S/2020/1092 Security Council

I have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of the briefings provided by Mr. Alexander Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Department of Peace Operations; Mr. Serge Therriault, Police Commissioner, United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti; Ms. Unaisi Vuniwaqa, Police Commissioner, United Nations Mission in South Sudan; Mr. Pascal Champion, Police Commissioner, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic; and Mr. Issoufou Yacouba, Police Commissioner, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, as well as the statements delivered by Mr. Hans-Georg Engelke, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of Germany, and by the representatives of Belgium, China, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, Tunisia (on behalf of the Niger, South Africa and Tunisia as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Viet Nam in connection with the video-teleconference on “United Nations peacekeeping operations: Police Commissioners”, convened on Wednesday, 4 November 2020. In accordance with the procedure set out in the letter dated 7 May 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Permanent Representatives of the members of the Security Council (S/2020/372), which was agreed in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, these briefings and statements will be issued as an official document of the Security Council.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this briefing. I am especially pleased to be joined today by our Police Commissioners who are currently serving in United Nations peace operations in the Central African Republic, Haiti, Mali and South Sudan. This annual briefing is an opportunity to reaffirm the vital role United Nations police (UNPOL) plays across the spectrum of conflict prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding. It also serves as a forum to discuss our achievements, as well as what more needs to be done to advance the role of UNPOL as a service provider and focal point on policing and law-enforcement matters. Two and a half years ago, the Secretary-General launched the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative, calling on all stakeholders to collectively address the challenges facing peacekeeping, which remains an essential multilateral tool for preventing conflict and sustaining peace for millions of vulnerable people around the globe. A4P priorities are overarching. They guide the work of Department of Peace Operations and peacekeeping operations in the field, the implementation of Security Council mandates and our response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. UNPOL, as a key component of United Nations peacekeeping, is strongly committed to advancing A4P priorities and to further strengthening the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. Today I will speak about the results we are achieving through our ongoing efforts to reinforce peacekeeping. I will also highlight areas in need of greater collective progress and welcome hearing members’ own plans in support of the A4P agenda. As we work to ensure political progress, partnerships with regional and subregional organizations as well as across the United Nations system are critical, particularly to facilitate transitions. In Darfur, for example, UNPOL has been working closely with the African Union on the drawdown of the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and transition to the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan, with a view to sustaining peace and preventing a relapse into conflict by ensuring adequate interim policing capacities. UNPOL also plays a key role in all aspects of the protection of civilians, including physical protection. In the Central African Republic, UNPOL helps foster a protective environment through police capacity-building, including by assisting with the recruitment and training of 1,000 gendarmerie and police cadets, with an additional 1,000 cadets forthcoming. UNPOL has also been instrumental in raising awareness about preventing the spread of COVID-19 and has distributed personal protective equipment, hygiene products and medical supplies throughout our mission settings, particularly to the most vulnerable communities. To ensure the highest levels of performance and accountability, UNPOL, in close cooperation with Member States and other partners, has advanced the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Assessment Framework and the Comprehensive Performance and Assessment System, pursuant to which UNPOL has implemented standards to further evaluate the impact of deployed officers and to take action in cases of underperformance. Aligning predeployment training by Member States with the Organization’s in-mission training is central to enhancing performance. The Department of Peace Operations Police Division, together with our Integrated Training Service, continues progress in developing standardized training modules under the UNPOL training architecture programme. In the area of women and peace and security, gender-responsive policing is essential for effective United Nations and host State policing, and to ensure that the different security needs of men, women, boys and girls are taken into account. That is why UNPOL is making gender-responsive policing a core priority of its work. In addition, UNPOL has continued to engage with police-contributing countries to surpass the already achieved intermediate gender parity targets for 2020, including at the command levels. Greater women’s participation at all levels sends a strong message to host populations, which is amplified when those women occupy positions of leadership and authority. I am pleased that three of our police components are currently headed by women. UNPOL has continued to reinforce zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, including through predeployment and in-mission training. Conduct also relates to how we manage the environmental footprints of our missions, and UNPOL has refined its Environmental Management Framework by aligning initiatives of the police components in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Missions in the Central African Republic and in Mali, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and UNAMID with their missions’ environmental risk-management plans. Climate insecurity, the devastating consequences of which have been laid bare by COVID-19, is a growing threat multiplier for our missions and host communities. I expect this, in line with the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals, to become a larger focus of United Nations policing going forward. A4P aims to refocus peacekeeping on realistic expectations, make peacekeeping missions stronger and safer and mobilize greater support for political solutions, and for well-equipped and well-trained forces. Through A4P, we are better able to address today’s challenges to peace and security and ultimately improve the lives of those we serve. I thank all participants for their continued dedication to implementing their respective A4P commitments. Finally, we are grateful for the Council’s commitment to supporting our efforts and hope we can continue to count on it.

