S/PV.6360Resumption1 Security Council

The President: I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Pedro Serrano, acting head of the European Union delegation to the United Nations.

Mr. Serrano: I would like to thank you, Madam President, for inviting the European Union to participate in this important debate. The candidate countries Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this statement. In the interest of brevity and heeding the President's call, I shall summarize the key messages set out in more detail in the printed version of this statement. The African Union Assembly proclaimed 2010 as the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. Today's debate gives us the opportunity to share lessons from concrete situations, brief one another on the tools that are available and examine the increased cooperation with regional organizations in conflict. We see this discussion as a continuation of the Council's focus on protection issues, including last week's highly relevant debate on protection of civilians (see S/PV.6354). Conflict prevention is one of the main objectives of the European Union's external policy. To that end, the European Union has strengthened its crisis- management capabilities in recent years and pursues a wide range of policies and actions from development cooperation and external assistance to efforts aimed at strengthening human rights, the rule of law and accountability, along with cooperation with international partners and non-governmental organizations. The Joint Africa-European Union Strategy, in particular the Partnership on Peace and Security, embraces a wide set of objectives and activities addressing short- and long-term security challenges. We hold regular joint consultations on crises or 2 emerging threats, and our close cooperation is facilitated by a designated Special Adviser on African capabilities. The European Union provides funding for African-led peace support operations, and we are often invited to assist in many crisis situations in Africa through other tools at our disposal, such as EU special representatives and European Union crisis management operations. We commend the growing role of the African Union and African regional and subregional organizations in conflict prevention and mediation efforts in Africa. International contact groups are also useful tools for coordinating efforts to tackle crisis situations. Some of these bring together the African Union regional organizations, the United Nations, the European Union and other relevant partners. We could do more to strengthen relations among these organizations by developing a common methodology for identifying and addressing emerging conflicts and the capacities needed. In implementing the African Union-European Union Action Plan on the Peace and Security Partnership, we put particular emphasis on cooperation in the field of mediation as a tool of first response to emerging or ongoing crises. The United Nations is certainly the most important and experienced actor in the area of mediation. At the same time, regional and subregional actors are increasingly the first to respond, given their knowledge of local and regional dynamics and their credibility in the regional context. Our cooperation therefore aims at developing a common understanding and broad guidelines, through regular African Union-European Union-United Nations exchanges. As other speakers before me have stressed, justice contributes to the consolidation of peace and to conflict prevention. The experience in Africa shows how accountability for the most serious crimes must be part of any lasting solution, not least for its deterrent effect on ongoing conflicts. Accountability for past violations of human rights, as well as the overall reform of the justice sector, should thus be integrated in security sector reform and other institution-building efforts. The Peacebuilding Commission also plays an important preventive role regarding the countries on its agenda. In our view, the Peacebuilding Support Office should deepen its interaction with other actors within 10-45510 the United Nations system, such as the United Nations Development Programme and the Department of Political Affairs, in particular the Mediation Support Unit, in order to exchange experiences and build on best practices. The United Nations Inter-agency Framework Team plays a helpful role in that regard. Looking ahead to the coming months, in particular the tenth anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in the autumn, we should never underestimate the key role that women can play in conflict prevention. Women are often powerful and capable actors in their communities, and the information provided by women's groups can be valuable in the early detection of tensions. Women should be encouraged and enabled to participate equally and actively in formal and informal mediation processes and peace negotiations. Africa has led the way in operationalizing resolution 1325 (2000). In this anniversary year, much more remains to be done to fully implement that landmark document. The European Union will strongly support such efforts.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

Mr. Loulichki (Morocco) (spoke in French): Permit me at the outset, Madam President, to congratulate you on the very elegant way in which you have been guiding the work of the Security Council this month. My delegation is pleased to be able to participate in today's debate on this most important theme, which is of interest to us all in so many ways, as reflected in the Security Council's ever-denser agenda, more than 60 per cent of which is devoted to the African continent. In spite of the praiseworthy and sustained efforts of Africa's States, the continent sadly continues to suffer the torments of conflict. The nature of these conflicts has changed from inter-State conflicts to intra-State disputes, which are more complex and deadly. Whether these are the result of ethnic, religious causes or of a struggle for control of natural resources, Africa continues - despite innate optimism and trust in a better common future - to be the silent victim of the use of increasingly sophisticated, destructive and evil weapons. According to the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, worldwide expenditures on weapons in 2009 rose to a record $1.53l trillion: an increase of 49 per cent compared to 10-45510 2000 and 9 per cent compared to 2008 - in spite of the world financial crisis on which so much attention is being focused. By comparison, the annual peacekeeping budget amounts to less than 0.5 per cent of the worldwide arms budget. That shows that peacekeeping is an effective and inexpensive tool for the international community in conflict resolution. We ought to support and strengthen the United Nations in this field. The increased expenditures on weapons are related to increased income in States from the sale of natural resources and, sometimes, relates to the hegemonic temptations of a past era. These developments in the sphere of conflict oblige us to reassess our overall concept of security. Threats from beyond the national territory have been replaced by internal, global and more diffuse threats that take the form of military rebellions, transnational organized crime or terrorism, which strike more randomly and in an indiscriminate way. The success of our Organization lies in its universality. No other player can claim to possess the legitimacy and experience in the maintenance of international peace and security that the United Nations has gradually accumulated since its establishment. New global security concepts must take into account the new parameters of conflict and must incorporate elements such as crisis management and the settlement and transformation of conflicts. It is thus necessary to consider the spectrum of crises as a continuum, during which the international community can intervene, making use of a variety of tools such as preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We cannot manage crises without using tools for the peaceful settlement of disputes, as provided for in Article 33 of the Charter, negotiation being the most important among them. In settling, stabilizing or transforming conflicts, those tools for dispute settlement have demonstrated their relevance and effectiveness with the political will of the parties and the positive and constructive commitment of neighbouring States, whose role is the undeniable key to successful conflict settlement. But despite the relevance and importance of these methods of peaceful settlement of disputes, nothing can replace a policy of anticipating and preventing conflict. That approach is among the least used by the international community. The preventive deployment 3 of Blue Helmets in Macedonia, in 1999, exemplifies the successful use of timely prevention. But such diplomacy is not sufficient in itself; it must be complemented by structural preventive action aimed at strengthening the foundations of viable States by building institutions and implementing sustainable development policies. In this framework, the Peacebuilding Commission plays a very precious role which deserves to be backed by the international community and especially by the General Assembly and the Security Council. It is fundamental to instil a culture of prevention at the heart of our Organization. To do this, it is necessary to qualitatively strengthen the Mediation Support Unit of the Department of Political Affairs. In this regard, we welcome the efforts undertaken by Mr. Lynn Pascoe and his ambitious programme to transform the Department. We also believe it pertinent to establish a high- level group within the Secretariat responsible for the prevention of conflicts that would include, in addition to the Cabinet of the Secretary-General, the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, among others. Efforts should also be undertaken in the training of United Nations staff from those departments so that they can fully understand the realities of the conflicts they are expected to manage and concerning which they must present reports to the Security Council on behalf of the Secretary-General. Africa has made significant progress towards stability. However, such regions of the continent as the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes and the Sahelo-Sahara continue to be targeted for destabilization. The recent Small Arms Survey study by the Graduate Institute of International and Developmental Studies in Geneva noted no less than 11 non-State movements representing threats to the security of the Sahelo- Saharan region as a result of their high degree of militarization. The absence of cross-border cooperation and security coordination and collusion among various trafficking operations have turned the Sahelo-Saharan region into an arc of crisis and a grey area in which these non-State actors operate in collusion with each other. Indeed, the Security Council devoted a meeting to that theme during the presidency of Burkina Faso last year. The Kingdom of Morocco, an Arab-African country solidly anchored on the continent by its historical heritage and a civilizational heritage, has since its independence made the choice of afro- positivism by backing the liberation movements of the continent that made the independence of many African countries possible. Aware of the many security challenges affecting these States, Morocco has spared no effort to back them in peacebuilding and has participated in some 20 peacekeeping operations throughout Africa. Far from limiting itself to peacekeeping, and as a result of its status as a discreet mediator, Morocco has led a number of mediation efforts between brotherly African countries, especially within the framework of the Mano River Union. The prevention of conflicts unfortunately remains the poor cousin among the crisis management instruments available to the United Nations. Whether through its good offices, mediation or the appointment of special representatives, the institution of the Secretary-General must be equipped to enable better action by the United Nations. In this respect, Morocco expresses its hope that the United Nations will develop, through its presence in the field, an early warning mechanism that would enable it to detect crisis- inducing factors and to contain them before they degenerate. A Buddhist teaching holds that the water pot is filled drop by drop. Javier Perez de Cuellar and Boutros Boutros-Ghali started this work; Kofi Annan, Bernard Millet and Jean-Marie Gue'henno continued it by strengthening United Nations peacekeeping. It now behoves us to work together on this heritage to enable the United Nations to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to establish a global culture of peace.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Gambia.

