S/PV.4220 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the letter dated 10 November 2000 from the Chairman of the Security Council Working Group on the Brahimi Report addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/2000/1084. Members of the Council also have before them document S/2000/1085, which contains the text of the draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2000/1081, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1327 (2000). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting. Miss Durrant (Jamaica): The effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping has been the object of much scrutiny in recent years. Indeed, over the past year, four reports have been presented by the Secretary-General — namely, his report on the fall of Srebrenica, two reports on the genocide in Rwanda and, most recently, the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, the Brahimi Report. All of these speak eloquently to the successes and failures of United Nations peacekeeping. We are reminded also that if we do not commit ourselves to vital reforms highlighted in these reports, there is a real risk that we will continue to fail to meet the challenge of saving the innocent from the scourge of war. We realize only too well that swift action on the key recommendations of the Brahimi Report is imperative if we wish to seize the present momentum. My delegation therefore wishes to pay tribute to Ambassador Brahimi and the members of the Panel for the excellent quality of the analysis and the recommendations in the report. It was against this background that my delegation welcomed the establishment in early October of the Security Council Working Group on the Brahimi Report. The Working Group was tasked with undertaking a full examination of those recommendations in the report that fall within the purview of the Security Council. I wish to express the Jamaican delegation’s appreciation, on behalf of the Chairman of the Working Group, Ambassador Curtis Ward, for the cooperation received from the Council members and from the Secretariat in enabling the Group to reach a speedy and successful outcome. The resolution just adopted by the Council presents no elements of surprise, as it encapsulates many of the key issues with which the Security Council has grappled in recent years, given the paradigm shift in the nature of peacekeeping operations. No longer is the traditional concept of classical peacekeeping applicable to the current realities. In most cases, peacekeeping has become more multidimensional, addressing complex issues ranging from disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants to institution-building, civil administration, policing and rebuilding the administrative structures of a post- conflict society. The cases of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone clearly attest to this. At this time I wish to take the opportunity to underscore some of the key elements in the resolution. First, my delegation supports the consensus that clear, credible and realistic mandates must be given and that the Security Council needs to be more scrupulous in this regard. Secondly, the mandate of a peacekeeping mission should ensure that peacekeepers, once deployed, are capable of defending themselves and are able to carry out their mandates professionally. Thirdly, the call for regular consultations between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council is an essential component, especially prior to the definition of a peacekeeping mandate. Access to military technical briefings by the Secretariat should also play an instructive role prior to the formulation of a peacekeeping mission. The use of private meetings between potential and current troop contributors before and after the establishment of a peacekeeping mission is a step which my delegation believes should be pursued in earnest. As past experience has shown, the lack of consultations can lead to misunderstandings about the mandate of a mission and its implementation. Fourthly, my delegation wholeheartedly supports the movement towards cooperation and coordination between regional and subregional organizations and the United Nations from an early stage of negotiations. This, we believe, will facilitate a clearer understanding between the parties of, inter alia, the political objectives, the practicality of the tasks assigned and compliance with the rules and principles of international law. There has been a measure of success in this area, and my delegation believes that this should be encouraged. Conflict prevention is another aspect to which my delegation attaches importance. As was indicated during the open debate in July on the prevention of armed conflict, the United Nations must manage a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to address the root causes of conflict; and, in this regard, early warning, preventive deployment, preventive disarmament and post-conflict peace-building are interdependent and complementary components of a conflict prevention strategy. We look forward to the report of the Secretary- General which is to be presented to the Council in May 2001. My delegation welcomes the reference in the resolution to the need to mainstream a gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and the mechanisms to do so. This had been overlooked in the Brahimi Report, but has been included in the report of the Secretary-General on the report’s implementation. In this regard, the resolution calls for the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), adopted by the Council on 31 October. We expect the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to work with the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues to ensure, inter alia, the early establishment of gender units where appropriate, in Headquarters as well as in the field. Member States must also be provided with training guidelines and materials on the protection, rights and particular needs of women in conflict situations, as well as on the importance of involving women in all stages of peacekeeping and peace- building. I wish to highlight three other issues: first, my delegation agrees with the Brahimi Panel that an effective public information strategy in mission areas is an essential operational necessity for virtually all United Nations peace operations. It is therefore essential that, in the implementation of the Brahimi Report, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Public Information collaborate in the development of adequate information strategies and in ensuring the assignment of personnel required in the very first days of a peacekeeping mission. The next issue to which my delegation attaches importance is the issue of training. Given the complex challenges of peacekeeping, it has become imperative that peacekeepers be adequately trained and equipped for their mission. Not only should peacekeepers be technically prepared, but special emphasis should also be placed on promoting cultural sensitivity to societies undergoing conflict situations. Equally important is the need for a systematic approach to training for civilian police. Also, my delegation wishes to emphasize that there are many developing countries that are willing to provide troops, but that lack the necessary equipment and training. We recognize that some progress has been made in assisting troop-contributing developing countries, but we believe that much more can be done, and we wish to work with the members of the Council in ensuring that this provides an adequate incentive for involvement in peacekeeping. Finally, my delegation wishes to thank the Secretary-General for his report and for the implementation plan. This is evidence of the need for us to take speedy action to translate the words of the Brahimi Report into tangible deeds and we wish to work with the members of the Council and the General Assembly in ensuring that this report does not become a dead letter.