I thank you, Madam President, for affording me this opportunity to highlight police capacity-building and development efforts during the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Over the past 22 years, Haiti has benefited from the support of thousands of United Nations police and corrections advisers from the rich network of police- contributing countries, who have promoted the development of a professional and gender-responsive police organization, in accordance with the United Nations Strategic Guidance Framework for International Policing. Through the successive United Nations missions, our assistance has also progressed to a more strategic advisory role on the essentials of sound police management and security-sector governance. Police institutions are learning organizations, bound to constantly adapt to a changing environment and new threats. Securing the country on its own since the closure of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, the Haitian National Police (HNP) has risen to numerous challenges and proved its operational know-how time and time again. The Director General ad interim has led the police institution through a year of violent street protests, sharp increases in major crimes, a global pandemic and long-standing labour relations issues, constantly succeeding in reversing the negative trends. The evolution of the United Nations presence in Haiti has therefore allowed the national police to demonstrate its responsiveness and the value of investing in a resilient and results-oriented institution. In addition to reaffirming its operational readiness, this last transition has been the genesis of significant human resources reforms in the police, when internal fractures emerged and better working conditions were demanded. With the advice of BINUH, the Haitian National Police leadership established a facilitation and dialogue commission to address police officers’ grievances and improve labour relations. Some of the recommendations from that commission, which have already been implemented with the support of the Government, including formally recognizing the right to unionize for police officers and improving medical coverage, have also proved to be effective in appeasing internal tensions. In its advisory role, BINUH continues to work with the Haitian National Police to achieve gender equality and enhance the capacity to prevent and investigate all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Twenty years after resolution 1325 (2000), the increased recruitment and training of female police officers has been a key element of capacity-building to professionalize the police. Currently, women represent nearly 11 per cent of the 15,000 Haitian police officers, and United Nations strategic advisers are engaged in additional initiatives to achieve the gender-sensitive recruitment goal of 12 per cent female representation by 2021. Through our involvement in areas such as those covered by the National Coordination of Women’s Affairs, the Sexual Crimes Investigation Unit, the National Police School and the National Police Academy, we are promoting gender-responsive policing while trying to reach an appropriate inclusive police-to-population ratio of professional police officers, in accordance with the 2017-21 HNP strategic development plan. The good offices of the United Nations and the support of the Security Council for the continued improvement of the security environment in Haiti remain vital in a country where insecurity is linked to the political context. The numerous episodes of armed gang violence over the past year and the prominence of criminality, with a resurgence of robberies, kidnappings and homicides, are raising serious human rights concerns. There is an urgent need for concrete and coherent action by the Haitian authorities for accountability and an end to impunity. Encouraged by international partners and in response to demands from the communities, State authorities must strive to curb the gang phenomenon and marshal all efforts through a holistic approach and nationally owned solutions, especially ahead of a crucial electoral period, to protect its citizens from all forms of criminality and promote democracy, justice and stability. The Haitian National Police has built up the essential knowledge to pursue its development to tackle new operational challenges. But much more remains to be done. As a precondition for the success of the ongoing transition, the Government needs to allocate sufficient and sustainable financial, operational and human resources for the police, with the United Nations country team and national and international partners continuing to support police development and ensuring oversight to maintain the trust of the population in its sole public-safety institution. With adequate support, the professionalization of the HNP can be a vehicle for stability and play a central role in restoring the rule of law in Haiti.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was confronted with an unprecedented threat to the health of the communities we serve as well as that of our own personnel. The Mission acted swiftly and decisively to continue implementing its protection and peacebuilding mandate and protect our staff, while proactively managing reputational risks by countering misconceptions among the local population about UNMISS personnel being contagion vectors. To that end, robust action was taken to mitigate the spread of the virus, including freezing non-essential travel, prohibiting large gatherings and limiting interaction outside of bases, as well as requiring physical distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing. Balancing the delivery of our mandated responsibilities with the health and safety of our peacekeepers and vulnerable communities, including the thousands of displaced families living in protection-of-civilians sites adjacent to UNMISS bases, was of paramount importance. Despite the risks and enormous challenges, peacekeepers remained motivated to continue delivering on their mandated responsibilities. Given the difficulties in implementing prevention measures for internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside protection-of-civilians camps and the congested living conditions, conducting “hands-on” policing at the site posed a considerable risk to not only the United Nations police (UNPOL) component but the Mission as a whole. UNPOL therefore reduced its footprint inside the protection-of-civilians sites but maintained the capacity to respond to emergency security situations if necessary. UNPOL also maintained patrols around the protection-of-civilians sites, high-visibility patrols and confidence- and trust-building patrols in towns in the 10 field offices. All responses to the exceptional security situation, including reports of sexual and gender-based violence inside the protection-of-civilians sites, were recorded by UNPOL for the purpose of contact tracing if needed. Notably, at the height of the COVID outbreak in June, fighting erupted at the Juba protection-of-civilians site 3, with about 500 involved over a three-day period. Formed police units responded, equipped with COVID-19 personal protective equipment, and successfully stopped the fighting with no casualties. As anticipated, formed police unit officers later tested positive for COVID. However, the swift quarantine of the affected contingent curtailed the risks of the virus spreading to the entire UNMISS base. On technical assistance and advice activities, workshops continue to be conducted, but with strict adherence to social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention protocols, including remote technical assistance and advice sessions and imposing limits on the number of participants for physical-presence activities. In addition, the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) was regularly engaged in the decongestion of holding facilities to avoid any spread of the virus. Support was provided to IDP communities and our counterpart, the SSNPS, as well as other law-enforcement agencies through sensitization on COVID-19 awareness, donations of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment, including disposable face masks, and the development and dissemination of COVID prevention guidelines for police and prisons. Moreover, quick-impact projects to renovate and build selected police stations were followed through despite the COVID-19 situation, and seven were completed for handing over to SSNPS in the past fiscal year. That is crucial to enhancing the protection of civilians in anticipation of the colocation of United Nations police with the SSNPS. We will continue to strengthen the capacity of the SSNPS to ensure a protective environment for the civilian population. With the ceasefire and peace deal in South Sudan, political violence has been markedly reduced over the past two years. The Mission — in close consultation with the Government, non-governmental organizations, donors and internally displaced persons themselves — is working to gradually withdraw our peacekeepers and redesignate the protection-of-civilians sites to conventional IDP camps. The protection-of-civilians sites in Wau and Bor have already successfully transitioned to IDP camps. The redesignation enables both the military component and UNPOL to increase their protection activities outside of the camps, where protection needs are greater. With the redesignation of protection-of-civilians sites, the Government of South Sudan assumes responsibility for protecting the safety and security of IDPs. UNPOL therefore plays a key role in preparing for the transitions through engagement with the SSNPS to build their community-oriented policing capabilities. UNPOL is providing technical and logistical support, as well as co-locating with the SSNPS for on-site training, mentoring, coaching and monitoring of policing activities. UNPOL will also continue to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to deploy in emergency situations to protect humanitarian workers who are at risk. Furthermore, UNPOL is working with the Rule of Law Section to strengthen the rule of law and access to justice in all locations where transitions of protection- of-civilians sites have taken or will take place. These activities will include support to the SSNPS, prisons, prosecutions and the courts. Notwithstanding the challenges from COVID, our commitment to protecting civilians remains steadfast. We will continue to find innovative ways to implement our mandate and, together with the SSNPS and other partners, work towards a creating a protective and peaceful environment for all South Sudanese.

I have the honour to brief the Council on ways of strengthening the performance and accountability of the United Nations police. United Nations police (UNPOL) have demonstrated their strong potential in peace operations, a potential that can be further expressed, for the benefit of the populations and of the United Nations, in the context of a renewed collective engagement in peace operations. Many avenues have already been identified for UNPOL under the leadership of the Police Adviser, Luís Carrilho, whom we thank for his ongoing support. I am thinking in particular of the strong wish to make UNPOL a service provider for the entire United Nations system and beyond — a generally unobtrusive, unnoticed and therefore sometimes forgotten provider. Allow me to cite some examples that illustrate the success achieved by the police force of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic in discharging our mandate and in terms of the major strategies of the United Nations. With respect to political solutions to conflicts, UNPOL was able to successfully carry out 40 different missions in support of the Political Accord for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. In terms of the protection of civilians, eight individual police officers were able, without weapons, helmets or accompaniment, to radically change the situation in one year in PK5, the most difficult district in Bangui, using community policing. UNPOL has maintained continuous and flawless cooperation in the Central African Republic with all human rights actors. It has been able to anticipate, devise, gain acceptance for and implement an integrated model for securing elections in the Central African Republic beyond just uniformed experts. In terms of improving United Nations security, UNPOL has been able to maintain its activities in the face of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with very few cases. UNPOL also ensured the conviction in January of several people responsible for the killing of peacekeepers in Bangassou in 2018; more of these instances will follow. UNPOL has performed very well and handled an increased number of responsibilities. In terms of its male-to-female ratio, it is several years ahead of schedule. In addition, UNPOL has a higher percentage of women in positions of responsibility than the component overall. It is also carrying out more than 10 action plans on major issues. Concerning the strengthening of its efforts towards a lasting peace, UNPOL strikes a balance between security and development in its activities. It has doubled the number of police and gendarmerie in the Central African Republic in two and a half years, and women represent 26 per cent of its recruits. Humanitarians have developed a strong relationship of trust with UNPOL and are asking for our support, for example in Batangafo, where we are constrained to maintain a diminished Rwandan formed police unit. Exemplary results have been achieved and are being strengthened. Indeed, UNPOL has been able over the past three years to eliminate cases of sexual abuse or exploitation. The initiatives it has developed in the field of the environment are regularly cited as examples. In terms of improving partnerships, UNPOL works on a daily basis with the United Nations Development Programme, the European Union, the European Union Military Training Mission, the European Union Advisory Mission and major bilateral partners. These are just a few examples of what the management and command methods used by UNPOL in the Central African Republic have made it possible to achieve. Seven factors have made this possible. First, UNPOL has benefited from enough space, breathing room, autonomy, visibility, attention and support as well as strong leadership, particularly from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mankeur Ndiaye, and Police Adviser Luís Carrilho. They believed in UNPOL’s potential, and UNPOL has paid them back in spades, benefiting also the people. Second, UNPOL has been able to integrate the major United Nations strategies. Third, UNPOL is implementing, to the extent possible, the United Nations leadership framework of 18 April 2017: a leadership that is respectful of norms and principles and one that is inclusive, accountable, multidimensional, collaborative, transformational, lived at first hand and focused on the impact on the ground. Fourth, UNPOL draws a great deal of inspiration from Peters and Waterman’s “prize for excellence” theories: taking action, listening to clients, empowering whenever possible, achieving productivity through staff motivation and being flexible yet disciplined. Fifth, UNPOL promotes integration according to McKinsey’s seven keys to organizing, also supported by Peters and Waterman. Sixth, UNPOL never hesitates to identify its weaknesses in order to correct them or to offer warm congratulations for specific and concrete impacts on the ground that are felt directly by the population. Seventh, UNPOL maintains a people-centred approach. In conclusion, in order to further improve the performance and accountability of the United Nations police, attention, space and breathing room should be given to UNPOL. By proceeding in that way, as in the peaceful revolution launched in Bangui PK5 by the local police, the years-ahead level of gender parity, the remarkable progress made in terms of ensuring election security, the major initiatives in the area of the environment and the outstanding resilience in the face of COVID, UNPOL will repay all that it has been given.