Mrs. Waffa-Ogoo (Gambia): My delegation would like to commend the Nigerian presidency of the Security Council for organizing this thematic debate under the item "Maintenance of international peace and security: Optimizing the use of preventive diplomacy tools: Prospects and challenges in Africa". This debate is not only on a critical and very visible part of the mandate of the United Nations, and the Council in particular, but it is also one that resonates with those of us in Africa. The Charter of the United Nations, 10-45510 especially in its Chapters VI and VIII, envisages situations in which parties to disputes that are likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security could resort to the range of preventive diplomacy tools identified under Article 33 or to regional agencies or arrangements. My delegation wishes to acknowledge the commendable work carried out by the Council in supporting the pacific settlement of disputes in Africa, but we would like to see a more active involvement of the Council in making use of the tools under Chapter VI. The Council's systematic engagement in the early stages of a dispute would go a long way towards reinforcing the good offices missions of the Secretary-General and such regional and subregional organizations as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). We recognize that the increasing interaction and consultation taking place between the institutions of the Security Council and the African Union, such as the AU Peace and Security Council and the AU Commission, have created one of the best platforms for preventive diplomacy in Africa. Increasingly, we are also witnessing the active engagement of the United Nations Office for West Africa with ECOWAS and other United Nations entities by deploying preventive diplomacy tools in volatile situations. The early engagement of all of these institutions in potential conflict situations in West Africa has yielded dividends by reinforcing political stability across the region. The synergies that these interactions and consultations create between Member States, the United Nations and African regional arrangements must therefore be reinforced by all stakeholders. Our institutions must enhance their mediation or preventive diplomacy capabilities by generating a cadre of practitioners and support teams using knowledge-based approaches or early warning and early awareness mechanisms for settling disputes before they erupt into deadly conflicts. I should like to highlight a few challenges or concerns that would need the consistent engagement of the Council and the international community. Election processes in many parts of Africa are periods of heightened tension and dispute, with some resulting in tragic loss of human life and property, as well as the onset of ethnic conflicts and political instability. 10-45510 Across West Africa, we have seen numerous success stories, as in recent developments in Guinea and the Niger, indicating that early intervention, mediation and preventive diplomacy work. The lesson here is that when the United Nations and regional and subregional stakeholders act in concert in supporting Member States, disputes among local actors and civil society get settled and contained. The Council can reinforce such engagement by endorsing the work of the various United Nations and regional institutions dealing with the situation. Peaceful and credible elections engender security and stability. West Africa has had a lot of civil conflicts that have been settled through the active engagement of the Council, but we still have lingering issues that continue to threaten the relative security and stability of the region. The end of conflicts in West Africa has highlighted the need for security sector reform. The increasing use of the subregion as a transit hub for cocaine trafficking is also threatening to derail the stability of the region. The international community needs to urgently support ECOWAS efforts in tackling these twin menaces. The increasing engagement of the Secretary- General, the Security Council, the United Nations system and a network of special envoys and representatives with the AU Peace and Security Council, the AU Commission's Panel of the Wise and subregional bodies such as ECOWAS, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Southern African Development Community, to name but a few, must lead to a coherent strategy that makes effective use of Africa's regional and subregional arrangements, their established mechanisms and tools and dedicated personnel or experts on preventive diplomacy. Greater attention could be paid to the role of preventive diplomacy in the United Nations-African Union Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme. My delegation believes that such an approach has the potential of saving the larger international community from embarking on costly interventions. It is clear that there are many centres and actors in the area of preventive diplomacy, and in any one potential conflict situation there are bound to be many actors who run the risk of falling over each other in their quest for solutions. The United Nations could, within its Mediation Support Unit, establish a capacity or facility to coordinate the activities of all actors with a view to achieving the best possible outcome in conflict resolution. To my mind, an inspiring example can be found in the United Nations leadership in coordinating humanitarian action in disaster situations. The capacities generated for conflict prevention remain relevant even when conflicts or disputes are settled. Preventive diplomacy works. It prevents disputes from becoming deadly and saves costs associated with full-blown peacekeeping missions. What we need from here is a willingness to make good use of the array of tools available under Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter - a strategy for action that would embrace all the relevant institutions and actors on the continent. We must also enhance our support to the existing early warning mechanisms and build the requisite capacities and skills at the local, national and regional levels. A comprehensive strategy of preventive diplomacy should benefit from lessons learned, concrete examples and the numerous success stories that are being replicated across the continent. The delegation of the Gambia is looking forward to the continued engagement of all concerned in taking this debate forward. My delegation is also convinced that the time for a consistent and coherent United Nations strategy for preventive diplomacy is long overdue.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Mr. Goledzinowski (Australia): Australia welcomes this debate on preventive diplomacy with a focus on Africa. It seems particularly appropriate, Madam President, that you have gathered us here today in a week in which we gathered, just two floors above, to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, which was an historic and conspicuous failure of preventive diplomacy. There is always the risk that, with the daily work of this Council necessarily focused on reacting to unfolding events and conflicts and on mandating peacekeeping missions to respond to such conflicts, we may lose sight of the key founding principle of this Organization, namely, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Today's debate is a useful reminder of the importance of preventive action. It is perhaps a little cliche'd, but prevention is better than cure, and we should do all the more collectively to take measures to prevent conflict, rather than wait for the need to mobilize a collective response to a conflict. The Council has an important role to play in this endeavour. The Council has wide powers of investigation and recommendation in regard to the pacific settlement of disputes at its direct disposal under Chapter VI, including the ability to engage itself in the process of dispute resolution and to investigate situations and make appropriate recommendations. Arguably, these tools are not used often enough. The Council has an important role to play in providing political support to the good offices role of the Secretary-General. The Council's statements are not just words, but rather a powerful signal of the will of the international community. We have been pleased to be able to support the efforts to strengthen the Secretariat's ability to service the Secretary-General's good offices role through the provision of financial support to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). We have also been pleased to support the crisis prevention work of the United Nations Development Programme, recognizing that the challenge of conflict prevention requires a collective effort of multiple agencies. It remains a concern, however, that this work falls to be funded under voluntary contributions, when it is central to the mandate of the United Nations. We should redouble our efforts to ensure that the DPA's strength and ability to respond rapidly in conflict prevention situations is adequate. The Council has a further role to play in supporting the preventive diplomacy efforts of regional organizations, as outlined by the representative of the Gambia just a few moments ago. Regional organizations have an important role in the prevention of conflicts, just as much as in responding to them. Systems for early conflict resolution and better early warning mechanisms on emerging crises can often be more alert and more robust at the regional level. A strong organic relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, at both the regional level and here in New York, must be an essential part of our regional and global approach to conflict prevention. The African Union (AU) is to be commended for its tireless efforts to establish its own peace and security framework, with preventive diplomacy at its core. Subregional organizations in Africa have similar, mutually supportive structures. Australia supports, in its own modest way, the ongoing efforts of the United Nations and the AU to develop the AU conflict prevention and peacekeeping capacity at both the strategic and operational levels, and we welcome the recent decision to create a United Nations Office to the AU in Addis Ababa. We have been pleased to contribute to United Nations initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship between the AU and the United Nations and at developing more effective conflict-prevention mechanisms in Africa at both the regional and the subregional levels. The establishment of the United Nations Office in Addis Ababa should create greater synergies and efficiencies in the United Nations-AU relationship, including in relation to conflict prevention activities. We witnessed the effective interplay of the subregional, regional and global systems in response to the events that unfolded in Guinea last September. The Economic Community of West African States, the AU, the Council and the United Nations more broadly responded in unison to the unfolding events in Guinea in a manner that effectively diffused tensions and restored that country back to the path of democracy. This was a telling illustration of how the system can work to effectively prevent the escalation of tensions. Central to an effective system of conflict prevention is awareness of the situation, the ability to analyse that information and the political will to take action when needed. DPA plays an important role in collating and analysing the necessary information. In extreme situations, the proposed joint office of the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and for the Responsibility to Protect, the creation of which we support, should serve to alert the United Nations system to emerging mass atrocity situations. It then becomes a question of political will. The Council needs to open itself up more to receiving briefings from DPA and other parts of the Secretariat on unfolding situations, and the broader membership needs to support such Council engagement. Despite some improvements and the use of some innovative meeting formats, too often the Council still appears deaf to calls to be briefed on unfolding situations. If the Council is overly conservative in its approach to what is or is not a threat to international peace and security, it will inevitably relegate itself to the role of responding to conflict, rather than seeking to prevent it. This will mean that the Council will have failed the test set for it and for all of us in the opening paragraph of the United Nations Charter.

