle such situations. The Department of Political Affairs, which was primarily responsible for the missions, should organize more interactive briefings for Member States to raise queries and offer suggestions. He urged that the demands of the missions be financed through the same criterion, methodology and accountability used for United Nations peacekeeping operations.
KAMAPRADIPTA ISNOMO (Indonesia), associating with the statements by Morocco on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and Thailand on behalf of ASEAN, said Indonesia had long stressed the critical primacy of and benefits in mediation and peacekeeping because of the benefits it had reaped from a peaceful political process. Because the observations and recommendations in the reports of the Secretary-General and the High-level Panel rightly pointed to a comprehensive, coherent and owned approach, they deserved discussion not only in the Fourth Committee, Fifth Committee and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, but also the Economic and Social Council) and the Peacebuilding Commission. Together, he said, all sectors needed to harness their respective expertise and strengths to give special political missions the wisdom and experience of the entire spectrum of Member States and the United Nations specialties. In that context, however, the Organization required more information from the Department of Political Affairs on the basis for the current geographical composition of the missions, as well as additional expertise from developing countries — especially those which had transitioned from conflict to stability — regular and open dialogue between stakeholders, and finally, a separated and dedicated account for financing the missions.
ANTONIO DE AGUIAR PATRIOTA (Brazil) said there was no doubt as to the relevance of the work of the Organization’s special political missions. However, their funding — which accounted for more than 20 per cent of the Organization’s regular budget — was one of the most important distortions in that budget. It was also impossible to overlook the inconsistency of the present design, namely, the fact that while the Council established the great majority of the missions, except for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), all such missions were funded by the regular budget. In 2011, the Secretariat and the ACABQ had proposed measures to improve the financing of special political missions, including creation of a special account for the missions that would be funded and reported upon on a regular basis. He urged all Member States to discuss the suggested reforms in the Fourth and Fifth Committees. Due to their growing complexity, the work of field-based special political mission could be described as “light peacekeeping”. More clarity on the distinction between the two types of peace operations would be welcome, he said in that regard.
RICARDO ALDAY GONZÁLEZ (Mexico) said special political missions were crucial to addressing threats to international peace and security. Those missions had unequivocally reflected the changes in international relations and the joint threats that were faced. She was concerned about the frequency with which the Council turned to special political missions, providing them with mandates that were increasingly ambitious, but without the required resources. She welcomed the focus on the financial aspects of those missions, especially the creation of a special and separate account that would alleviate pressure on the regular budget. She regretted that the Secretary-General had not focused sufficiently on that account, which had received so much support from Member States. “The future of these special political missions cannot continue if it is not supported by stable and predictable resources,” she said in that respect.
ANA CRISTINA RODRÍGUEZ PINEDA (Guatemala), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, regretted the delay in publishing the report of the Department of Political Affairs, as it was key to enhancing, transparency and accountability and effectiveness and its drafting should be a priority. Many recommendations by the Panel and the Secretary-General could improve transparency and accountability of special political missions. Assembly resolution 69/95 had requested the Secretary-General to hold regular inclusive discussions on overall policy matters, however, only one such dialogue had been held this year. She questioned whether the mandate had been filled and reiterated the need to discuss issues, such as security situations where special political missions had been deployed, as well as mechanisms to prevent exploitation and sexual abuse. She regretted that Secretary-General report A/70/400 only briefly presented issues of geographical representation, transparency and special political mission effectiveness. Such issues could not be selectively overlooked. The Department of Political Affairs website should be available in the six official languages.
CASSANDRA Q. BUTTS (United States), citing examples of effectiveness, said UNAMA had provided invaluable input on international best practices that could impact the conduct of future elections, while others had made large contributions in Cyprus and Burkina Faso. She welcomed discussion on how to improve effectiveness. The United States appreciated recommendations by the Panel, including by envisioning special political missions as part of the spectrum of peace operations, and the emphasis on mediation, which must be brought to the fore. There was a need to increase support for the full range of diplomatic tools to prevent conflicts, a point reflected in a new United States policy memorandum. More broadly, United Nations country team leadership required conflict-prevention skills. Another focus should be on improved response to people in situations of extreme violence. She trusted that the resolution in the Fourth Committee would respect clear prerogatives including the Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It should also avoid duplication of administrative and budgetary issues, which were the responsibility of the Fifth Committee.
ANTHONY ANDANJE (Kenya), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the increase in conflicts over the last eight years had made the work of special political missions more significant than ever. The pursuit of political solutions must lie at the heart of United Nations peace arrangements, he said, emphasizing the need to change the way peace operations were planned and conducted. Those adjustments must make the missions more responsible on the ground in view of the complex new realities. Prevention of conflict was an important component in achieving sustainable development. Member States must work together to support preventive diplomacy including mediation, negotiation, and special political missions. Kenya welcomed strong partnerships between those missions and regional organizations, and particularly the proposal to strengthen the United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia (UNSOA). He also stressed the need to include women in the peace and security agenda.
EPHRAIM LESHALA MMINELE (South Africa) agreed that special political missions played a critical role in efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and build peace, welcoming the “significant” improvement in cooperation among the missions and peacekeeping operations, as well as with sub-regional and regional actors. The Council could work in partnership with the missions. In crafting mandates, careful consideration should be given to incorporating robust mediation efforts, knowledge management and enhanced use of modern technologies. “Adequate resources should be allocated to special political missions,” he said, stressing that the missions must intensify efforts to address violations of international law and the “1325 framework” by reducing impunity for violations against women and children.