I would like at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, for the great honour afforded me of addressing the Security Council on the issue of advancing political solutions through United Nations policing. The twenty-first century has been marked by the resurgence and multiplication of increasingly complex conflicts in the world, particularly in the region where I am working. That is indeed the case in Mali, which is why the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was set up to work for the restoration of peace and stability. It is therefore timely to ask about the contribution of each of its three components — civilian, military and police — to achieving the strategic objectives defined in resolution 2531 (2020). In that regard, today’s theme is of particular importance, as it will allow me to underscore the contribution of the police component, as indicated in resolution 2382 (2017), which, while emphasizing the need to give priority to political solutions to resolve conflicts, highlighted the role that United Nations police components can play in facilitating the transition from peacekeeping to development and peacebuilding and, while recognizing that the strengthening of United Nations police action can contribute to the success of peacekeeping mission exit strategies, resolved, in paragraph 2, “to include … policing as an integral part of the mandates and decision-making structures of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions”. This recognition of the central and cross-cutting role of police is reinforced by the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which emphasizes the primacy of politics in conflict resolution and the supporting role that peacekeeping operations play in that regard. United Nations police (UNPOL), a continuum force par excellence, operates at all levels of decision-making across the entire spectrum of the mandate, from the tactical to the political-strategic and operational levels. Thus, within MINUSMA, the police component participates in the process of analysing the security context, planning within an integrated strategic framework and decision-making in the Mission’s governing bodies, as well as in the statutory and ad hoc thematic groups. Cooperation with host country partners is essential. Cooperation instruments, such as the memoranda signed with the Government, the sectoral strategic plans signed with the heads of each of the security services and the periodic meetings held with those partners make it possible to provide technical assistance and create the opportunities needed to take the most appropriate decisions. In addition, cooperation with other technical partners provides another framework for harmonizing the conditions for access to aid to the defence and security forces. Police contribute to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development through advocacy for inclusive recruitment into the security forces, with the introduction of a quota system by region, which enables better representation of the population, including women. As part of the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation on Mali, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Malian Security Sector Reform Commission, we are working on the implementation of community policing and the operationalization of the Security Advisory Committees, which serve as a framework for consultation among representatives of the State, the security services and the local population with a view to ensuring the inclusive management and proper conduct of any local crime prevention and security strategy. In order to provide access to justice for all in the framework of a common approach to the rule of law, UNPOL contributes to capacity-building in the penal system. Although there is still room for improvement, the important and positive actions taken by MINUSMA through its various components, including UNPOL, are a source of hope. The coronavirus disease pandemic has had a strong impact on the implementation of our mandate. That situation has been further exacerbated by the political crisis, which has led to the implementation of a political transition. Regarding the police, after explaining the importance of UNPOL’s mandates, resolution 2382 (2017) stresses the need to provide sufficient resources to achieve the defined objectives. However, it is clear that human, logistical and financial resources are inadequate to successfully carry out our mandates. With regard to the authorities of the host country, special emphasis must be placed on the governance of rule-of-law institutions. The security forces must enable the conditions and environment conducive to the redeployment of State representatives, the restoration of State authority and the fight against impunity, all of which should contribute to social and economic development. Security, peace and stability depend on it.

I would like to thank today’s speakers for their insightful briefings. The sixtieth anniversary of United Nations police (UNPOL) and the growing importance of the role of United Nations police within United Nations peacekeeping operations underscore the usefulness of these regular briefings. Allow me to seize this opportunity to make three points. First, Belgium would like to stress UNPOL’s essential role in the context of the protection of civilians. In the past, UNPOL’s protective role was generally undervalued and regularly overlooked. Missions have indeed tended to overly rely on militarized approaches to the protection of civilians. Although we have come a long way since UNPOL was first deployed in the Republic of the Congo in the 1960s, today’s briefings clearly demonstrate the potential for further improving UNPOL’s protection of civilians. On the other hand, it is also critical to preserve UNPOL’s gains, especially in the context of the current pandemic, which serves as an additional obstacle to the fulfilment of our objectives. With regard to the future, we would like to plead for a threefold approach. First, all UNPOL should be fully involved in the protection of civilians and be given a voice in decision-making and planning in whole-of-mission efforts to protect civilians. That is especially so in transition contexts, in which military components gradually withdraw. Secondly, while partnerships between UNPOL, host States and other mission components should be enhanced to enable more comprehensive approaches to the protection of civilians, partnerships with other international stakeholders that are active in this field should also be taken into account. Thirdly, more appropriate and flexible capabilities, capacities and tools should be provided to address existing critical capabilities gaps. I have two questions regarding the protection of civilians for Police Commissioner Unaisi Vuniwaqa, of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Taking into account that United Nations protection-of-civilian sites are beginning to transition into conventional displacement camps, how does she see the role of UNPOL in future, as it relates to the protection of civilians? And does she have the ability to fully execute the mandated protection-of-civilian tasks? Secondly, UNPOL has an essential role to play with regard to the administration of justice and the rendering of transitional justice. A breakdown in the rule of law is often a major factor in the decision to deploy a United Nations peace operation. Accordingly, the rehabilitation of the justice architecture — including the potential set-up of transitional justice projects — has become a prerequisite for mission transitions and a cornerstone for their exit strategies. In that regard, allow me to stress that UNPOL always has an essential role to play in terms of accountability; evidence has to be gathered and culprits have to be brought to justice. Moreover, as the successful implementation of peacekeeping mandates has become contingent on reformed and strengthened police institutions, the role of UNPOL has become increasingly mission critical. More generally, security sector reform should not be handled exclusively by the military component. UNPOL also has an essential role to play in that regard. In that connection, I have two questions for Police Commissioner Issoufou Yacouba, of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. Could he elaborate more on UNPOL’s security sector reform efforts in Mali? And how does coordination with other stakeholders like the European Union Capacity Building Mission in Mali evolve? Finally, we welcome UNPOL’s efforts towards gender mainstreaming, as well as those to increase the participation of uniformed women in peacekeeping. Greater meaningful participation of uniformed women in UNPOL will enhance community engagement, particularly in contexts where cultural norms make it difficult for women to talk to men. Moreover, it can generate more opportunities for empowering women, as well as for gathering information to enhance situational awareness. In addition, gender-sensitive training and conflict analysis should be intensified. Fully fledged gender mainstreaming is and should remain our overall goal. I also have a question for Police Commissioner Pascal Champion, of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. As Belgium believes that greater meaningful participation of uniformed women in United Nations peacekeeping operations contributes to the enhancement of the performance of such operations, can he give some concrete examples of the essential role of uniformed women?