The President: I give the floor to the representative of Algeria.

Mr. Benmehidi (Algeria) (spoke in French): First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Madam President, on behalf of the Algerian delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July and to express to you our appreciation for the effective manner in which you have been guiding our work. I would also like to commend you for having selected the theme "Optimizing the use of preventive diplomacy tools: Prospects and challenges in Africa" and to thank you for developing the terms of reference for this debate. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Claude Heller, Permanent Representative of Mexico, and his delegation for their presidency in the month of June. As we have heard in today's debate on the subject, preventive diplomacy is not only accepted in its general terms but is also recognized as a potentially effective instrument for action, one requiring patience, discretion and coordination. One of the essential and accepted tenets of preventive diplomacy is respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of States. Given its nature and its purpose, preventive diplomacy is thus founded neither on interference nor on coercion. It is also acknowledged that preventive measures can enable the international community to save precious resources that could then be invested in development. Algeria notes with satisfaction that in the overall resources used by the United Nations to handle existing conflicts, the portion devoted to preventive diplomacy has increased considerably, even though it is peacekeeping operations that remain the most visible aspect of the activities of the Organization. Given that the success of this undertaking hinges on a dynamic synthesis of efforts at the global, regional and subregional levels, we have witnessed the gradual development of multidimensional partnerships based on a perspective of consolidating gains and creating synergies. The United Nations and regional organizations serve as our points of reference in this context, to the extent that their actions are complementary and mutually reinforcing. In the African context, preventive actions have been intensified and expanded, first because of Africa's collective commitment to peace - which has resulted in the multiplication of mediation efforts led by eminent African leaders - as well as through the implementation of a peace and security architecture, at the heart of which lies the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. This recasting of the African collective security system responds to awareness that peace and security govern the progress of our societies. It is based on an approach that includes addressing the root causes of conflict in order to ensure that conditions are in place for lasting peace and security. The Panel of the Wise, the Early Warning System and the African Standby Force are further innovations that allow the Peace and Security Council to fully carry out its responsibilities. By creating these new instruments and the means for their functioning, Africa has thus clearly shown its resolve to fully play its role in maintaining, consolidating and strengthening peace and security on the continent. To achieve that goal, Africa counts on the constant and resolute support of the United Nations and the international community. The interest and the attention that the main organs of the Organization pay to affairs on the African continent are, in this respect, a source of decided encouragement for the efforts of the African leaders. Despite the significant headway achieved, Algeria is of the view that this preventive diplomacy arrangement has not yet reached its full potential. First, the risk of crises will remain significant in countries experiencing all types of insecurity. To remedy that situation, we must not only more effectively tackle the structural causes of conflict, but also implement a comprehensive and integrated approach while ensuring sufficient coordination of actions. Moreover, the actions of preventive diplomacy will remain ineffective as long as the parties themselves refuse to resort to dialogue and negotiation, or to enter into mediation and contribute to appeasing tensions. There will be no true progress in this field without the will of its main actors. With regard to preventive diplomacy instruments and their use, I wish to make the following comments. I will begin with the Early Warning System, which is a tool crucial to the success of preventive action, to the extent that it helps to detect the warning signs of dangerous situations. For its optimal use, we believe that internal links should be established between the political and economic sectors of the United Nations Secretariat. On the external level, channels should be created for the exchange of information and communication with regional mechanisms. We must also move from the phase of observing situations that may be precursors to crises to the progressive-response phase; otherwise the Early Warning System will lose its relevance. A further observation concerns the pre-conflict peacebuilding dimension and the support measures that should be taken to help countries that are in difficulty before conflicts break out. In this regard, preventive development is considered a necessary complement to preventive diplomacy. It consists in focusing efforts on building States' capacities to resolve their problems themselves by targeting specific sectors. The implementation of preventive development, however, raises the issue of financing, which is quite clearly the most critical element and the main constraint. One of the clear challenges lies in persuading the international community that the cost of pre-conflict peacebuilding represents only a small fraction of the expenses that could be committed to peacekeeping operations and, at the end of the day, for peacebuilding operations following conflicts. Finally, it is essential to optimize the coordination of efforts by the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. To that end, Algeria believes that efforts must be made to derive greater benefit from the complementarity and reinforcing roles of the entire array of actors, taking into account their various constraints, in particular their lack of resources and expertise. In recent years, the African Union and some subregional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community, have made a commitment to do more to resolve conflicts and have established new institutional mechanisms to encourage conciliation and negotiation. Those initiatives supplement efforts made at the global level in the field of prevention and auger well for future cooperation between those organizations and the rest of the international community. As a result, they have the right to expect increased support from the United Nations and the international community, all the more so because their actions to support peace on the continent are part of greater worldwide efforts to maintain and strengthen peace.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. Kim Bonghyun (Republic of Korea): At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Nigerian presidency for its leadership in convening this open debate to discuss the important issue of preventive diplomacy. Preventive diplomacy is indeed a broad agenda item encompassing political, socio-economic, humanitarian and governance-related areas. Thus I echo the call of the other Members that we need a more coordinated, comprehensive and holistic approach to effectively take up this issue. Over the years, the merits of preventive diplomacy have been widely recognized among Member States. However, the actions of the United Nations remain weighted towards the more visible, forceful and reactive measures rather than the invisible, quiet and proactive initiatives required to prevent conflicts. The problems concerning preventive diplomacy stem from the fact that it is very difficult to determine what worked and why, and far easier to point to what failed. Moreover, there is the so-called invisibility problem of successful conflict prevention, since it is neither seen nor heard. However, such shortcomings should not be the cause of inaction, as preventive diplomacy is driven by overriding political, humanitarian and moral imperatives and is much more cost-effective than dealing with conflicts after their outbreak and escalation. Against that backdrop, we note with satisfaction the various efforts made by