S/2020/268 Security Council

According to the understanding and procedure agreed upon by the members of the Security Council during the current extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and as reflected in my letter dated 27 March 2020, I would like to draw your attention to the following issue: The members of the Council discussed and reached consensus on the draft resolution submitted by the People’s Republic of China for the safety and security of peacekeepers (S/2020/240). The draft resolution has been put in blue (see enclosure). With the understanding of the members of the Council, in my capacity as President of the Council, I shall put the above-mentioned draft resolution to a vote now. Please kindly provide your vote (in favour, against or abstention) on that draft resolution and possible explanation of vote by sending the Director of the Security Council Affairs Division of the Secretariat (egian@un.org) a letter signed by the Permanent Representative or Chargé d’affaires within the next non-extendable 24 hours. The process will then proceed accordingly, as agreed.

China thanks members of the Security Council for their active participation in the consultations on the draft resolution, which reflects the importance they attach to the safety of peacekeepers, and for their spirit of compromise. China hopes that the Security Council will unanimously adopt the resolution on the safety of peacekeepers and send out a positive message in unity. As this will be the first resolution on the safety of peacekeepers adopted by the Council, we believe that it will be of great significance for improving peacekeeping operations and ensuring effectively the safety of peacekeepers. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The implementation of Secretary-General Guterres’ Action for Peacekeeping initiative has entered a critical stage, and peacekeeping operations are at a new starting point. At the same time, peacekeeping operations are faced with more complex and dangerous environment and challenges. After all, peacekeeping mandates must be implemented by peacekeepers, and the safety and security of peacekeepers should be treated with greater urgency. This is our shared responsibility. China promotes the adoption by the Council of the resolution on the safety of peacekeepers in order to forge consensus and urge the international community to scale up input in peacekeeping operations, take practical measures to improve the safety of peacekeepers and enhance capacity-building, so that mandates can be better fulfilled, peacekeeping operations can be improved and a greater role can be played in resolving hotspot issues by political means. The resolution covers multiple aspects, including training, medical care, partnerships, women and technology, among others. We call on all parties to take practical measures to effectively safeguard the safety of peacekeepers. The sooner we act, the better the safety of peacekeepers can be guaranteed and the more hopeful regional peace processes are. China is a major financial and troop contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping operations. It is a firm supporter of, and participant in, United Nations peacekeeping operations. The six-point commitment made by President Xi Jinping at the 2015 United Nations Peacekeeping Summit has been followed through. Moving forward, China will continue to adopt a responsible attitude and work with all parties in delivering our commitment to multilateralism and improving peacekeeping operations.

Indonesia welcomes today’s adoption of resolution 2518 (2020) on the safety and security of peacekeepers. We appreciate China’s efforts in facilitating the negotiations, and we thank the members of the Council for their constructive engagement despite the difficult situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia voted in favour of the resolution. For us, the safety and security of the Blue Helmets will always be a top priority. Peacekeepers are operating in increasingly complex and dangerous security environments, which put their lives at risk. Just recently, Indonesia lost one of its soldiers who was serving in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While acknowledging some progress in reducing the number of peacekeeping fatalities, Indonesia is of the view that much more remains to be done. Indeed, one peacekeeper lost is still one too many. This resolution is an important step towards enhancing the safety and security of peacekeepers. It calls for measures to enhance operational health support and to ensure adequate medical facilities and qualified personnel, including for casualty evacuation. Indonesia also welcomes the resolution’s appropriate recognition of the importance of training and capacity-building in the area of safety and security. We believe that well-trained and well-equipped peacekeepers will be in a better position to carry out their tasks professionally and safely. The resolution also highlights the importance of avoiding caveats, promoting community engagement, improving situational awareness, and the use of technology to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers. Indonesia believes that, in adopting this resolution, the Security Council is sending a strong and clear message to all of our peacekeepers that we care and are fully committed to improving their safety and security. In conclusion, we salute the peacekeepers for their invaluable work in pursuing peace while risking their lives. Let us honour their dedication and sacrifices by ensuring improvement in safety and security for them.