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev and the four Police Commissioners for their briefings. I wish to take this opportunity to pay high tribute to all the peacekeeping police officers implementing mandates on the frontline and their families. Impacted by the coronavirus disease pandemic, peacekeeping operations are facing an ever more complex environment and more daunting challenges. Just now, Assistant Secretary-General Zouev and the four Police Commissioners also testified to this in their briefings. The Security Council should ponder deeply about the landscape, tasks and future development of peacekeeping police and explore ways for enhancement and improvement. I would like to share the following points. First, the safety and security of police in peacekeeping should be effectively guaranteed. The working environment of police in peacekeeping is becoming increasingly complex and dangerous. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) are examples of that. Ensuring the safety and security of peacekeeping police is a prerequisite for the effective performance of duties. Member States and the Secretariat should take practical measures to fully implement resolution 2518 (2020) and help peacekeeping police strengthen the capabilities related to situational awareness and improve the equipment and medical conditions in an effort to minimize safety and security risks. China supports increasing the meaningful participation of women police officers in peacekeeping operations. There should also be full assessment of possible risks, proper safety and security training and thorough preparations before deployment. Secondly, the capacity-building of peacekeeping police should be strengthened and performance in peacekeeping improved. The implementation of the Secretary- General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative hinges on bolstering peacekeeping capacity-building. Member States and the Secretariat should work with one mind and in concert to help police-contributing countries, provide targeted training for peacekeeping police and provide the latter with sufficient resources to perform their duties. Only when peacekeeping capacity-building and resources are assured can peacekeeping performance be effectively improved. Police, civilian and military components of missions should work in synergy and beef up joint contingency command capabilities to properly respond to complex situations that may arise. China has always actively pushed for improvement of peacekeeping operations in honouring the commitment made by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations Peacekeeping Summit. Since 2015, the Chinese Government has trained more than 1,000 peacekeeping police officers from various countries. We will continue to contribute to strengthening the capacity-building of police for peacekeeping. Thirdly, it is imperative to serve the general direction of political settlement of hotspot issues. When formulating the mandates for police in peacekeeping, the Security Council should fully listen to the views of the country concerned and the police contributing countries to work out clear and operable mandates that are in keeping with the realities. In addition, the Council should act in light of the evolving situation to adjust in a timely fashion the mandates’ priorities and focus on serving the central goal of political settlement of hotspot issues. The peacekeeping police of MINUSCA should actively provide, under the Security Council mandate, logistical and security support for the election process and create an enabling environment for the peaceful and smooth holding of the general election. China supports the peacekeeping police of MINUSMA in helping the transitional Government of Mali advance steadily the transitional process and continue implementing the peace agreement. It bears emphasizing that the primary responsibility for civilian protection should be borne by the Government of the country concerned, and that peacekeeping police should focus on providing assistance to the country. UNMISS has made an important contribution to protecting local civilians, but it will be impossible to maintain its presence permanently in the country. The key lies in helping the country improve its capabilities for civilian protection. Now that the overall political situation in South Sudan is improving, the Mission should gradually transfer the responsibility of protecting civilians to the national Government. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of China’s initial dispatch of police to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Over the past 20 years, China has dispatched altogether more than 2,600 police officers, among whom eight have sacrificed their precious lives. As we speak, there are still about 30 Chinese police officers performing peacekeeping tasks in South Sudan and Cyprus. Over the past 20 years, from Timor-Leste to Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Haiti to South Sudan, Chinese police have been involved in nine post-conflict countries on four continents and grown into experience-sharers and plan-contributors. China’s police are committed to injecting vitality into United Nations peacekeeping operations and contributing to the development of United Nations peacekeeping police and the maintenance of international peace and security.

We appreciate the information provided today. The year 2020 has proved challenging. As we commemorate the sixtieth anniversary and highlight the achievements of United Nations police (UNPOL), we recognize the need to identify good practices and strengthen those areas that require critical improvements in order to fulfil the tasks entrusted to us and to effectively support Member States in new operational environments. The protection of civilians is a fundamental aspect of UNPOL. We must remember that this is and must always be its priority, thereby reaffirming the importance of the rule of law, justice and human security. We would like to highlight the courageous and tireless work of UNPOL during the coronavirus disease pandemic. United Nations police have continued their surveillance functions and immediately adopted guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus by identifying criminal threats that were likely to increase, such as domestic and intercommunal violence, the trafficking and smuggling of persons, the counterfeiting of medicines and medical products, as well as civil unrest in medical facilities, food outlets and other critical infrastructure. With respect to Haiti, we appreciate the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and its police unit to professionalize the Haitian National Police (HNP), and we note the increase in women recruited. However, we remain concerned about civil unrest, gang violence and impunity. We understand that the limited budget of the HNP presents serious difficulties in maintaining its work force, covering operational costs and acquiring adequate equipment. We are also aware that in order to control the formation of gangs and gang violence, it is essential that Haiti continue to expand its police force to comprise at least 25,000 officers, in order to meet the internationally accepted ratio of 2.2 police per 1,000 inhabitants. In this regard, we call on the international community to support the mandate of BINUH to strengthen the operational capacity of the HNP by increasing funds available to assist it. These efforts must be accompanied by renewed commitments from the Haitian Government to effectively implementing the HNP strategic development plan 2017-2021. Only with a collective commitment will Haiti make progress in developing the capacity of its national police. When examining its impact in terms of protection, it is clear that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) plays an important role in that country by working with communities to reduce tensions and developing activities that help with the reporting and investigation of crimes, including cases of gender- based violence and human rights violations. For this reason, we congratulate Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, UNPOL Gender Adviser at UNMISS, on being awarded the 2020 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in recognition of the support she has provided to vulnerable groups. With regard to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, we welcome the continuation of the comprehensive performance assessment system, the development of the results framework and the use of technological tools to monitor the impact it is having and improve data collection. We also welcome the fact that the police component will be re-evaluated on a quarterly basis and that plans will be made to improve the performance of its units, reducing shortfalls and improving operational capacity. Finally, Mali, which is of key importance to the stability of the entire Sahel region, continues to face enormous challenges, exacerbated by the recent coup d’état, persistent violence between communities, terrorism, violent extremism and asymmetric attacks, in addition to the humanitarian and human rights dimension, particularly in the centre and north of the country and mainly affecting women and children. In this respect, UNPOL plays an essential role in filling the gap in the official Government presence, protecting civilians and strengthening national capacities to address these scourges. In conclusion, the Dominican Republic wishes to express its support for UNPOL, and for all men and women who selflessly put their lives at risk in peace operations and in post-conflict or other crisis situations.

I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti for their insightful briefings. Today’s meeting has been very helpful in understanding the progress made in and challenges to United Nations policing, and I would like to take the rare opportunity afforded by this meeting to recognize the contribution of United Nations police (UNPOL) to United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The deployment of UNPOL carries a positive message of increased security and return of law and order. As United Nations missions make the transition away from peacekeeping operations, the contribution of UNPOL becomes most visible. Its efforts in strengthening the rule of law, building the capacities of people-oriented national police services and assisting in security sector reform based on human rights are fundamental in establishing lasting stability in conflict-burdened countries. We welcome the efforts aimed at enhancing the role of UNPOL in peacekeeping and continue to support the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative, together with the added value United Nations police provide to implementing the Declaration of Shared Commitments on Peacekeeping Operations. Correspondingly, I would like to ask Under-Secretary Lacroix about the priorities for United Nations policing under Phase II of the A4P initiative. On the subject of performance, Estonia will continue to emphasize the crucial importance of implementing policies and mechanisms aimed at verifying and enhancing the performance of peace operations, with particular focus on the protection of civilians and the promotion of human rights. We also continue to stress the importance of increasing the effectiveness of policing by better engagement with communities, in particular with the help of community liaisons and human rights officers. In this regard, however, one cannot overlook the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has increased both the responsibilities of and risks to United Nations police. Accordingly, it would be useful to hear from Mr. Lacroix about the effect COVID-19 has had on the level of vacancies for UNPOL units in peacekeeping missions. On a related note, I would like to ask the UNMISS Police Commissioner, Ms. Unaisi Vuniwaqa, what effect the redesignation of protection-of-civilian sites has had on United Nations police resources. Has it helped free up some of these resources? If so, how has she been able to utilize them instead? Before I finish, I would like to recall the critical function that a more gender-equal composition of UNPOL components plays in effective policing. This is particularly true in community policing and in preventing and eliminating conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. We will continue to underline the importance of implementing the women and peace and security agenda and its priorities, in particular promoting the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes and United Nations police. I would like to conclude by expressing gratitude and strong support to all United Nations peacekeepers — women and men — whose dedication and sacrifice bring hope to millions of people and help countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace.