Today, the Security Council takes a critical step forward with the adoption of this resolution implementing the Brahimi Report’s core recommendations relating to the Council’s work. This reflects two months of hard work by the Council’s Working Group, under the extraordinary leadership and determination of Ambassador Curtis Ward of Jamaica, and we want to congratulate him and his colleagues. One cannot overestimate the importance of today’s actions. Since 1948, there have been 53 United Nations peacekeeping operations in nearly all corners of the world. Thirty-five of those occurred in the past decade; 15 are currently under way, including the “big five and a half”: Kosovo, Congo, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Ethiopia/Eritrea and the doubling of the force in South Lebanon. These are all major operations that did not exist just 14 months ago. This year more than ever, we have reaffirmed our commitment to peace and security in Africa and have mandated three new operations there. There is no doubt that United Nations peacekeeping remains at the core of this institution’s responsibility. Whether peacekeeping succeeds or fails will be the ultimate standard by which the world will judge the United Nations. That is because, for all of the important things the United Nations system does around the world — from the work of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Development Programme to the World Health Organization — everyone looks to this Organization to keep the peace. Last September, at the Millennium Summit, leader after leader reiterated the critical importance of peacekeeping and, at our historical Security Council Summit, we renewed our commitment to peacekeeping and re-energized our resolve to making it work efficiently and effectively. This Council demands a great deal from its peacekeeping operations. We have placed demands on the United Nations to conduct complex, difficult and dangerous operations projected to cost over $3 billion this year. Our ability to send a strong political message today will be seen as the test of whether our professed commitment to United Nations peacekeeping and to the people who depend on it is genuine and enduring. We all know that the United Nations most challenging and important operations face desperate shortfalls in terms of troops, equipment and training; and we all know, as the Brahimi Report so vividly illustrated, that the capacity of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to plan effectively, to manage and to backstop peacekeeping is severely inadequate. Unless we move decisively, those who threaten peacekeepers across the globe may draw the conclusion that the United Nations lacks the will, cohesion and even the capability to perform this basic function. Unless we move decisively, peacekeeping — the core function of the United Nations — will fail. Ambassador Holbrooke has often noted that the crisis between capacity and demand is a train wreck waiting to happen. This is still true. There are two strands to the peacekeeping reform effort that must be addressed simultaneously: the way the Department of Peacekeeping Operations works and the way we finance peacekeeping operations. On financing, we are pursuing important work in the Fifth Committee and elsewhere to make the peacekeeping scale fairer, up-to-date and equitable. We are making progress, though slowly, but I am confident that we will find a fair solution this year. The other question is how to fix peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General’s Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, led so ably by Ambassador Brahimi, provides a practical blueprint of how to do that. The report reminds us that United Nations peacekeeping, perhaps more than any other United Nations function, works only when all relevant actors join together with common purpose. So it is just that simple. We must all work together and we must all do our fair share. Unless we all share the political will to make peacekeeping succeed, no amount of structural changes will make much difference. The resolution before us sends a clear message that the Security Council is ready to do its part. We have taken many important decisions in this document, all of which share a common thread — that saving peacekeeping is a common responsibility, one that depends on all of us working together. In particular, today’s resolution provides the roadmap for us to fulfil our responsibility to produce clear, credible and achievable mandates that reflect both the realities on the ground and the availability of resources. The Council is already implementing a pledge to improve consultations with troop-contributing countries. This is at the very heart of this roadmap and will be a key to our success, as will our determination that our mandates be based on frank, accurate and detailed advice. Once we have decided to send peacekeepers on a mission, this resolution underscores the need for them to be able to act and react when necessary to ensure that they carry out the mission’s goals successfully. We have said time and again that rapid deployment of a peacekeeping operation is essential, and today we have given concrete meaning to this oft- cited aspiration by calling upon all relevant parties to strive to meet specific timelines and by welcoming the Brahimi proposals on improving the United Nations rapid deployment capacity, including through the standby arrangements system. Still, we must do more. The Secretary-General realized this when he took the initiative to convene the Brahimi Panel. Now he has shown real leadership and determination by presenting a practical implementation plan and a compelling case for an emergency resource request to put Brahimi’s recommendations into action. We have an obligation to respond positively. At a minimum, we should ensure that the resources the United Nations needs — in particular to plan, support and manage its vital military, civilian police and operational functions for peacekeeping — are on- stream by the end of the year. There can be no doubt that the task before us is as difficult as it is important. Progress is possible only if we do more than make speeches. For people in areas of conflict, it is often the difference between life and death. The longer the United Nations fails to live up to its potential and allows peacekeeping shortcomings to go unfixed, the longer innocents will suffer and the greater danger that controllable conflict will become entrenched crisis, with even higher risks and costs to the international community.