the regional and subregional organizations in Africa towards conflict prevention. In particular, the Early Warning System established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a step in the right direction that sheds new light on the initiatives that need to be taken up more actively at the international level. Through the incorporation of an effective early warning system, we would be in a better position to detect the signs of conflict at the preliminary stages. Once we can ascertain that the tensions for a potential conflict are on the rise, we can then employ the relevant tools of preventive diplomacy. I should like to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of mediation among the various tools for preventing conflicts. During the open debate on 21 April 2009 on this topic (see S/PV.6108), I stressed that mediation services must be provided by the most qualified mediators at the earliest stages of conflict. To that end, thorough databases of dedicated mediators need to be created so that when the need arises, less time and energy will be devoted to locating mediators with the right attributes for the situation. I applaud the efforts undertaken by the Secretary- General and the Secretariat in this field since then, as United Nations engagement in preventive diplomacy and in support of peace processes have been quite extensive. One example is the work of the Mediation Support Unit, which now employs a standby team of mediation experts. Another achievement worthy of mention is the mediation work of the Department for Political Affairs on the reconciliation talks in Somalia that led to the Djibouti Agreement and on the national political dialogue in the Central African Republic. In all, the Organization has provided mediation support to over 20 peace processes. In addition to mediation, we should also seek to more actively utilize other preventive diplomacy tools as well, including establishing good offices, dispatching special envoys and increasing consultations, among others. If our efforts on preventive diplomacy are to succeed, effective resource allocation will be key. In this vein, we could look into the plausibility of allocating a portion of the peacekeeping budget towards preventive diplomacy efforts. We should strive not only to identify the most effective strategy and tools, but also to obtain the resources needed to carry out the various tasks comprising preventive diplomacy. I sincerely hope that the United Nations and Member States will henceforth work closely together with regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union and ECOWAS, and also with relevant non-governmental organizations so that we can turn the various ideas we have proposed today on preventive diplomacy into concrete action. For its part, the Government of the Republic of the Korea will exert its utmost efforts to this end.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Senegal.

Mr. Badji (Senegal) (spoke in French): At the outset, I should like to warmly congratulate the sister delegation of Nigeria for having organized this open debate of the Security Council on the theme "Maintenance of international peace and security: Optimizing the use of preventive diplomacy tools: Prospects and challenges in Africa". This debate is all the more relevant as, quite clearly, numerous atrocities could have been avoided and thousands of human lives spared had preventive diplomacy tools been deployed in a number of conflict situations around the world. This conviction is supported by the positive experiences achieved around the world under the auspices of the United Nations through the good offices, mediators and special envoys of the Secretary-General, which have defused several crises and which prove, if there was any further need for such proof, that the effectiveness and benefits of preventive diplomacy are well established. The resounding successes achieved in different areas through the interventions of regional and subregional organizations and civil society, or simply through good will, are also grounds for satisfaction, from which we should take encouragement and seek to optimize such strategies in all of our efforts towards peace. Thus, the United Nations, which was created, among other reasons, to save current and succeeding generations from the scourge of war, should place preventive diplomacy at the very heart of its action to ensure that, even if it is not the main tool for the maintenance of international peace and security, it will serve as an essential one in neutralizing certain conflict-prone situations from the earliest signs. To achieve effective preventive diplomacy, we must meet the challenge of devoting the necessary financial resources and proven and highly qualified human resources to it. Another challenge that will have to be met is that of strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations to consolidate their conflict-prevention and settlement mechanisms. Indeed, synergy and close interaction between the United Nations, which bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and its partners - especially regional organizations, which serve as complementary instruments in United Nations actions - are necessary to strengthening the momentum of preventive action. In this vein, we should welcome the fact that the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, which is based on Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and stretches back to the very creation of the Organization of African Unity, is one of the most dynamic partnerships in the area of peacekeeping and early detection of warning signs of potential crisis situations. The presence of United Nations offices in various regions throughout Africa is therefore of great importance. Indeed, my delegation is of the view that the African Union, with the support of the United Nations, must acquire the means to be more aware of the precursor signs of tension and to take the necessary steps in close cooperation with the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular. Having taken this fully into account, the African Union established a system for the management of peace, which spans the spectrum of activities from preventive diplomacy to peacebuilding via peacekeeping. The Panel of the Wise was established in the context of this initiative, as Africa has understood and recognized that conflicts, be they latent or open, can be resolved only through political means - that is to say, through negotiation. My delegation therefore launches an appeal for the African Union Panel of the Wise to enjoy the greatest possible support, which would enable it to offer informed advice to the Presidents of the African Union and the African Union Commission, which could, on the basis of that advice, carry out intensive preventive diplomacy. Is it not said that it is better to prevent than to cure? However, to prevent effectively, there is a need to bear in mind, as recalled by the Secretary-General in his report contained in document S/2008/18 of 14 January 2008, that prevention is a multidimensional task involving political decisions, humanitarian activities and development activities that require organizations to work in close cooperation with the United Nations, and especially with the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council and the specialized agencies. In so doing, we could focus on strategies aimed at peacebuilding and reconciliation. In that regard, the African Union has already taken the first steps by adopting, at its seventh session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government, in July 2006, the strategic Framework for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development. Relying on the aforementioned principles and beliefs, and supported by the structures established by the African Union, the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, has personally involved himself in a number of regions of Africa and the world to advise and reconcile the parties in conflict. The ongoing commitment of President Wade has promoted the resumption of political dialogue, better governance and the holding of free and democratic elections in many countries, thus avoiding confrontations which would have undoubtedly claimed hundreds if not thousands of lives. Senegal remains convinced that the combined actions of all to find ways and means to prevent conflict will finally mitigate the financial and human costs of peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.