I thank the Under-Secretary-General and the heads of the police components for their briefings today, which allow us to accurately assess the challenges faced by United Nations police (UNPOL) and gendarmes in the field. I pay tribute to these men and women, who are carrying out their missions in demanding conditions with particularly heavy health-related constraints. In this difficult context, I would also like to commend the Secretariat — in particular the Department of Peace Operations and its Police Division — for their unflagging investment in and optimization of the use of UNPOL. The mission of the United Nations police is at the heart of partnerships and operational cooperation between the United Nations and national authorities, making UNPOL an invaluable asset in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. I would also like to welcome the Secretariat’s efforts to enable the police components of missions to reconcile security and performance. France continues to support the implementation of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and currently has 21 gendarmes of all ranks deployed in three missions: the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. France is and will continue to be a committed, constructive and reliable partner in enabling United Nations police to fully exercise their missions. As the year 2020 marks the sixtieth anniversary of UNPOL, I wish to highlight two priorities. First, it is essential that UNPOL support the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. At the heart of this objective, of course, are the populations served. Indeed, the establishment or re-establishment of a relationship of trust between the population, public authorities and institutions is an indispensable condition for the return to lasting peace. This implies the strengthening of the rule of law, the support of national internal security forces, the protection of all and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the context of the coronavirus disease pandemic, this trust is even more difficult to gain and maintain since every gendarme and police officer in contact with the population must abide by strict health-related rules in order not to be perceived as a vector for the spread of the virus. The second priority I would highlight is that the United Nations police must pursue their efforts to become more efficient. France is contributing to this by supporting training actions before and during deployment, as well as increased use of police experts, support for mastering the language of the host country and gender- balanced contingents. This aspect is also key to strengthening police effectiveness. France fully supports the objective of increasing the deployment of women in all positions, including those with responsibilities. The new system for monitoring the performance of peace operations, set up by the Secretariat, is also very useful for improving the effectiveness of UNPOL, wherever their units are deployed, to help scale up local police forces and the protection of populations. I too would like to end my statement with a few questions. I address the first to the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Mr. Yacouba. Several tasks under the MINUSMA mandate are indeed based to a large extent on its police component, in particular in central Mali, where the priorities are support for the redeployment of Malian internal security forces and the protection of civilians. I therefore want to ask Mr. Yacouba if he could tell us about the progress made in integrating military operations with police operations within the Mission in order to fulfil these tasks, and what are his recommendations in this area? I also have a question for the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, Mr. Champion. What concrete actions are UNPOL implementing in the Central African Republic in support of the redeployment of internal security forces throughout the national territory? With respect to the elections of 27 December, which will clearly be a critical and capital moment in the consolidation of democracy in the Central African Republic, how are the United Nations police preparing for this deadline, in particular within the framework of the integrated security plan that was adopted in early October?

I would like to thank Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for having convened today’s meeting. I also would like to thank the briefers for their interesting insights and their work. I want to pay tribute to the police commissioners at today’s meeting and to all police officers in the line of duty for the United Nations for their dedication, skills and commitment. As of today, a total of 8,890 police officers are serving in 12 peacekeeping and special political missions in different regions of the world. Among them, there are German police officers in Kosovo, Mali, Somalia and, in future, once again in the Sudan. Those officers are not the first to serve the United Nations, and it is certain that they will not be the last. Germany has been deploying police officers since 1989. Two German contingents were part of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group in Namibia — one formed by officers from the western part of Germany, and the other by officers from the former East German Democratic Republic. Those officers witnessed on television and on the radio how thousands of people crossed the inner German border and danced on the Berlin wall 31 years ago, on 9 November 1989. For them, the beginning of the reunification took place far away from home, while serving for the United Nations. There is only one Germany now, and Germany today deploys police officers from its Federal Police as well as from its State Police Services. This week, we are commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of the United Nations police (UNPOL). The success story of UNPOL started in 1960, when the first police officers were deployed to the United Nations Operation in the Congo. The importance and the role of the United Nations police have grown significantly since then. This can be witnessed by looking at the numbers of deployed officers, namely, from around 1,700 in 1994, to the peak of almost 15,000 officers in 2010, and now, as already mentioned, almost 9,000 officers. But even more, it can be witnessed by looking at the mandates UNPOL is implementing in field missions. UNPOL protects civilians, including the groups most vulnerable in conflict, such as internally displaced persons, women and children; UNPOL trains police officers of host States, in order for them to be able to deliver professional policing services to the people; UNPOL advises senior leadership of host State police services as well as Ministries of Internal Security, in order for them to build professional police organizations in accordance with internationally recognized standards; UNPOL advises host States on how to better integrate women into their organizations and how to tackle crime that mainly affects women as victims, such as sexual and gender-based violence, with a view to strengthening the women and peace and security agenda in accordance with resolution 1325 (2000) and all subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security; and UNPOL provides policing assistance through its standing capacity to countries where no missions are deployed in order for them to further professionalize their police. Sustainable peace can be achieved only when governance is based on the rule of law and on human rights — and when the rights of all people living in the country are respected and protected equally. Security and democratic policing are two of the most important services that a State has to provide. Without security provided by people-oriented police, other objectives such as education, participation, development and prosperity are almost impossible to achieve. This is why United Nations police officers are key to delivering on our joint commitment to sustaining peace and the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. Challenged by the complexity of today’s conflicts and exposed to increasingly complex mandates, it is essential that United Nations police are resourced, staffed and trained in accordance with the needs on the ground. This request for resources goes to multiple partners. First, to the members of the Security Council, whose responsibility it is to adopt responsive and realistic mandates as well as sufficient ceilings on police deployments in order to implement those mandates. In our term on the Council, we have worked very hard to steer mandates in this direction. This request goes to the members of the Fifth Committee, whose responsibility it is to provide appropriate resources to missions, including on programmatic funding. This request goes to police-contributing countries (PCCs), whose responsibility it is to provide only fully trained and properly vetted police officers, as well as the necessary equipment. And this request also goes to the Secretariat, including its field missions, whose responsibility it is to provide the conceptual and strategic framework for United Nations policing. Accordingly, the exchange of personnel and knowledge between Member States and the Secretariat through seconded personnel and constant dialogue is essential. Policing is subject to permanent changes and new developments. Strategies, policies and standard operating procedures have to be adapted to those new realities. In addition, recruitment processes, in particular for professional posts, are still taking way too long and are not sufficiently transparent for the candidates and the respective PCCs. We stand ready to provide our support, with personnel, financial resources and substantive advice through Member State consultation processes. We support the reform of the UNPOL training architecture because we believe that more focused and specialized training is key to better performance by United Nations police. We stand ready to make trainings by our police-training institutions available to PCCs and missions utilizing the light coordination mechanism. On the substantive side, I am asking the Secretariat and the field missions to include more input on United Nations policing in the reports of the Secretary- General. Unfortunately, very often, there is not much more than just one paragraph on what UNPOL has been doing during the reporting period. The Security Council has to be optimally informed about the substantive work of UNPOL in order to make informed decisions when considering the mandates of field missions. UNPOL was important for the success of missions in the past; it is important for success right now; and it will become even more important in the future, including through an increased role in conflict prevention. We encourage all actors, the PCCs, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Secretariat and host States to support the work of the United Nations police. In conclusion, allow me to address a question to our briefer on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). What additional role of support can UNPOL/MINUSMA play in the implementation of the ambitious transitional charter, especially with regard to security sector reform, the rule of law and the restoration of State services and authority? I look forward to a constructive and informative discussion here at the Security Council. Let us hope that the improvements and the positive developments of recent years will maintain their momentum and that the United Nations police will be able to continue to serve the people who need this support the most.