It is responsible on the part of the Security Council to be able to take action on the Brahimi Panel report within a reasonable period of time. The working group of the Council deserves our full appreciation for its diligent work. Our special thanks go to Ambassador Curtis Ward for his able leadership in presenting us with a well-articulated text. The broad agreement reached on the recommendations demonstrates our collective commitment to setting United Nations peace operations right. We have just adopted a resolution which will have far-reaching implications. My delegation would have preferred to make this statement before the action on the resolution. However, we believe that it was the consensus to have the statements afterwards. The text annexed to this resolution contains critically important decisions affecting the future of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We have noted many caveats and conditions in the text before us. Also, paragraphs have been inserted on peacekeeping doctrine and strategy. We have reservations on these new concepts, which require greater elaboration. Bangladesh strongly believes that the resolution should be supportive of United Nations peacekeeping operations, not an instrument putting constraints on Council action in the maintenance of peace and security. We are happy that the Council resolves to give peacekeeping operations clear, credible and achievable mandates, as recommended in the Brahimi Report. First is the issue of clarity. The lack of clarity in the mandates is not because the Council has a dearth of linguistic aptitude; it is the result of what one may call the “tyranny of consensus”. Faced with the choice between no action and a weak consensus, the Council has resorted to adopting dangerously ambiguous and unclear mandates. This has raised the expectations of civilians and parties, put peacekeepers in perilous situations and given rise to problems of command and control. We hope that, by adopting this resolution, the Council members will be able to avoid such mandates in future. The second element is credibility. Credibility hinges on the deterrent capability of the forces we put on the ground. Credibility depends also on the commitment of all Member States, including the permanent members of the Council. The credibility of peacekeeping operations, not the geographical location of a given conflict situation, should be our common concern. The third element is achievability. We believe that mandates should be realistic. But at the same time, realism should not mean abdication of the Council’s responsibility. Its Charter responsibility should be upheld through action. We have to make the objective of peacekeeping achievable, not the other way around: the response of the Council should be as the situation demands. We are happy that the Council recognizes the seriousness of the question of the commitment gap. The Brahimi Panel recommends keeping Council resolutions in draft form until a firm commitment of troops is available. In line with that recommendation, it has been agreed to give a planning mandate to the Secretary-General prior to authorizing any peacekeeping operation. Such an approach does not solve the problem of troop availability. We believe that the commitment gap is a substantive problem and hence cannot be solved by procedural adaptability or innovation. Article 43 of the Charter provides that all Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call, armed forces, assistance and facilities, including rights of passage. Clearly, all Member States, the permanent members of the Council included, have a solemn obligation to provide, inter alia, troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations. As the report of the Independent Inquiry into the actions of the United Nations during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda — the Carlsson report — (S/1999/1257, annex) puts starkly before the conscience of the international community, the Secretary-General could not gather in two months of canvassing more than 550 troops: one tenth of the authorized strength for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR II). The report states that some countries showed a willingness to contribute but lacked equipment and financing. We have been putting emphasis on the need to have well-equipped, well-trained and well-motivated troops for the success of peacekeeping operations. Our question is where these troops will come from unless all of us chip in. It is evident that the primary responsibility lies with the permanent members of the Security Council. It is only natural that the Member States that have the final say on any decision on a peacekeeping operation should assume responsibilities and obligations commensurate with their powers and prerogatives. The withdrawal of Jordanian contingents from the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) prompted the Secretary-General to raise a very serious question. He asked, “Can the Council adopt resolutions that require us to deploy troops when those in the Council do nothing, particularly the major countries with large forces?” (Press release SG/SM/7600, 25 October 2000) In recent years, the world has witnessed a downward trend in the involvement of their troops in United Nations peacekeeping operations. While the obligation applies irrespective of the geographical location of a given conflict, their absence in some of the major United Nations peacekeeping operations has been increasingly questioned. That trend should be arrested if we mean to strengthen the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. It was with that aim in mind that Bangladesh proposed the inclusion of a paragraph addressing the commitment gap in the text the Council has just adopted. We proposed that the Council recognize that the contribution of troops by Member States possessing the greatest capacity and means, particularly permanent members of the Security Council, is critically important for bridging the commitment gap, facilitating rapid deployment and further increasing the operational effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that context, we proposed that each of the permanent members agree to provide at least 5 per cent, or another agreed percentage, of the troops for each United Nations peacekeeping operation. That symbolic contribution, besides enhancing operational capacity, would demonstrate that the united strength of the whole of the international community was behind each of the United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Bangladesh proposal reflects the views of a significant portion of the broader membership of the Organization. Its adoption would have been good for the permanent members, for the people affected by wars and conflicts, and for United Nations peacekeeping as a whole. Unfortunately, the proposal could not be included, in the face of opposition from the permanent members of the Council. The need for assumption of shared responsibility by all Member States, particularly by those with the greatest capacity and means, is recognized also in the implementation report of the Secretary-General. While we yielded for the sake of consensus, allowing adoption of the present resolution within a reasonable time, for us and many others the question remains outstanding. Let me now turn briefly to the issue of Secretariat briefings. The Council must be able to take well- informed decisions. The Secretariat’s advice should be based on an objective assessment of the situation. The briefings should take into account the evolving nature of issues and their relevance for appropriate action by the Council. Bangladesh has strongly supported the emphasis on humanitarian briefings. While working on the Council debate on humanitarian action in March this year, we were reminded of the critical need for closer consultation between the political and peacekeeping departments of the Secretariat and the humanitarian offices and agencies. The Carlsson report encouraged direct participation in the consultations of the whole by the High Commissioners for Refugees and for Human Rights and, when relevant, by United Nations funds and programmes. Regrettably, when Bangladesh proposed inclusion of that provision, it did not receive consensus. We hope, however, that all concerned have a clear understanding of what is expected of humanitarian briefings. Briefings by the United Nations Military Adviser and by force commanders are a new addition. We commend Canada for its initiative in having the practice introduced. We have found such briefings extremely useful. Beyond all the provisions on briefings, let us recall the Brahimi recommendation that “The Secretariat must tell the Security Council what it needs to know, not what it wants to hear” (para. 64). Indeed, the Secretariat should not make assumptions about the disposition of the Security Council until the 15 members have met and discussed a given situation. The need for greater coordination among the various mission components 1s equally important. We saw the need for effective coordination in the field in Sierra Leone during our recent mission to the area. Turning to the question of consultation with troop-contributing countries, let me say how strongly we are behind the decision to hold private meetings between the Council and troop-contributing countries at various stages of a peacekeeping operation: at the outset; during implementation; during change, renewal and completion of a mandate; and, in particular, in case of the rapid deterioration of a situation. Our understanding is that such meetings would be in the format used at the 4 October meeting on UNAMSIL. These consultations, whatever the provisions of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, should be neither traditional troop-contributors meetings nor private formal meetings in the Council Chamber. Rather, they should be in a format that allows a free exchange of views between Council members and troop-contributing countries, and they should include the necessary substantive briefings. We are happy that the Council is renewing its commitment to enhancing the rapid deployment capacity of the United Nations and is supporting the standby arrangements system. For that purpose, appropriate machinery has to be set up in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. It is essential that the Council continue to place emphasis on conflict prevention. Addressing the root causes of conflicts is at the heart of maintaining international peace and security. Post-conflict peace- building should also get our fullest attention in the continuum of the process. We welcome the focus on the protection of civilians, especially women and children as the most vulnerable. As the Prime Minister of Bangladesh underlined at the Security Council Summit, peace and security should be understood also in terms of human security. The training of peacekeepers has justly received attention in our action. Training related to HIV/AIDS is of paramount importance. We also underline the importance of training regarding the gender perspective, as called for in resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. The lessons learned from East Timor and Kosovo should be studied in elaborating guidelines for future transitional administrations run by the United Nations. Finally, we should recognize that the effective implementation of key decisions and recommendations, such as strengthening the capacity of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will require additional resources. The Secretary-General has provided an assessment of the financial implications. While we will examine these, we believe we cannot make a serious commitment to implement the resolution while maintaining a cap on the budget of the United Nations. We also believe that the question of the peacekeeping scale of assessment, another area in the competence of the General Assembly, is relevant in the context of our action today. The current scale of assessment is an old one and needs urgent updating. The rate of reimbursement to the troop contributing countries, also adopted years ago, needs revision. In conclusion, we wish to underline that the Council resolution today represents a follow-up of the historic second Summit of the Security Council. It is inspired by the solemn commitment of our heads of State and Government. We should ensure that the words in the text are translated into early action.