The President: I give the floor to the representative of Burkina Faso.

Mr. Kafando (Burkina Faso) (spoke in French): First of all I welcome the presence in the Council this morning of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the other individuals convoked to this meeting. Equally, I would like to commend you, Madam, on your country's assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July and to praise the initiative of convening this open debate on the important theme of conflict prevention. Is it necessary to reaffirm the importance of preventive diplomacy in conflict resolution, especially in Africa, where crises and their extent seriously threaten international peace and security? We can point to the lively deliberations and the numerous relevant recommendations on the subject, in particular in the Secretary-General's report, "An Agenda for Peace" (S/24111), the Brahimi report (see S/2000/809) and reports of the Secretary-General on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa, mediation and dispute resolution. All that underscores the importance and priority that the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, should attach, in coordination with regional and subregional organizations, to activities for the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes. The United Nations and regional and subregional organizations are compelled to pursue and strengthen their prevention efforts, as they serve not only to restrict the magnitude of crises, but above all contribute to avoiding staggering expenditures in peacekeeping operations, whose outcome remains uncertain. In this regard, we welcome the positive actions by regional and subregional African organizations such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community in implementing their internal conflict prevention mechanisms. But we must find the best possible channel to establish a strategic relationship among the United Nations and the such organizations in order to ensure the success of conflict prevention and resolution actions, all while drawing on local capacities. We believe that the best way to meet that goal lies in strengthening the mediation and conflict prevention capacities of regional and subregional organizations, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. Establishing relations that are more strategic and share a common vision fits in the framework not only of conflict prevention and resolution but with peacekeeping and long-term reconstruction activities. We believe that is crucial. In this regard, the establishment of the African Union- United Nations Joint Mediation Support Team is encouraging. I would like to take this opportunity to recall that in its presidential statement of September 2008 (S/PRST/2008/36), issued following the high-level meeting on mediation and settlement of disputes, the Security Council underlined the importance of engaging the potential and the existing capacities and capabilities of regional and subregional organizations in mediation efforts and welcomed the promotion of regional approaches to the pacific settlement of disputes. In particular, we encourage the United Nations to continue to support the African Union's 10-year capacity-building programme, in particular in the field of mediation and conflict resolution, as well as in electoral affairs. In the same vein, we welcome and encourage the support provided by the Peacebuilding Commission for prevention actions, which have undoubtedly contributed to peacebuilding and to preventing a resurgence of violence in post-conflict countries or the emergence of new conflicts. In the framework of optimizing diplomatic and preventive channels, I wish touch on a few points that we believe are of prime importance. They include raising the awareness of and involving national actors, in particular civil society, in the design and launching of prevention activities, and using existing capacities and resources at regional and subregional levels for preventive actions, including with regard to negotiation, mediation and good offices. Strategic relations need to be strengthened and a common strategic vision developed between the United Nations and the African Union, chiefly between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, in order to better coordinate their actions in the field of conflict prevention and resolution. Partnerships between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union, must be pursued and strengthened in order to provide necessary support to the initiatives and measures taken by regional and subregional organizations in the field of conflict prevention and resolution. That was recommended by the Security Council's Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa following the interactive seminar held in 2007 on the topic of "An effective global conflict prevention strategy in Africa: the role of the Security Council". There is a need to sustain and coordinate the beneficial actions of United Nations entities - such as UNESCO, the Peacebuilding Commission, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)-that play an active role in preventive diplomacy. We must draw on the lessons learned from strategic partnerships and the arrangements that the United Nations has developed with certain institutions, in particular the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the context of the Peacebuilding Commission, to promote activities for conflict prevention and resolution. For its part, Burkina Faso will continue to contribute, in particular in the context of ECOWAS and the African Union, to the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as we are convinced that peace and stability are the bedrock for true sustainable development. As I indicated earlier, activities for prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes are a collective responsibility and represent one of the pillars of the collective security system. Thus the full range of those involved, including national actors, subregional and regional organizations and the United Nations, must combine their efforts to optimize diplomatic and preventive channels and, above all, to transition from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention of crisis. Given the increased complexity of conflicts and the growth of needs, a great deal is to be gained by prioritizing prevention activities with peacekeeping activities. Therefore we express the hope that the United Nations, working together with subregional and regional organizations, will maintain and strengthen the diplomatic and preventive channels to preserve peace and stability worldwide and particularly in Africa.