DAVID FORÉS RODRÍGUEZ (Cuba), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, said special political missions must respect the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-intervention in State affairs. Each should have achievable mandates with specific objectives and matching material and financial resources. The establishment of new missions should not impact the regular budget and the Assembly should conduct a debate to identify a separate financing mechanism. Cuba had taken note of reports by the Panel and the Secretary-General, he said, noting that special political missions must be guided by policies agreed by all Member States. The Assembly must play a role in the adoption, implementation and follow‑up of missions, while the Secretary-General should introduce annually a report that addressed the matter comprehensively.
AHMED MAHDI (Iraq) underscored the specific nature of special political missions, noting that they must respect the principles of national ownership, independence and sovereignty. They also must not transcend their Council mandate. His Government’s relationship with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was “excellent”, which had strengthened political dialogue in the Government and led to elections, as well as reform in legal and judicial areas, among others. Council resolution 2233 (2015) had extended UNAMI’s mandate through July 2016.
TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia) associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, said that in recent years maintaining international security had become much more complex as tensions were at an all-time high since the end of the cold war. It was “absolutely critical” to adequately address the root causes of conflict and strengthen a whole range of conflict prevention and mediation tools. Special political missions had become an extremely significant political tool to address conflicts, he emphasized, calling for better analysis and sharper assessment of situations on the ground. A weak Department of Political Affairs due to insufficient resources risked making delicate conflict situations worse rather than quelling tensions. He called for deeper global and regional partnerships, especially between the United Nations and the African Union on the basis consultative decision-making and division of labour based on comparative advantages.
ELSA HAILE (Eritrea), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, reiterated the Assembly’s critical role in international peace and security, including giving the Secretariat guidance on policy matters pertaining to all clusters of missions. Eritrea supported the Assembly’s regular dialogue with the Secretariat. It was necessary to establish inclusive, well-structured, more focused and results-oriented dialogue during the current Assembly session. In addition, Eritrea looked forward to receiving a more comprehensive report on the measures, being taken by the Secretariat, to enhance the effectiveness of all clusters of missions.
BARIŞ CEYHUN ERCIYES (Turkey) called on Member States to assume collective responsibility in mobilizing $20 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of 60 million displaced people worldwide. No peacekeeping operation could replace a sustainable political solution, he said, pointing out that missions were working increasingly in high-risk environments. Enhancing cooperation between the special political missions and peacekeeping operations, especially during political transition phases, was key to achieving success. Maintaining geographical representation and gender balance as well as favouring expertise and merit were also important. While reliance on the missions had increased over time, it had become almost impossible to meet their financial requirements. “The current formula is no longer sustainable,” he said, urging Member States to consider establishing new financial mechanisms and a separate budget just for missions. In the absence of a viable solution to the financial impasse of missions, even the extra-budgetary contributions of the Member States were doomed to fall short of fully meeting growing needs, he warned.
YOSHIMITSU MORIHIRO (Japan) said the use of special political missions faced numerous challenges caused by significant growth in their number and size as well as the complexity of their mandates. The toolbox for promoting international peace and security contained various other instruments, including peacekeeping operations, United Nations country teams, as well as regional and bilateral support functions. There was a need to use differing combinations of those tools to best meet the varied requirements on the ground. It was also imperative to continuously check whether the adopted configuration remained the most effective in achieving sustainable peace. Enhancing transparency was also essential. The decisions on special political missions were made by the Council, but the process, rationale, and criteria behind such decisions were not often clear to non-Council members. The Council had the power to establish those missions, but that authority must come with a corresponding responsibility to account for clear mandates, sound operations and a well-defined timeline for each mission.
JOAKIM VAVERKA (Sweden) said that people were fleeing war and persecution in staggering numbers and his own country was experiencing that first hand, with almost 10,000 asylum seekers having arrived in the past week alone. Special political missions were a key instrument for preventing conflicts as they supported diplomacy, good offices and political solutions, while working in tandem with peacekeeping. Noting that the three peace operations and security reviews had emphasized the need for an integrated approach to build and sustain peace, he added that special political missions contributed to that holistic approach. Calling on other delegates to co-sponsor the resolution that had been tabled, he stressed that it was necessary to translate that political will into improved funding for such missions.
KAISA-REETTA KARHU (Finland) said the Secretary-General’s report on special political missions outlined the main elements pertaining to the missions, which fostered transparency. Her Government would welcome a more analytical “hold” of the overall matters or current trends. Finland appreciated that the missions had been used in a flexible and integral manner and expected them to be further developed so they could be as effective as possible. She supported the commitment to continue the interactive dialogue, and would welcome more women in senior mission positions. She urged a renewed focus on conflict prevention and mediation, as well as on partnership-building. Moreover, United Nations field activities must have the expertise they required, and activities should be tailored to various needs. She advocated exploring how to strengthen partnerships, including at the regional level, as appropriate.
MOHAMED ELMODIR (Libya), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement, said there was no doubt that special political missions were some of the most important and frequently used tools to prevent conflict and avert their resumption. The objective had always been to bring about political solutions; security had to be connected to socioeconomic development, and should be aimed at enhancing the capacity of the State to protect the interest of its citizens. The United Nations needed to clearly delineate the tasks of each special political mission at the time of its mandating. Libya had hosted the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which had been established by the Council in 2011. UNSMIL’s work had helped to bring about the text of an agreement aimed at helping the Libyan people begin to rebuild their country, he said.