The French delegation welcomes today’s adoption by the Security Council of a resolution that reflects our commitment to strengthening the peacekeeping ability of the United Nations. We have taken a number of decisions today that will enable the Council to play its full role in implementing the significant recommendations in the Brahimi Report. The Security Council has indeed a paramount role to play in maintaining international peace and security. Hence, its responsibility in implementing proposed reforms is essential. The work we have been successfully doing in this connection, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Ward, provides specific and new responses to the expectations outlined in the Brahimi Report. In particular I wish to underline, in our work all that relates to the significant strengthening in Council consultations with troop-contributing countries — a process which must be employed and maintained throughout all phases of preparation and until the successful carrying out of the mandate assigned to any peacekeeping operation. France will continue actively to contribute to peacekeeping operations, notably by despatching police officers, civilian and military experts and supporting the formation and equipping of battalions, mainly African, and in providing logistic and financial support. This contribution has in the past at times been dramatic. I have in mind the 65 French soldiers killed in the service of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia. My country has been, and will continue, to make contributions to other operations authorized by the Security Council, as applies to Bosnia and Kosovo today. I would also mention that at the General Assembly last September, Mr. Vedrine, on behalf of the European Union, referred to European projects aimed at strengthening security and defence capabilities and crisis management capabilities, to be completed by 2003. Indeed, to date, the European Union has prepared security forces consisting of some 60,000 soldiers and 5000 police officers. These capabilities will in due course be made available under a United Nations peacekeeping mandate or any operation authorized by the Security Council. Today the Security Council has, in our view, responded to the appeal made by the heads of State and Government at the recent Millennium Summit regarding the reforms called for in the Brahimi Report.

Allow me first to commend the Council’s Working Group for a remarkable cooperative effort and constructive approach to a difficult task. I would like in particular to congratulate our Chairman, Ambassador Ward, whose skills, experience and wisdom enabled the group to produce a set of measures that will contribute significantly to strengthening the capacity of the United Nations and its Member States to carry out effective peace operations. The work achieved here today is also a validation of the Secretary-General’s creation of the Panel, as well as of the efforts of the Panel itself. We once again commend both the Secretary-General for taking this initiative, and Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi for producing such an excellent report. The work we have accomplished gives substance to the high hopes that were expressed at the Millennium Summit. The Group’s resolve to work towards a common, action-oriented goal enabled it to discuss and develop a pragmatic and practical framework to improve the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. The annex of the resolution is our checklist of measures focused not only on politics and strategy, but also, and perhaps even more importantly, on operational and organizational areas of need. This encompasses mandates, doctrine, information analysis, rapid deployment, conflict prevention, peace-building and transitional civilian administration. (spoke in French) We would like to highlight some particular recommendations consistent with long-standing Canadian concerns. These include the need for clear and achievable mandates and matching mandates with appropriate resources and rapid deployment. We are gratified to note that these priorities are now addressed and that the document includes throughout provisions for protecting affected civilian populations. Canada attaches particular importance to the Council’s having consultations with troop and civilian police contributing countries at every stage of the development and evolution of a peacekeeping mission, as outlined in paragraphs 15 and 16 of the annex to the resolution. This is essential to ensuring the continued engagement of these nations at both the military and political levels. We also believe it to be vitally important that the Council receive timely military advice, when considering the establishment of a peacekeeping force, from those who are directly involved in the military dimension of a peacekeeping mission. We therefore welcome the call for regular military briefings from the Secretariat, the Force Commander or the Military Adviser. In conclusion, Canada would like, once again, to thank the Working Group for their efforts in developing this comprehensive framework for peacekeeping, within which the Council will now work. These are the first and very important steps in implementing the report. We accordingly lend our full support to the resolution.