The President: I give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Mr. Haroon (Pakistan): For how long have we sat in these halls and heard the despair of Africa. For how long have we Viewed horrible genocide and so much waste for so beautiful a land? For how long have we further despaired that the world has not taken cognizance of some of the most brutal acts that have taken place in the history of the world? Today I am proud to represent a Member of this Organization, where, Madam, you as an African are the President of the Security Council, where an African is the President of the General Assembly and where many very august members sitting around this table are of that continent. While North and Central Africa are ably represented at the highest offices in this Council, South Africa needs to be congratulated on holding a tournament of international brotherhood never before held in so significantly peaceful an atmosphere. I feel that these reflections and the recent speech from this very chair by my brother the Permanent Representative of Senegal, who stated his case so eloquently, clearly show that if anyone today believes the world has a chance it is because here in this Security Council and at this institution so much has been made possible by your compatriots, Madam President. We have seen important strides towards addressing the challenges of peace, security and nation-building. I think the holding of today's debate attests to the close attention that you - and, through you, some very able leadership in Africa - are paying to security. In the early twentieth century, the independence movements in India and Pakistan and the subcontinent and the freedom struggle against colonialism in Africa were mutually inspiring. Today, Africa's collective endeavour towards peace and security helps us believe and reinforces our own quest for sustainable peace in our region and beyond. We have been a friend and perhaps even a partner with Africa in search of peace and stability in our own neighbourhood, and today one is proud to say that Africa is leading the way with so many practical examples that we indeed can learn from it. We have seen in the recent past so many conflicts, so many wars that were thought a decade ago to be ones that would destroy that continent. And today we find that wise, able leadership - including, I must add here, that of two very able Secretaries-Generals preceding the current one, together with our own current Secretary-General himself - has played an essential role in creating the preventive doctrine. Bodies such as the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the Panel of the Wise have imparted to Africa strengths never envisaged before. Africa has sagaciously resorted to the vast spectrum of modalities envisaged in Chapter VI and other relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter. These have prevented disputes from arising and have ably laid to rest some ongoing ones. The United Nations has had some success in employing the tools of preventive diplomacy in these conflicts. However, we are not here to sit back, and indeed we need to strengthen and make full use of comparative advantages of Africa's regional, national and local capacities for mediation, conflict prevention, reconciliation and dialogue. And on the subject of reconciliation, one cannot continue without mentioning former President Mandela and Archbishop Tutu. They have been much larger than life, bright illuminations in a firmament of stars, where they have outshone all those around the world; today they are icons of peace, security and stability. The Secretary-General's report of April 2009 (S/2009/ 189) on enhancing mediation and its support activities laid emphasis on early engagement and on processes addressing the root causes of conflict. This is an important lesson we must learn from the past. As the principal organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council also needs to make a wider and more effective use of the procedures and means for pacific settlement of disputes, particularly Articles 33 and 38 of the Charter. There has been an injudicious use of Chapter VII in certain conflict situations, and these merit due consideration. These injudicious uses, in our view, have damaged the efforts for pacific settlement under Chapter VI and have created an impression that non-Chapter VII resolutions are somehow not equally binding. This does not augur well for international peace. A proactive regional organization with its hands on the local pulse can counter such a trend. The African Union has provided strategic coherence, leadership and on-the-ground management in nearly all conflicts on the continent. Through close partnership in recent years, it has added value to the work of the United Nations, particularly that of the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. The African Union is also ideally placed to improve the structure of global governance and make it more egalitarian and just. The record of its recent review meeting in Addis Ababa makes positive reading for the future of Africa. The African Union, with other regional and subregional actors including local civil society, has effectively worked for the cause of peace, in sectors as diverse as the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the anti-piracy campaign off the coast of Somalia, and in facilitating the political processes following the recently held elections in Burundi and in many other African States where elections were not considered possible some years ago. The Secretary-General's report of 21 June 2010 (S/2010/324) also notes the active role of the Economic Community of West African States in promoting peace and stability of West Africa. Many speakers today have very elaborately outlined the future challenges of peace and security in Africa. These challenges are not confined to Africa alone. In our view, demographic trends with high proportion of youth population, lack of employment, poverty, income inequalities, food and water crises and deficits in education and health lie at the root of these conflicts. I would particularly like to state that the example set by Africa in Copenhagen was indeed something that can be emulated by many others. And, not to be outdone, with regard to the very reform of this Council, Africa has set, by its steadfastness and its own beliefs, a trend which many thought could not last - and they have been baffled by what has been achieved. We have to move beyond security paradigms and the traditional tools of preventive diplomacy to include areas such as fair trade practices, food and environmental security and investment in governance institutions. Accordingly, the tools of preventive diplomacy could be better optimized if used in conjunction with rectifying measures in such areas. Today's debate will refresh our collective understanding of the issue of peace and security. Let me thank you, Madam President, for this valuable initiative of opening a debate that will prove to the world how very important your leadership is today.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Sierra Leone.

Mr. Touray (Sierra Leone): I believe this is an opportune moment to extend our sincere congratulations to His Excellency the Foreign Minister of Nigeria on his appointment and to warmly welcome him to New York. I also want to place on record our appreciation to the delegation of Nigeria for organizing this open debate on this all-important subject of "Optimizing the use of preventive diplomacy tools: Prospects and challenges in Africa". And we are grateful too for the concept note on the subject matter, circulated on 12 July (S/2010/371, annex), highlighting the need for more use of preventive diplomacy and the Council's role under Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. Allow me also to welcome the Deputy Secretary- General, Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, and the representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the World Bank and to thank them for their participation in this debate. This meeting is more than timely as we approach the stock-taking high-level event on the tenth year of the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. It cannot be gainsaid that the present predicament reflecting Africa's sluggish progress in meeting the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), is significantly related to the incessant spate of conflict that the continent has had to grapple with over the last half century. These conflicts have erupted, festered and spread easily beyond national frontiers as a result of sheer complacency, leading to the failure to adopt timely preventive measures and early action. Preventing violent conflicts involves, for the most part, the institution at the international, regional and local levels of structural mechanisms imbued with effective capability to apply measures designed to monitor early warning indicators and predict potentially violent situations. That would be conducive to the timeous adoption of effective measures and initiatives in order to prevent impending conflicts as well as to address the root causes of previous conflict situations or disputes. It is evident that many of the conflicts that have erupted in Africa in recent decades were deeply rooted in the failure of States to meet their obligations to their citizens, particularly in providing much-needed protection in order, inter alia, to safeguard human rights, in the improvement of the quality of life of citizens and in the taking of appropriate measures to avoid political and economic exclusion and marginalization. The key indispensable tools of preventive diplomacy include development, education and the wider recognition and promotion of human and political rights. At least the lessons we in Sierra Leone have learned and continue to learn from the results of our Truth and Reconciliation Commission have put us in a vantage position to appreciate this. Preventing conflicts requires the application of varying normative mechanisms, different sets of tools and skills as well as the involvement of diverse stakeholders at the local, national, regional and international levels. And key among the players at the heart of the maintenance of international peace and security is, undoubtedly, the Security Council. Given, however, the complexity of the task and the dynamics involved, cooperation between the United Nations and the regional and subregional organizations is imperative if the Council is to carry out its mandate effectively and efficiently. Although we all seem to believe that the best way to end wars is not to start them, the fact, however, is that the international community has over decades been more inclined to engage in what one could describe as "firefighting diplomacy" than to use preventive diplomacy in maintaining international peace and security. Clearly, and in comparative terms, we all are aware of the colossal nature of the human and material costs involved in the former as opposed to the cost- saving investment of resources in preventive measures. Experience has shown that the use of preventive measures or early action in addressing looming crisis situations has often received little attention or at best come as an afterthought. The need for a paradigm shift cannot now be more overemphasized. Developments that have taken place on the African continent in the past decade with the adoption of the Constitutive Act establishing the African Union have significantly changed the conflict transformation landscape on the continent. Thus, there appears to be a fair quantum of normative mechanisms or measures to prevent conflict, ranging from Boutros Boutros-Ghali's 1992 Agenda for Peace (S/24lll) to the 1998 recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (S/1998/318), along with the numerous initiatives undertaken thereafter, including the recent establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission. It is safe to say that what the international community needs to do is to muster the necessary political will to fully implement these mechanisms by providing the much-needed resources and human capital for global peace and security. Until the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, engagement with societies emerging from conflict had often been fraught with constraints ranging from weaknesses in disarmament and demobilization programmes, justice and security sector reform processes and resource mobilization to human and institutional capacity- building in order to create a more secure environment for peace to take root and for the promotion of economic growth and sustainable development. Regional and subregional organizations like the African Union, ECOWAS, the Southern Africa Development Community and even the Mano River Union have developed, within their respective architectures, viable mechanisms for the prevention of conflicts, yet are handicapped in their capacity to implement these mandates in terms of matching resources and capacity-building constraints. In addition to the perennial problems of the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons and the lack of surveillance and patrol mechanisms for long and porous borders and territorial waters, the continent is also experiencing new and/or emerging threats involving narcotic drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, piracy and terrorist activities, such as the recent cowardly act of terrorism committed against the innocent citizens of Kampala. In conclusion, I deem it imperative to stress the need for the Council to intensify cooperation with regional and subregional actors in concrete ways in order to promote preventive diplomacy by way of measures to support and facilitate the coordination of international assistance in resource mobilization, in enhancing national capacities to monitor frontiers and territorial waters, in the positive use of mediation options and in putting in place robust security sector reform. At the national level, it also important to provide support for and collaborate with civil society and women's organizations to develop and implement programmes aimed at preventing conflicts and to help in fostering the requisite political will in doing so.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Benin.