Let me begin by thanking you, Madam President, for convening this annual briefing on the United Nations police (UNPOL). I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Alexander Zouev and the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti for their insightful briefings and for bringing the experience from the ground. Indonesia is keen to participate in this debate not only because we have always put priorities on peacekeeping and peacekeepers, including police peacekeepers, but also because we would like to hear updates from the ground. As we mark the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations police (UNPOL) this year, I would like to salute all police peacekeepers, men and women, for their service and dedication in peacekeeping and special political missions around the world. Let me also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the fallen peacekeepers who served with honour and made the ultimate sacrifice to advance the cause of peace. Indonesia takes pride as a longstanding and major contributor of UNPOL. Since our first participation in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group in Namibia in 1989, we have deployed more than 2,700 police officers in 17 peacekeeping and special political missions. Currently, 307 Indonesian police officers serve in five peacekeeping missions, namely, MINUSCA, MINUSMA, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and UNMISS. Allow me now to make general observations on the role of UNPOL, followed by some questions to the briefers. My first point is on the increasing role and contribution of UNPOL to peacekeeping operations. Since its first deployment in the United Nations Operation in the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1960, the role of UNPOL has vastly expanded and today includes assisting host countries in maintaining security, law and order, protecting civilians, combating crime and building the capacity of the police service. With the increasing complexity of conflict and challenges faced by peacekeeping missions, the role of UNPOL will be even more important. That requires better planning and coordination and a more efficient recruitment and deployment process, as well as stronger institutional support for UNPOL. The growing tasks and role of UNPOL must also be supported with adequate and sustainable financial resources. Furthermore, as peacekeepers are dealing with more dangerous environments, more efforts should also be made to ensure their safety and security, particularly in the time of the coronavirus disease. The Secretariat must redouble its efforts to improve the protection capacity and medical facilities in the missions. My second point concerns enhancing the performance and the professionalism of UNPOL. To effectively discharge their mandate, it is vital that police peacekeepers be well trained and well protected. Indonesia has long been consistent in promoting training and capacity-building for peacekeepers. Our peacekeepers receive rigorous training not only in basic policing skills but also in other skill sets, such as language, understanding of the local culture and human rights. Such training is crucial not only to prepare peacekeepers to carry out their tasks professionally, but also to engage with the local population through effective community-oriented policing. We in Indonesia also train our police officers with specialized expertise, such as forensics, investigation, serious and organized crime and sexual and gender-based violence, as well as public order management. We stand ready to deploy them as part of specialized police teams in various missions. My third point is on women’s participation in UNPOL. In line with the recently adopted resolution 2538 (2020), we need to continue our collective efforts to increase women’s participation in peacekeeping. We are pleased to note that targets have been achieved in increasing the number of women personnel, both as individual police officers and as part of a formed police unit. At the same time, we believe that there is still plenty of room for improvement in order to ensure better participation of women in peacekeeping. To increase women’s participation, Indonesia focuses on investing in training and capacity-building. For that reason, early next year Indonesia and Norway will organize training to prepare Indonesian women police for deployment. Indonesia will also host the annual training conference of the International Association of Women Police in Yogyakarta in September next year. Allow me now to put two questions to all the Police Commissioners. My first question is related to the mandate. Based on the experience of the Police Commissioners on the ground, what aspect of the mandate related to UNPOL needs to be strengthened and focused? Are the missions supported with the necessary and adequate resources to carry out their tasks? What can the Council do to address this issue? My second question is about women in peacekeeping. As the Police Commissioners are aware, resolution 2538 (2020) also calls for the provision of an enabling, safe and gender-sensitive working environment for women peacekeepers in missions. Could they share with us the measures that have been taken in their respective missions to provide an enabling environment for women officers? What are their recommendations with regard to increasing the participation and the role of women peacekeepers? Noting that there are many questions today, I fully support the proposal of the three African members of the Security Council plus Saint Vincent and the Grenadines regarding the request for the Secretariat to come up with a report in 2021 on the work of UNPOL. I would like to add that the report should also reflect the progress on the implementation of resolution 2538 (2020), on women in peacekeeping operations, with a particular focus on efforts to increase the numbers and the performance of women police peacekeepers. To conclude, let me once again reaffirm our commitment to providing our full support to police peacekeeping. Rest assured that Indonesia, as the largest troop- and police-contributing country in the current membership of the Security Council, will continue to support the Blue Berets. I would like to personally thank all the peacekeepers on the ground for their dedicated service to the cause of peace.