I have the honour to address you, Sir, in your capacity as the President of the Security Council for the month of March 2020, on your initiative on resolution 2518 (2020), on the safety and security of peacekeepers, and to assure you of the support of the Russian Federation in this regard. I also have the honour to inform you, Sir, about the decision of the Russian Federation to co-sponsor the resolution. Let me express our profound gratitude for this important and timely initiative. We are grateful that the provisions of the resolution correspond to the comprehensive approach agreed during the latest session of the General Assembly Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations in March. We highly appreciate your constructive role during the negotiation process and your efforts to take into account key concerns of all members of the Security Council, including the references to the Basic Principles of Peacekeeping as well as the primacy of political solutions in conflict settlement, which remain imperative for the United Nations peacekeeping. We also support your approach, Sir, to highlight the importance of taking all the appropriate measures to enhance the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel. The resolution also calls for further enhancing the partnership between the United Nations and regional as well as subregional organizations in relation to the safety and security of peacekeepers. We are convinced that this resolution will make a significant contribution to improving the safety and security of peacekeepers as well as the overall effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines voted in favour of resolution 2518 (2020), on the safety and security of peacekeepers. Admittedly, we are neither a troop- nor a police-contributing country. However, we acknowledge that peacekeeping remains a central instrument in our collective struggle against the scourge of war. We wish to reiterate that, while peacekeeping operations may facilitate a cessation of hostilities in the short or medium term, moving from a ceasefire towards a lasting and sustainable peace requires a multidimensional approach that addresses the root causes of conflict. To that end, peacekeeping operations must always form part of a broader, nationally led and inclusive political process in order to achieve those desired outcomes. Uniformed and civilian personnel in the employ of these stabilization missions must always be provided with adequate training to allow them to carry out their mandates in accordance with these broader political objectives. Peacekeeping engagements have become increasingly complicated as modern globalization has produced an uncertain security landscape that continues to evolve. The rise of non-traditional threats including, but not limited to, cross-border terrorism, mass displacement of persons, epidemics, climate change and other forms of human insecurity, add to this complex security landscape, while escalating tensions are serving as key triggers for conflict. Meanwhile, peacekeepers are tasked with carrying out their mandates in these increasingly harsh political, security and environmental contexts. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines extends its gratitude to all troop- and police-contributing countries and to their uniformed personnel for their ongoing commitments and sacrifices. We welcome any initiative designed to improve the safety and security of peacekeepers by ensuring they have access to the necessary operational, logistical, medical, financial and personal support. A central aspect of promoting the safety and security of peacekeepers is ensuring that they have the right mindset to carry out complex tasks under difficult conditions. To that end, we welcome the ongoing thrust to improve performance and accountability under the Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative. We furthermore welcome the range of tools and instruments that are being progressively rolled out under the initiative, such as the Comprehensive Performance Assessment System and the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. Our delegation emphasizes, however, that peacekeepers themselves must be provided with the requisite guarantees that they will be rewarded for their hard work and commitment. That means that all Member States must make good on their obligations to provide the necessary funding to the United Nations system through their assessed contributions. Without those contributions, shortfalls emerge in the peacekeeping budget that may hinder the delivery of mandates by creating delays in reimbursing troop- and police- contributing countries, generating a lack of necessary equipment and producing low morale among uniformed personnel. The environmental conditions under which peacekeepers are asked to carry out their mandated tasks are increasingly impacted by climate change phenomena. Unpredictable weather patterns, such as erratic precipitation and flooding, serve to add further complexity to the navigational and logistical challenges facing peacekeeping missions and their personnel. Those factors also exacerbate the political and security landscapes in many host States, putting further strain on peacekeeping operations, while creating personal risks for peacekeepers themselves. We therefore consider it absolutely necessary for the international community to mobilize sufficient financial support to assist countries that are affected by climate change. From the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, strategies to build resilience and mitigate the hazards of climate change must be developed and implemented in order to strengthen our efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.