Today the Security Council is concluding an important stage in its work. The Council has carefully considered recommendations that fall within its purview, recommendations contained in the report of the United Nations Panel on Peace Operations, that is the Brahimi Report. And so, one of the instructions given us from the Security Council meeting at the level of heads of State and Government at the recent Millennium Summit, has now been followed. We would like to extend our special thanks to the Chairman of the Working Group of the Security Council established for this purpose, namely the Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica, Ambassador Curtis Ward, for his able and effective guidance of the work. We would also like to note the rather constructive approach shown by members of the Group in seeking generally accepted wordings. It is our expectation that the tone now set will prevail in further work in this area. We think that the document will not only be a good guide for the Council’s peacekeeping work, but will also be duly considered by Member States. It is significant that the Security Council has assumed the task of formulating clear and precise mandates and in- depth yet quick work on all issues related to preparing to deploy peacekeeping operations. The important role played by special Security Council missions to hot spots has been reaffirmed. We believe that the provisions on the need for consultations with troop-contributing countries are clear evidence that the Council is ready to consider the views of States that make a real contribution to United Nations peace operations. Now that the resolution on the Brahimi Report has been adopted, we enter an equally important stage of implementing the agreed decisions. This relates, inter alia, to the paragraph proposed by the Russian Federation, whereby the Security Council undertakes to consider using the Military Staff Committee as one of the means of enhancing the United Nations peacemaking capacity. We believe that this approach would maintain balance in the distribution of responsibilities between Member States and the United Nations Secretariat. We believe that the relevant provisions of the Charter provide for a clear system for using the military and analytical potential of States that are members of the Security Council in various stages of peacekeeping activities. In this way, States will be able to exercise their right not only to take political decisions, but also to deal with military components, and countries that provide contingents, represented on the Security Council, will then be able to fully meet their concerns. The Russian delegation will submit its views on this matter, and we expect that there will be further constructive discussion of them. In conclusion, I reaffirm that we are prepared to participate fully in discussing and implementing the recommendations of the Brahimi Report. Miss Moglia (Argentina) (spoke in Spanish): We are taking part in decision-making at a decisive moment in the history of peacekeeping operations. The international community has recognized on many occasions that responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security is a basic function of this Organization. Unfortunately, we have suffered from the weaknesses of a system that was not able to adjust to reality. On several occasions we have been overwhelmed by this reality. A new generation of conflicts found us poorly prepared to ensure peace and even forced us to try to establish it in truly adverse conditions. We have learned from past experiences. The Secretary-General’s initiative of convening a Panel of experts to examine the causes of these mistakes was wise. The Brahimi Report made an accurate diagnosis and formulated specific solutions to tangible problems. The Security Council has responded. The resolution we have adopted today includes as an annex a document that is the outcome of extensive and in- depth deliberations of the Working Group established by the Council for that purpose. I wish to especially thank Ambassador Ward of Jamaica for his dedication and superb leadership of this Working Group. We are aware that we are in the first stage of a long-term process. Just a few months ago, Argentina declared in this very Council that we should take advantage of the propitious political moment to make progress in improving the system of peacekeeping operations. Today we are delighted to see the first results of a common political will. We are convinced that success in implementing the report is rooted in the will of Member States, which should be translated, for example, into a decision to provide the Organization with the human and financial resources necessary for it to fulfil its peacekeeping responsibility. Without a genuine commitment on the part of its Members, the United Nations will not be able to move forward in carrying out its principal functions under the Charter. Convinced of this, Argentina has been involved in this process in the Security Council, as well as the General Assembly, through participation in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. Having said that, I wish to refer briefly to some recommendations to which my country attaches fundamental importance. Peacekeeping is the responsibility of all. Lack of significant participation by Member States with a greater capability, in resources and means, could have a deterrent effect on the other troop-contributing countries, which often make great efforts to fulfil the commitments made to the Organization. All initiatives geared towards obtaining a stronger commitment from the most capable States is attractive to countries of moderate resources, such as mine, which could contemplate increasing or diversifying their participation under the protective umbrella of the former. Clearly, greater participation by these States will yield tangible improvements — for example, in logistical aspects and in security in the field. We are pleased that the Council recognizes the importance of improving the existing mechanism for consultations with the troop-contributing countries and is to implement specific proposals in this regard. The message to this group of countries must be clear. We need to maintain an open line of mutual communication and to have interactive meetings where their concerns and interests can be expressed. Strengthening the consultation process implies, on the one hand, facilitating access to consultations, and, on the other, increasing the number of opportunities to hold them. We note with satisfaction that the document includes the idea that these consultations can also be held at the initiative of troop-contributors themselves and that consideration is being given to a wide range of opportunities to convene them. The need for solid rules of engagement was, in our view, one of the most sensitive issues in drafting the document. Finally, we recognized that the general framework, the legal basis for actions to be taken in the field, stems from the very mandate of the mission. Once the mandate has been defined, the rules of engagement will be developed in accordance with its objectives, taking especially into account the particular circumstances of a given conflict. We cannot avoid linking this question with the need to give United Nations forces a deterrence capability that allows them to fulfil their missions. However, underlying this affirmation there are doubts. In this context, we share the views expressed by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Guehenno, when he introduced his report to the Fourth Committee a few days ago. He said that peacekeeping means making peace, not war, but that there is a very fine line between peacekeeping based on a credible deterrent capability and making war. Under-Secretary-General Guehenno concluded that the challenge was to deploy operations with a credible capacity that remain faithful to the basic principles of peacekeeping. The need for troops to be well equipped and trained is intrinsically linked to their deterrent capability. On several occasions, Argentina has reaffirmed that this is a key component that contributes to the success of any operation. The annex to the resolution stresses the importance of having the Member States take the steps necessary to ensure training for their troops and highlights the importance of international cooperation. I should like to recall that during the Millennium Summit my country made available to the United Nations our two existing training centres for military personnel and security forces. The possibility of having troops with uniform training standards will certainly improve the command of these forces on the ground and make it possible to optimize their effectiveness. Finally, I should like to reaffirm our continuing concern about security conditions in the field. Unfortunately, recent events have shown us that personnel are facing increasingly dangerous situations. We need security provisions to be included at the planning stage of missions, and we support the recommendation in the annex to the resolution by which troop-contributing countries can ask for a private meeting with the Security Council in the event that an unexpected deterioration of conditions on the ground threatens the security of their troops. During the Millennium Summit, President de la Rúa reaffirmed Argentina’s commitment to continue participating in peacekeeping operations established by the Security Council. We hope that the political will that has made it possible for us to adopt this resolution will not disappear and that it will allow us to pursue this process so that the United Nations can enhance its credibility in carrying out this paramount function. For as long as this Organization can continue to ensure international peace and security, we will be working for the benefit of all the peoples of the world. Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom): In the interests of time, I shall abridge my remarks; the full text of my statement has been distributed. The resolution that we have adopted today sets out a road map for the Council’s work in the future, and three aspects of the annex are particularly important. First, it contains a commitment to getting peacekeeping mandates right — for instance, more regular briefings from the Military Adviser, an improved system of consultations with troop contributors and a greater United Nations involvement in the negotiation of peace accords, which are all essential. Secondly, this resolution will lead to more effective peacekeeping operations once they are on the ground. A rapidly deployed and effectively configured mission can make an enormous difference in securing a fragile peace. Thirdly, the document makes clear that our role in the maintenance of international peace and security cannot be narrowly defined. The United Nations must have recourse to a more effective set of tools in preventing conflict, and it must be able to put in place coordinated strategies to build peace once conflict is over. This resolution is a first step. It sets out a series of practical measures in clear and precise terms. Ambassador Ward is to be congratulated on leading the Working Group to this excellent result. But this is just the beginning. We in the Security Council have a responsibility to ensure that the road map which this resolution represents is followed in our everyday work. The Security Council is only one of the partners that will need to take clear and decisive action if the Brahimi Report is to be properly implemented. Other organs of the United Nations, including the General Assembly itself, are already engaged and need to move quickly to the implementation stage. Member States, including the United Kingdom, must look at their own internal procedures to ensure that troops and civilian police can be deployed rapidly and that they are well trained and equipped. The Secretary-General has already produced a plan of action for implementation in his areas of responsibility. We are confident that he will take firm measures to ensure that procedures in the Secretariat are streamlined, that coordination is institutionalized and that the quality of support and advice that can be offered to the Council and to peacekeeping operations in the field is enhanced. The Permanent Representative of Bangladesh referred earlier to his delegation’s proposal to require the permanent members of the Security Council to contribute to every peacekeeping operation. His statement carried the implication that all permanent members fail to meet their responsibilities in respect of peacekeeping. I reject that implication. Over the past decade, the United Kingdom has been a leading contributor to peacekeeping operations, providing troops and police, as well as resources, in significant quantities, and initiating training activities among Member States, especially in Africa. We also devote huge resources, and sometimes British lives, to operations enforcing or supporting international peace and security in much more difficult circumstances than those of traditional peacekeeping operations. Our support for United Nations objectives in Sierra Leone is continuing evidence of that. We agree that those with the greatest capacity must contribute in proportion, and the United Kingdom does so. The British Prime Minister told the Millennium Summit that the Brahimi Report was right and that it should be implemented within a 12-month time scale. We again congratulate the Panel on achieving a step change in our thinking. We should be clear that peacekeeping is a vital tool in the maintenance of international peace and security and an essential component in our wider and priority task of delivering sustainable development. In the interests of all, we must collectively ensure that we take the historic opportunity offered by the Brahimi Report to get peacekeeping working.

First of all, I should like to thank Ambassador Ward of Jamaica, who successfully presided over the meetings of the Working Group and made unremitting efforts to achieve consensus on the draft resolution in the Working Group. Today, on the basis of the work of the Working Group, the Security Council has reached consensus on strengthening peacekeeping operations. This is an important first step in strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations and lays down foundations for future actions. At present, there is a widespread call by Member States for the strengthening of United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, translating the consensus for strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations into action will require us to take practical and solid measures, as will the attainment of the goals set out in the Millennium Declaration. The success of United Nations peacekeeping operations depends, in the final analysis, on whether the vast membership of the United Nations is willing to make lasting political commitments and provide sufficient and dependable resources and support. Otherwise, talking about strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations will ultimately be no more than empty words. We have always supported effective measures to overcome the problems faced by peacekeeping operations and to improve and strengthen the capacity of United Nations peacekeeping so as to enable the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security more actively and effectively. For these reasons, we have given serious consideration to and actively supported, the relevant recommendations contained in the Brahimi Report. I sincerely hope that those recommendations that are realistic and feasible will be implemented as soon as possible. However, we also recognize that that strengthening of United Nations peacekeeping operations is a process, and that many questions need to be further explored, not all of which can be fully resolved by one document, or even several. We are prepared to continue to work towards the strengthening of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

I should like at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this meeting on the Brahimi Report on United Nations peacekeeping operations. My delegation would like to pay tribute to Mr. Brahimi and to the members of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations for the important document they have crafted. This document has given rise to particular interest in the United Nations because of the importance of the topic it addresses, its useful assessment of peacekeeping operations, and the scope of the recommendations it contains to remedy the shortcomings in the present system and better meet the needs of peacekeeping operations. The Security Council has set up a Working Group charged with examining those recommendations that fall within the purview of the Council. This consideration is part of a process of collective review undertaken within our Organization, in which the General Assembly and the Secretariat, each in keeping with its own responsibilities, are also participating. I should like in this connection to express my delegation’s deep appreciation to Ambassador Ward of Jamaica for the competence and determination he displayed in guiding the deliberations of the Working Group. The important document that the Security Council has just adopted is the result of great efforts undertaken in a spirit of cooperation and compromise. I shall not comment on all of the provisions of this document, but I will make a few observations. We would like first of all to emphasize how important it is, in our view, for peacekeeping operations to conform rigorously to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of States, as well as that of non-interference in internal affairs, is indispensable in the framework of efforts to promote international peace and security. We share the view that strengthening the United Nations peacekeeping capacity requires, in addition to political will on the part of Member States, that improvements be made to their structure and management in order to adapt them to current realities and recent developments. The necessary resources also are required. Peacekeeping operations require a clear- cut mandate, objective and structures, as well as reliable methods of financing. Before withdrawing a mission, the United Nations must ensure that its objective has indeed been achieved. Turning to the rapid deployment of peacekeeping operations, we must recognize that the United Nations has sometimes been slow to deploy. This slow pace has been interpreted by some as indicating an inability on its part to shoulder its responsibilities and meet its obligations in respect of certain conflicts. Others have accused the Organization of selectivity in handling conflicts, depending on the regions in which they occur. To avoid this kind of situation, equal priority should be given to the maintenance of international peace and security in every region of the world, as the Council reaffirmed in resolution 1318 (2000), adopted on 7 September at the level of heads of State or Government. The resolution of problems related to