Mr. Zinsou (Benin) (spoke in French): On behalf of the Government of Benin, I would like at the outset to congratulate you, Madam President, and, through you, your country on your accession to the presidency of the Security Council. We wish you every possible success during your term at the head of this institution. I also convey my gratitude to the Ambassador of Mexico, who presided so outstandingly over the Council's work during the month of June 2010. The presence in New York for this debate of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of your country, Madam, clearly demonstrates Nigeria's commitment to peace and international security, especially on the African continent. Your country has paid a very heavy price for peace in Africa, which is a priority of its foreign policy. While sovereign responsibilities place the primary responsibility for the prevention of conflicts on United Nations Member States, it is equally true that the eruption of conflict in any country whatsoever illustrates the failure not only of its political class, but also of the international community. The thematic outline that was provided by your delegation to guide our consideration of this topic appropriately frames this issue in all its aspects. It raises critical questions that require responses commensurate with the challenges facing the African continent. That outline reintroduces on our agenda the issue of the establishment of a cohesive conflict prevention strategy for the entire United Nations. This question was highlighted by resolution 1625 (2005), which was presented and negotiated by the African States that were then members of the Council, on the basis of the work of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution of Nigeria. Such a strategy should be based on the following main points: State capacity-building aimed at enabling countries to settle their internal disputes peacefully, without resort to armed violence; the establishment of staggered early warning and rapid response mechanisms that could include the preventive deployment of United Nations forces; the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter - the African Union provides optimal conditions for such cooperation in the spirit of partnership for peace; the mobilization of adequate financial resources for the implementation of structural and operational preventive measures; and the strengthening of systemic measures to reduce the level of violence in the international system. In terms of internal capacity-building, Benin's journey on the road to democracy over the past 20 years has passed through social and economic reforms in various sectors and the establishment of support programmes negotiated and implemented in cooperation with development partners. We should not underestimate the role played by opposition and mediation institutions, which have energized our national and local dialogues and thus contributed to ensuring political and social stability in the country over the years. More recently created institutions include the offices of the Mediator of the Republic and the High Commissioner for Concerted Governance, which seek to improve and strengthen national governance, not to mention the independent reflection commissions. With respect to the establishment of early warning and rapid response mechanisms, preventive diplomacy should be aimed at recognizing crisis and conflict warning signs, contribute to re-launching dialogue between stakeholders when dialogue has broken down or become bogged down, and promote conciliation or reconciliation in order to strengthen the national consensus that is so crucial to preserving lasting peace and stability. I must here underscore the importance of the regular reports that are submitted to the Security Council on the challenges facing some regions of our continent. The extraordinary monitoring work carried out by the United Nations Office for West Africa, in liaison with the Economic Community of West African States, enables us to keep an eye on critical situations at the level of individual countries and in the subregion as a whole. Fortunately, the effectiveness of the United Nations peacebuilding mechanism very successfully bridges the institutional gaps in this field. The usefulness of the catalyst subsidies provided to the Peacebuilding Fund has been clearly demonstrated. The international community should increase the resources available to the Fund by maintaining these two rapid response channels. My delegation advocates an increase in the number of visits by the Secretary-General to countries in precarious situations, as he represents the collective conscience of the international community. The exchange of bilateral visits between countries in difficult situations and the heads of State or ministers for foreign affairs of countries sitting on the Security Council can also promote intensive political dialogue with their leaders and help to identify the constraints they are facing, the path to follow and the resources that can be brought to bear to contribute to an improvement in their situation. Given the recent eruption of post-electoral Violence, special attention must be paid in preventive diplomacy efforts to guaranteeing the transparency of elections, remedying the lack of trust in conventional bodies for settling electoral disputes, increasing the credibility of the electoral process as a whole as a way to transfer power, and consolidating the legitimacy of elected officials in order to avoid situations in which their democratic process could be blocked and undermined. The extremely high costs of popular elections prevent low-income countries from taking appropriate precautionary measures. This situation is fraught with a great many risks for peace and stability in the countries concerned. The international community should offer countries in that situation appropriate assistance to organize credible and peaceful elections. Manual voter registries, compiled anew for every election, make the conduct of elections very costly for low-income countries. The creation of a permanent electronic voter registry, impervious to partisan manipulation but easily updated and reusable, could guarantee transparency. Furthermore, such a permanent electronic registry, once established, could also provide a mine of statistical data to promote economic and social development and balanced land-use planning in all countries, including in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, in order to guarantee to all citizens the benefits of common minimum social services as a means of combating the various forms of social exclusion. Development assistance should be implemented in such a way as to contribute to the prevention of conflicts by fully incorporating measures aimed at tackling their underlying causes. Large-scale youth unemployment is one such cause, and in this regard decent work for youth is equal to peace. Finally, resolution 1625 (2005) calls for a strategic assessment of the risks of conflicts in countries showing signs of fragility. In this respect, the United Nations should fully utilize the synergies offered through support to regional mechanisms for conflict prevention. The support of the international community for the implementation of the recommendations arising from the African Peer Review Mechanism in the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development should lead to good results.

The President: I give the floor to the representative of Botswana.

Mr. Ntwaagae (Botswana): Madam President, allow me to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of this Council. My delegation also joins in thanking the Nigerian presidency for its initiative of convening this open debate. Under the United Nations Charter, the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The effective implementation of this noble mandate hinges on the trust and support of all States Members of the United Nations, the coordination and cooperation of regional and subregional organizations, and the persistent efforts of the Organization itself to explore durable solutions to conflict situations around the world. My delegation upholds the principle that States should act so as to prevent, in their international relations, the emergence or aggravation of disputes or conflict situations, in particular by fulfilling their obligations under international law. We also believe that it is the duty and responsibility of all States, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, to use peaceful means to settle any dispute that is likely to endanger international peace and security. We are encouraged to note that the culture of prevention is indeed gaining ground, as is the understanding to strengthen and give support to the tools used in response to situations that could potentially lead to the outbreak of violence. As noted in the concept paper contained in document S/2010/37l, we acknowledge that early warning, preventive diplomacy, preventive deployment, practical disarmament measures and post-conflict peacebuilding are interdependent and complementary components of a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy. In this regard, we believe that the sooner we act to prevent conflict, the greater are the chances of success. Consistent with its democratic tradition, Botswana is fully committed to the implementation of existing international instruments, as well as of respective principles and rules governing the peaceful settlement of international disputes. We support the declarations and resolutions of the General Assembly that call for the strengthening of the capacity of the United Nations to respond effectively and efficiently in matters relating to dispute or conflict prevention. As an embodiment of the collective will of African countries to achieve unity, peace and security, the African Union has the legitimacy and the political and moral authority to handle conflict prevention and resolution of conflict situations throughout Africa. It is important to recognize that the African Union has declared the year 2010 as the Year of Peace. We believe that the Year of Peace will provide impetus to peace and security efforts on the continent and give better visibility to ongoing and past efforts of the African Union on the ground to speed up the implementation of commitments made by African countries in various treaties. In this regard, we acknowledge that, in recent years, the African Union has played an increasingly important role in addressing conflicts on the African continent and has made invaluable contributions to maintaining world peace and security. To this end, it is gratifying to note that progress has indeed been made on a number fronts. This includes the creation of the Peace and Security Council, the African Standby Force and a Panel of the Wise responsible for mediation and preventive diplomacy. However, securing reliable sources of funding and building preventive diplomacy capacity and expertise at the national and regional levels remain among Africa's most serious challenges. We recognize the importance of enhancing coordination amongst the relevant bilateral and multilateral donors to ensure predictable, coherent and timely financial support to optimize the use of preventive diplomacy tools, including mediation, throughout the conflict cycle. In this regard, the Group of Eight (G-8) Africa Action Plan of 2002, which makes specific commitments to supporting peace and security in Africa, needs to be pursued vigorously. This includes support for African efforts to resolve armed conflicts on the continent. The G-8 countries had also committed to assist with disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. It is important that these countries deliver on the pledges they have made in this regard. We believe that the Security Council should continue to strengthen its cooperation with the African Union, and particularly with its Peace and Security Council, in order to fully utilize its regional early warning mechanisms and peacekeeping capacity. In conclusion, we reiterate our conviction that the United Nations has the potential to fulfil, in a practical manner, an effective function through collective and preventive diplomacy.