We thank Assistant Secretary-General Alexander Zouev and the Heads of the police contingents of the United Nations missions in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Mali and Haiti for their assessments. We would also like to thank all police peacekeepers for their dedicated service and for the discharge of their assigned tasks in the challenging environment of field missions, which is further exacerbated by the spread of the coronavirus disease. We commend the work of the Secretariat in taking preventive measures to combat the pandemic, while ensuring that peacekeepers can continue to implement their mandates without interruption. The importance of the police component in United Nations peacekeeping operations cannot be overestimated. As of today, approximately 9,000 police peacekeepers are deployed in 16 United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions, and that figure is steadily increasing. The recent report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly (A/74/19) also highlights the particular role of police contingents in United Nations peacekeeping operations. They have an important role to play in implementing the protection of civilian mandate by patrolling, monitoring and dealing with violators of public order. They assist in strengthening the national law enforcement capacity and security sector reform. Police peacekeepers are increasingly required to deal with organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other security threats. Police officers represent a connecting link among the population, the peacekeeping presence and host Governments. Their efforts strengthen public trust in State institutions and lay the foundation for national reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction. Blue Berets should continue to act within the framework agreed by Member States, in line with the Security Council mandate, the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping. At the same time, the main prerequisite for the effective work of police peacekeepers is establishing constructive relations with the host country, while respecting its sovereignty and taking its national circumstances into account. We agree that police officers can effectively carry out their tasks only when they have adequate logistical and personnel resources. It is also necessary to improve planning and management within missions and avoid the duplication of efforts. We believe that it is counterproductive to assign police officers functions that are not specific to them, for example, those of a political or human rights nature, which detract from the mandated tasks and reduce the overall effectiveness of their activities. The Russian Federation continues to enhance its contribution to United Nations police peacekeeping, including under the commitments undertaken at the United Nations Chiefs of Police summits. Since 1992, more than 600 employees of Russian internal affairs bodies have become United Nations peacekeepers. The department has set up a personnel reserve for participants in peacekeeping operations, which makes it possible to send internal law enforcement officers to United Nations missions on a regular rotation basis, even in times of a pandemic. Today our police officers are deployed in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia and Cyprus, as well as the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Currently, the proportion of women is more than 20 per cent. The United Nations-certified Peacekeeping Training Centre of Russia’s Ministry of the Interior regularly graduates police peacekeepers, including foreigners, many of whom are women. Particular attention is paid to language training, taking into account the specifics of the host country. Since 2000, the Centre has trained more than 1,750 Russian officers and over 600 foreign police peacekeepers from more than 50 countries around the world, 150 of whom were women officers from Russia and a number of African States. The Russian Interior Ministry’s training centre for peacekeepers has scheduled the next course for Russian police officers and their counterparts from African States from 16 November to 25 December, which is expected to culminate in the international Selection Assistance and Assessment Team qualifying examination with the participation of United Nations officials. We are also ready to deploy experts to specialized police teams in United Nations missions, including jointly with other States. We are committed to actively recruiting Russian Interior Ministry officers to contract positions in United Nations field presences and the United Nations Police Division on a competitive basis.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this important annual meeting on the evolving role of United Nations policing in peace operations, post-conflict and other crisis situations. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African States members of the Security Council — namely, the Niger, South Africa and Tunisia — as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (A3+1). We thank Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Ms. Unaisi Vuniwaqa, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan; Mr. Pascal Champion, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic; Mr. Issoufou Yacouba, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali; and Mr. Serge Therriault, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, for their informative presentations on the evolving role of the United Nations police (UNPOL), especially against the backdrop of the major challenges faced by peacekeeping operations in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As 2020 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations police, the A3+1 reaffirms its support for UNPOL and values their role in promoting international peace and security. We commend the contribution of formed police units, individual police officers and specialized police teams in peacekeeping operations in the discharge of their respective mandates, as determined by the Security Council. The police component in peacekeeping is vital. It plays a key role in restoring stability in conflict areas and contributes significantly to peaceful and long-standing solutions. While we pay tribute to fallen peacekeepers and praise their sacrifice, we call on all Member States to collectively commit to enhancing the safety and security of all peacekeepers — police and military, as well as civilian — in the field, in particular through the full implementation of resolution 2518 (2020). UNPOL continues to be deployed in accordance with the principles of peacekeeping, such as the consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force. Nevertheless, their contribution to peace and security has undergone a significant evolution to meet the new challenges. Currently, UNPOL plays a substantial role in helping national authorities to protect civilians and participates actively in building the capacity of national law enforcement bodies. UNPOL continues to cooperate with the host countries to improve their ability to combat transnational organized crime and international terrorism. In that context, we stress the importance of providing UNPOL with appropriate resources to promote the effectiveness and the success of United Nations missions. It is of paramount importance to provide police officers with adequate and targeted training and the necessary equipment. Moreover, we call for strategic, clear, realistic and achievable mandates, supported by the requisite resources. The A3+1 welcomes the continued efforts of the United Nations to strengthen its capabilities by developing very specific training groups and programmes to deal with the new challenges, in accordance with the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping. In the same vein, we reiterate our support for the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative, which remains a road map for better United Nations policing in peacekeeping missions through the promotion of inclusive and participatory approaches. Such collaborative approaches, championed by the United Nations police, pave the way for the delivery of comprehensive, nationally led political solutions that facilitate suitable conditions for mission transitions and successful exit strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on UNPOL’s actions and enterprise. We commend the United Nations efforts to successfully mitigate the effects of the pandemic, drawing on its experience in health crises. Accordingly, the United Nations immediately paused all troop and police rotations and provided guidance to ensure the safety of the United Nations police and the local populations. The United Nations police appropriately suspended training for local partners that involved physical contact and proximity. We commend our Police Commissioners and the Police Division in that regard. At this stage, the A3+1 believes that it is important for the United Nations to remain vigilant and well prepared to meet the challenges of a likely second wave of the pandemic. We acknowledge the increasing importance of the United Nations police in mission transition and, following the withdrawal of peacekeeping missions, in the stabilization and recovery efforts of post-conflict countries. However, it is imperative that the national authorities take the lead in deciding on the assistance that is required Women’s contribution to peace and security remains at the heart of the concerns of the international community. We should continue to mobilize political will and resources to promote gender parity and the full and equal participation and leadership of female police officers. In this context, we welcome the contribution of the United Nations Police to implementing the women and peace and security agenda. The A3+1 supports the United Nations Police gender initiative to further increase the number of women in all peacekeeping missions. In this respect, we believe that female police officers are a key element in the process of reaching peace solutions. While women police officers have made significant contributions to gender equality advocacy, gender-based violence awareness, trust and confidence- building among local populations, and have provided an important sense of security to women and children, they should not be limited in their ability to contribute to the full range of United Nations policing. Equally, all aspects of United Nations policing normally associated with women have to be prioritized as critical actions to be undertaken by all police officers, regardless of gender. Currently, in peacekeeping operations 15.1 per cent of police are women, compared to 10.2 per cent in 2015. We urge the full implementation of the recently adopted resolution 2538 (2020) on women in peacekeeping. In this connection, the A3+1 reaffirms its support for the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and emphasizes that all police officers have a role to play in eradicating this scourge. The A3+1 recognizes the critical role of United Nations policing in operational support, the protection of civilians, as well in capacity-building of host State police. As a lasting impact in sustaining peace, we foresee an increased role of the United Nations police, including in COVID-19, in the future under the mandate given by the Security Council. The A3+1 attaches great importance to the reinforcement of regional partnerships between the United Nations and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, particularly with the African Union. In this regard, we welcome the continued support and collaboration for mutual enrichment, particularly in these difficult circumstances, to alleviate the impact of COVID-19. The rehatting of African Union-led peace operations, transitions and eventual drawdowns require close liaisons to ensure the coherence and harmonization of peace efforts. In this regard, we are pleased that the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping was developed in consultation with several organizations, including the African Union. Finally, the A3+1 requests for the Secretary-General to submit to the Security Council a report on developments regarding United Nations policing in 2021. We make this proposal, as the last report on United Nations policing was issued in 2018. In conclusion, we would like to take advantage of the presence of the Police Commissioners to ask the following questions. What are their expectations of the Security Council to help them to fulfil their mandate in better way? What progress is being made in the further development of the police sector in Haiti, including the use of technology, given the current situation in the country and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic? How is their mission striking a balance in equally deploying the individual police officers, formed police units and specialized police teams? We are asking in order to ascertain the importance of each within operations, noting that the specialized police team approach has been praised as an effective and efficient tool for providing required policing expertise for the implementation of United Nations police mandates in field missions.