insufficient numbers of troops and a lack of equipment for peacekeeping operations is obviously a fundamental issue in the context of the overall process. This is a collective responsibility incumbent upon all Member States, in particular those having greater means and capacities. The Brahimi Panel has underlined the usefulness of institutionalizing consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries. This recommendation is, in fact, one of the main requests by troop-contributing countries. Troop-contributing countries play an indispensable role in the implementation in the field of the mandates of the peacekeeping operations established by the Security Council. Past experience has shown the need to significantly enhance the quality of the consultations between the Council and those countries from the very outset of the planning stage, when new operations are being envisaged, as well as throughout the entire process. Close and meaningful consultations will improve the chances of success of these operations. The Panel rightly recommends that more effective conflict prevention strategies be adopted. Indeed, prevention is today a top priority of the international community. We believe that unremitting attention must be paid to the deep-rooted causes of conflict, according to the specific characteristics of each case. This requires a comprehensive approach to which the organs of the United Nations should contribute in keeping with their prerogatives. The Panel also very aptly underlines the importance of the elaboration of better peace-building strategies, because a lasting peace cannot be built if reconstruction efforts are not addressed as well. We share the conviction that peace and development are intimately linked. Poverty and underdevelopment are among the major causes of conflict, and therefore a greater commitment on the part of the international community to reduce poverty throughout the world and promote lasting development would represent not only a step towards conflict prevention but also a contribution to the consolidation of peace. The work done by the Security Council on the Brahimi Report, which has led to the document we have just adopted, will undoubtedly represent an important contribution by the Council to the collective efforts deployed within the United Nations in the quest for ways of strengthening our Organization’s capacity in the field of peacekeeping operations.

Malaysia fully shares the view that the Security Council should undertake a comprehensive review of the recommendations contained in the Brahimi Report on improving the role of the United Nations peace operations. In this regard, we wish to join previous speakers in commending the Security Council Working Group on the Brahimi Report, under the able guidance and solid stewardship of Ambassador Curtis Ward of Jamaica, for having completed its defined task in good time. We hope that the adoption by the Council today of resolution 1327 (2000) will spur other organs and bodies of this Organization to likewise complete their deliberations on the areas under their purview as regards the recommendations of the Panel. We agree that the Security Council must do its part to strengthen the United Nations peacekeeping operations. Peacekeeping operations today, unlike in the past, face a myriad of very different and difficult circumstances and challenges. In order to implement professionally and effectively Council decisions on such operations, we must endeavour to equip such missions with the necessary tools. The current crisis in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is a glaring example of the urgent for all Member States, particularly those with the greatest capacity and means, to contribute troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Ways must be found, and found quickly, to breach the commitment gap. Malaysia welcomes, among other things, the Council’s commitment to strengthen significantly the existing system of consultations through the holding of private meetings with troop-contributing countries. We wish to see the early implementation of the decisions and recommendations contained in the annex to the resolution just adopted and support the Council’s decision to review periodically the implementation of its provisions.

My delegation believes that the Brahimi Report is a milestone in our common efforts to set United Nations peacekeeping right and to make it more effective in the context of a general reform of the United Nations. We pay tribute to all members of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations and, personally, to Ambassador Brahimi. The report is a comprehensive document that addresses most of the aspects of United Nations peacekeeping activities. It contains a valuable analysis of United Nations experience of past, as well as current, peacekeeping capabilities of the United Nations. Indeed, my delegation feels that most recommendations contained in the report are specific, realistic and practical ones. In this context, we appreciate the submission by the Secretary-General of the two follow-up reports, on the implementation of the Brahimi Report and on the resource requirements; we also found them quite helpful. It is worth mentioning that a few months ago the United Nations, at its Millennium Summit and Security Council Summit, adopted two historic documents: the Millennium Declaration and Security Council resolution 1318 (2000). The Council may recall that, in its Millennium Declaration, the heads of State and Government expressed their resolve to make the United Nations more effective in maintaining peace and security by giving it the necessary resources to conduct its activities. To underscore the fact that the history of United Nations peacekeeping has reached its turning point, we strongly believe that now it is important to have the recommendations and the conclusions outlined in the above documents properly implemented. It is in this light that we look at the resolution that we have just adopted and its annex. My delegation took part in working out the draft resolution and its annex, and we realize how difficult the task that the Council’s Working Group had to deal with was. I would like to express appreciation to the members of the Council’s Working Group and its Chairman, Ambassador Ward of Jamaica, for their job well done. Allow me now to make a few comments on the clusters and paragraphs of the annex. Regarding clusters I and II, we fully support the provisions related to the Panel’s recommendations to issue clearly defined, credible and achievable mandates for peacekeeping operations. This will certainly help peacekeepers to be able to carry out their tasks successfully and also to defend them and other mission components. Such mandates will make for a basis of clear rules of engagement for United Nations peacekeeping forces. My delegation believes that the recognition of the need to have an improved system of consultation between the Security Council and the Secretariat and troop contributors is a particularly important element of the resolution. We feel sure that such consultations will be of great use for all partners to have a better understanding of a situation on the ground and an operations mandate and also to strengthen coordination between them in fulfilling peacekeeping tasks. My delegation upholds the position that the Council should consult with troop contributors and the Secretariat throughout all stages of peacekeeping operations, particularly if the security situation is deteriorating on the ground and might pose a threat for peacekeepers. We believe that such consultations should be convened at the request of troop contributors without prejudice to the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council. Against this background, we find it useful that consultations between the Security Council and troop contributors, through the use of private meetings, were held during the recent crisis in Sierra Leone. My delegation will be a strong supporter of any further steps to be made to ensure a more effective consultation mechanism and greater transparency in the Security Council decision-making process with regard to the conduct of peacekeeping operations. As regards cluster IV, we welcome the further improvement of the rapid deployment capacity of the United Nations, through the standby arrangement system, as is provided for in the sixth paragraph of that cluster. Ukraine has been part of the system since 1997. We also strongly support the provisions of clusters V and VI, on conflict prevention and peace- building, since they are very much in line with the proposal put forth by the President of Ukraine at the millennium Summit of the Security Council — that is, to develop a comprehensive United Nations strategy regarding conflict prevention on the basis of the large- scale use of preventive diplomacy and peace-building. Bearing all this in mind, my delegation voted in favour of resolution 1327 (2000). In conclusion, I would like to mention that peacekeeping is at the heart of Ukraine’s contribution to the United Nations. Since we have been involved in United Nations peacekeeping efforts for more than eight years, it is from our own experience that we feel sure that the genuine reform of the United Nations peacekeeping mechanism is long overdue. We regard the adoption of today’s resolution, aimed at the implementation of the recommendations of the Brahimi Report, as an important step towards achieving this goal. My delegation will continue contributing to this important work.

My delegation commends Ambassador Ward of Jamaica for his leadership of the Working Group, which led to the adoption of today’s resolution in the Security Council. At the Summit of the Security Council, the President of Namibia, Mr. Sam Nujoma, commended the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations and the recommendations therein. We therefore welcome the speedy consideration of the Brahimi Report system-wide. In the view of my delegation, the recommendations contained in the resolution adopted today give us an opportunity to take into account lessons learned in past and ongoing peace operations. As per the Charter of the United Nations, peacekeeping operations are a collective and shared responsibility. While regional organizations have a role to play in peace and security, the primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security rests with the Security Council. In this regard, the provision included in the resolution to strengthen the system of consultations with troop-contributing countries at all levels during the consideration of mandates is of paramount importance. My delegation also agrees with those who have emphasized clear and credible mandates. We stress the need for rapid deployment and look forward to the findings by the Secretary-General on the modalities for achieving these objectives. Indeed, in maintaining international peace and security, our best guarantee is to tackle the root causes of conflict. Investing in the promotion of sustainable development is indispensable to peace and security. The report further reaffirms the indispensable role that women play in conflict prevention and resolution and endorses fully mainstreaming a gender perspective in peacekeeping operations. The full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is therefore crucial. We are pleased to note that in the implementation plan the Secretary-General has recommended the creation of a gender unit in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

Because of the lateness of the hour, I shall abridge my statement. My delegation welcomes the Council’s decision to give peacekeeping operations clear, credible and achievable mandates. As more than ever the new millennium should focus on the human person, the Security Council should make visible and easily understood a capacity to act so as to provide both deterrence and security. I commend the approach in the Brahimi Report, which represents a milestone in this process that will indeed make the United Nations a credible force for peace. I also commend the work of the Group chaired by Ambassador Ward on the results that it achieved after intense negotiations. In this regard, we welcome the consensus that led to the adoption of the resolution on this issue. This consensus confirms once again the Council’s commitment to peacekeeping. My delegation encourages the development of global, integrated strategies to attack the root causes of conflicts, and particularly their economic, political and social dimensions. We welcome the initiative to more frequently deploy fact-finding missions to areas of tension as a quick means of preventing crises. At the same time, we believe that conflict-prevention measures should be undertaken in accordance with the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of States. My delegation supports the principle of rapid deployment when the Council decides to take such action. In this regard, we encourage the Secretary- General, when planning and preparing for a peacekeeping operation, to take all necessary steps to facilitate such deployment. Moreover, my delegation welcomes the strengthening of the existing system of consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries. Cooperation between the Council and regional organizations should be strengthened. In this connection, I welcome the partnership that has been established between the Council and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in my region. We believe that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes should be financed on the same basis as peacekeeping operations. It is essential to give peacekeeping forces training in human rights and in the habits and customs of the country where they are to serve. We reaffirm the important role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and peace-building. In this regard, we call for the complete implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000. Finally, Mali attaches special significance to the resolution that the Council has just adopted and calls for its strict implementation.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of the Netherlands. I join other delegations in commending Ambassador Ward of Jamaica for his effective chairmanship of the Security Council Working Group on the Brahimi Report. By adopting the draft resolution submitted by the Working Group, the Security Council has sent a clear message that it is determined to do much better in the field of peacekeeping. In the context of the resolution, the Security Council has made two decisions which constitute major qualitative improvements and show that lessons are in fact being learned. The first decision is the resolve of the Security Council to give peacekeeping operations clear, credible and achievable mandates. Such an undertaking means that potential troop-contributing countries will be able to decide on firmer grounds whether, and if so to what extent, to participate in a peacekeeping operation. The second decision — very much related to the first — is to involve the troop-contributing countries in a more serious and structured way. In the annex to the resolution we have just adopted, specific mention is made of holding private meetings with troop- contributing countries, including at their request. Troop-contributing countries will from now on be consulted not only on the setting up of new peacekeeping operations, but also — and even more importantly — during the implementation phase, when a change in a peacekeeping mandate is being considered, or when a rapid deterioration of the situation on the ground threatens the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. This provision holds special appeal for my delegation, because seven weeks from today the Netherlands will no longer be a member of the Security Council, but it will be an important troop-contributor. My delegation believes that the Security Council has made all the right decisions that it could at this time, seizing the momentum created by the excellent Brahimi Report and the Security Council’s summit meeting last September. As the Secretary-General has already begun implementing other recommendations in the Brahimi Report and has issued a report on this implementation, we now look forward to the support of the General Assembly, whose early decisions will underline the common responsibility of the United Nations and its Members for improving the role of the United Nations in peace operations. I now resume my function as President of the Council. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.