I thank all of our excellent briefers today for their thoughts and for sharing in particular their perspectives from the ground. This is an issue that is of real interest to me. It was actually the first thing that I ever worked on in our foreign service — international policing and particularly United Nations policing — and I have seen just how effective United Nations policing can be from the Balkans to Sierra Leone, so it is very good to have this discussion today. I also want to start by offering our thanks, through our Police Commissioners, to the women and men in United Nations police (UNPOL) components around the world who work on our behalf to protect and serve vulnerable communities. In this sixtieth anniversary year of the creation of the United Nations police, we are reminded again of their enormous dedication, professionalism and courage as they continue their work against the challenging backdrop of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Now, United Nations policing is a fundamental part of peacekeeping, as we have heard again and again today. Police play a central role in helping to establish a protective environment for civilians in restoring security and justice and, critically, in re-establishing the rule of law in conflict-affected areas. We owe it both to officers deployed in the field and the people they serve to continue to enhance the effectiveness of United Nations policing through practical reform. The United Kingdom was a strong supporter of the 2016 external review of the United Nations Police Division, and we note that a number of those recommendations from the review remain outstanding. But today, I would like to highlight three important areas that we need to get right in order to ensure that United Nations policing can remain effective. A sustained focus on these issues will be critical to achieving the vision set out in the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping agenda. The first of these is that policing must be fully integrated into mission- planning processes throughout the life of a mission, from inception to transition. Police experts need to be at the table and to be supported by relevant intelligence, reporting and data. Missions must be able to undertake continuous assessment in order to ensure that policing activity remains appropriate to the needs on the ground. So we have just got to keep thinking about that. The second is about the pledges of personnel. These need to be tailored to the needs of the mission and to contribute to achieving the Secretary-General’s System- Wide Strategy on Gender Parity. Recruitment needs to be fair, timely and merit- based, selecting the right skills, capabilities and expertise that particular missions need. We welcome the use of tools, such as the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, to help identify capability gaps and to seek pledges to fill them. The full, equal and meaningful participation of women in United Nations policing is not only a moral imperative, but a critical operational consideration too. Trust between UNPOL components and local communities can be more readily established if police reflect those they are serving. Our third point is that police performance must be prioritized. When personnel perform to the high standards we all expect, they are better able to deliver their mandates and ensure their own safety and security. We look forward to the implementation of the peacekeeping performance and accountability framework in respect of police, but we also stress the urgent need for the finalization of the policing strategic guidance framework. This guidance then needs to be operationalized, leading to the development of the right manuals and training tools to allow police contributors to understand what standards their personnel need to meet. Now, I am glad that we are having an interactive meeting because I would like to turn to a few questions, if I may, and the first is for Assistant Secretary- General Zouev. It is expected that demands on the United Nations Police Division will continue to grow, spanning both police operations and non-mission settings in the coming period. It would be very good to hear from him what priorities and extra resources the Department of Peace Operations is providing for the Division. Is there enough capacity to undertake the necessary planning for police deployments, including in relation to transitions? And if I may just come back as well to the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping, it would be very good to have an update on the status of this framework and to know when we can expect this to be finalized and published. Then, if I may, I will pose a couple of questions for our excellent briefers. The first goes to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Police Commissioner, Ms. Vuniwaqa. I would be very interested to understand what reflections on the process of capacity-building Commissioner Vuniwaqa has when it comes to the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS). In particular, how is UNMISS determining when and what kind of policing responsibilities should be shared with the SSNPS? So how do we get right that balance of transitioning or passing on of responsibilities? The second question is to the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Mr. Yacouba. Recent developments with the Malian security forces, and his coordination with them, have probably changed in the current environment — in other words, after the coup. I wonder if he could tell us how MINUSMA is managing any challenges in relation to that? As things stand, does he feel he has the right resources to plan and conduct supporting activities when it comes to embedding the rule of law?

I thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and the United Nations Police Commissioners. We appreciate their very important annual briefings. The United States commends the tremendous progress made throughout the past 60 years of United Nations policing. Today, United Nations police are deployed to increasingly more complex, dynamic and multidimensional missions. They play a critical role in protection, public order management, partnering with host-nation authorities, and preventing and investigating crime. United Nations police now have protection of civilians mandates in all of the “big five” missions: the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. These proactive engagements bring new challenges for the United Nations police, and we are grateful for their efforts. I would first like to congratulate Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo of Zambia on receiving the prestigious 2020 United Nations Female Police Officer of the Year Award yesterday. We praise Doreen for her outstanding work as an officer and her dedication to her duties as a leader in UNMISS. The United States strongly supports the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy, and we urge police-contributing countries to embrace policies that increase women’s participation in all levels of policing. We were pleased to see the United Nations police implement the women and peace and security agenda, already having achieved their 2020 targets for female police personnel at Headquarters, in the field and for both formed police units and individual police officers. This is important progress, and we look forward to seeing more women police playing leading roles in rebuilding communities and in cultivating trust between citizens and the security institutions that serve them. This is especially true in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Mali. Two years after the unanimous adoption of resolution 2436 (2018), we repeat our support for the United Nations commitment to implementing an integrated performance and accountability policy. This policy should be based on clear standards for all United Nations civilian and uniformed personnel working in and supporting peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the United States welcomes the recently launched integrated peacekeeping performance and accountability framework, which seeks to harmonize the various assessment tools and processes used for military, police and civilian components of peacekeeping missions. I thank the Commissioners who provided briefings today for their hard work on this issue thus far. We must maintain our shared commitment to elevating peacekeeping performance by ensuring that police have proper training and are held accountable for meeting United Nations standards. The United States strongly supports Under-Secretary-General Lacroix’s initiative to brief the Security Council on peacekeeping performance. We look forward to hearing candid assessments about performance, including shortfalls, success stories and how Member States and the Secretariat can better address performance issues. We do believe there is still some work to be done in reviewing the Policy on Formed Police Units in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and in strengthening the individual police officer assessment and evaluation process. With more and more complex missions around the world, we need United Nations police to be professional, successful and accountable. The United States remains committed to supporting United Nations police and to helping them meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. I would like to end my remarks today with three specific questions for our police commissioners and Under-Secretary-General Lacroix. First, how is performance data used to decide police-contributing countries’ rotations and deployments? Secondly, how can we best maintain commitment to the protection of civilians in peacekeeping transitions? And thirdly, how can we ensure greater numbers of women in police rotations and deployments?

Viet Nam welcomes this timely briefing during the fifteenth United Nations Police Week and thanks Assistant Secretary-General Alexander Zouev and the four Police Commissioners from the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti for their insightful briefings. Let me start by reaffirming our firm support for United Nations peacekeeping operations and relevant initiatives aimed at enhancing their effectiveness, including the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. On the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations police, we would like to pay tribute to the sacrifice and dedication of the women and men in the force, especially those police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. In this unprecedented time, we especially commend the efforts of United Nations peacekeepers, including police, in supporting countries in their efforts to achieve peace and combat both crimes and the coronavirus disease. Since its inception, the United Nations police has been an important component of peacekeeping operations and played a more and more significant role throughout the years. Its mandate has evolved to include, among others, protecting civilians, supporting training and providing advice to host States. Together with other peacekeeping activities, the United Nations police therefore contributes to the maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace, security and development of host States. As countries go through stages of peacebuilding, United Nations police work plays an increasingly important role in support of national efforts to achieve security and order for national development. To remain relevant and effective, United Nations peacekeeping, including policing, needs to uphold the basic principles of consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate. This year is also the twentieth anniversary of the women and peace and security agenda. In this regard, we would like to reaffirm our support for the emphasis on gender-responsive policing and the goal of gender parity in peacekeeping. We note with much encouragement that United Nations police is leading in achieving targets set by the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. We look forward to seeing more and more women in formed police units. Women’s participation offers a unique approach encompassing better community outreach, greater diversity, more effective trust and confidence-building, and gender-sensitive protection, which can result in more long-term positive impacts. Women peacekeepers are also empowering protectors and role models for women and girls in the host States and communities. The 2020 United Nations Female Police Officer of the Year Award has been awarded to Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at UNMISS, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups. There should be more recognition for women peacekeepers’ contributions, including at the country and mission levels, and much more remains to be done to employ the full potentials of policewomen. At the same time, we again stress the need for more gender-responsive and supportive policies for women peacekeepers, including with regard to safety, security and an enabling environment for their work. United Nations police work is closely linked to the State and social system being developed in post-conflict situation. It can draw strengths from the background and preparation of the police-contributing countries. We are of the view that assistance should be provided to police-contributing countries, especially developing ones, to enhance capacity-building, including predeployment training, to ensure effective performance in missions. On our part, Viet Nam is actively preparing and training our peacekeeping personnel, including police officers, in accordance with United Nations requirements. We hope to be able to soon contribute qualified Vietnamese police officers to join the United Nations police force from 2021 onwards. In this regard, we thank the Police Division for its valuable assistance and look forward to cooperating closely with all partners.