The President: I give the floor to the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Mr. Seruhere (United Republic of Tanzania): My delegation joins those who have spoken before me in congratulating you, Madam, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. We are very pleased to see Nigeria presiding over the debate on this very special and important subject for the United Nations and the African continent. We are confident that you will steer this meeting to a fruitful conclusion, given your vast political experience and diplomatic skills, coupled with Nigeria's commitment to peace for Africa and the world. This commitment has been well illustrated by, among other things, your country's effective participation in many United Nations and African peacekeeping missions, your various endeavours in the settlement of disputes, and deliberations on international peace and security here at the United Nations. We welcome the statement of the Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, and the briefing by the Special Representative and Director for the World Development Report on Conflict, Security and Development of the World Bank, Ms. Sarah Cliffe. Nigeria has also done a commendable job in coordinating disarmament issues for the African Group under each of the agenda items of the First Committee. We also commend the Bureau that you lead in carrying out the work of the Security Council. The United Republic of Tanzania is committed not only to the keeping of peace in Africa and the world but also to making it happen. In that regard, we belong to the clan of peacemakers. In recent times, Tanzania has, for example, successfully mediated various conflicts and disputes in Africa, in particular in countries of the Great Lakes region, including Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, most recently, neighbouring Kenya, to mention but a few. Preventive diplomacy works well but, despite the significant and commendable efforts African countries have made in that regard, some of the factors that cause or perpetuate conflicts, especially poverty and unemployment, persist in our societies. The World Bank representative, Ms. Sarah Cliffe, elucidated this issue in very clear terms. Armed conflicts not only cause instability and insecurity, but also retard human development for very many years. As I have just mentioned, poverty and unemployment are persistent phenomena in conflict and post-conflict societies. The people affected, especially unemployed youth, become very easy targets for recruitment into terrorism, with all its tragic consequences, as well as other vices including transborder crimes such as arms and drug trafficking. Many of the representatives who spoke before me, including members of the Security Council, did not miss the opportunity to stress this reality. No civilized society or people should claim honour or take pride in wealth or power acquired by orchestrating conflict entrepreneurship, nor should we allow that to happen. The way forward for the United Nations, the international community as a whole and, of course, Africa is to join hands and address in a holistic but efficient and effective way the circumstances that serve to perpetuate conflicts, instability and terrorism. It is cheaper to invest in development, employment and the elimination of poverty than to wage war or pay for peacekeeping activities. The United Nations must show leadership in these processes, much as African Member States have been asked or instructed to own them. We must all give the United Nations adequate support, as speakers have demonstrated here, in exercising its multilateral authority and we must demand that it does so with impartiality and effectively. Donor nations and the entire donor community stand to benefit in the long run as lives and resources will eventually be saved when peace reigns and more nations become better partners in global markets and trade instead of preoccupying themselves with conflict issues.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Kenya.

Mr. Muita (Kenya): I thank you for giving me the opportunity to address the Council on a matter that Kenya considers to be crucial to peace and security in Africa. My country commends the Federal Republic of Nigeria not only for having highlighted an important subject, but also for its robust role in enhancing preventive diplomacy on the African continent. In their efforts to promote peace and security, African leaders have been mindful of the need for the support of the international community. Consequently, the African Union Peace and Security Council protocol mandates that Council to cooperate with the United Nations Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and the relevant United Nations agencies and international organizations. In this regard, Africa has taken the lead in addressing conflicts in the continent and beyond by deploying peacekeeping and mediation missions in order both to maintain peace and security and to protect civilian populations. Africa is ready and willing to assume greater responsibility in that respect. However, there are many challenges that face the continent in implementing preventive diplomacy. In that context, we are encouraged to note that the Secretary-General has underscored the necessity for a close strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union and has given direction on mechanisms and processes to be put in place so as to enhance this critical endeavour. The United Nations Office for West Africa is a good example of this partnership. In the same spirit, we welcome the recent establishment of the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa. The new integrated Office will go a long way in coordinating peace and security issues between the two organizations. We commend the critical role played by the Department of Political Affairs in strengthening this strategic partnership. Africa has long remained a continent prone to strife. Endemic warfare has impacted negatively on the continent's socio-economic development agenda, laying fertile ground for further conflicts. In addition, a vicious cycle has been created that serves to banish the continent to perpetual underdevelopment. Promoting economic development is therefore a vital tool for enhancing preventive diplomacy. The causes of conflict in Africa are numerous. However, at the heart of many of these is the competition for resources that are scarce because of underdevelopment. If one throws in the effects of climate change on the continent's socio-economic environment, one finds a recipe for turmoil that is all too common. Other challenges to peace and security include inequality, ethnic tensions and governance shortcomings. The strengthening of governance institutions is particularly cardinal in efforts to enhance preventive diplomacy, especially as the conduct of credible elections is concerned. The role of regional and subregional organizations in preventing conflict has proved invaluable in Africa. Regional bodies such as the East African Community, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Southern Africa Development Community and the Economic Community of West African States have on various occasions intervened in a timely manner and averted what could potentially have been catastrophic disasters. The place of regional organizations is unique in this regard and should be recognized and supported. We should nurture and encourage them to continue in this role. Indeed, Africa has its own unique mechanisms for the settlement and prevention of disputes, and these local solutions are best placed to deal with conflicts across the whole continent. What ails these regional institutions is the lack of capacity, including resources. The international community can contribute to the prevention of conflicts on the continent by helping existing regional mechanisms to better deal with the situations that arise. In that way, local ownership of these processes will be enhanced. Leadership on the continent has evolved over the years to embrace the values of democracy and good governance. The realization of these core values, as well as respect for human rights and the end to impunity, are all prerequisites for sustainable peace and development that have helped the continent move forward. These values should continue to be promoted and be thoroughly embedded in social and political life on the continent in order to ensure lasting peace and pre-empt the outbreak of conflict. 20 In conclusion, it is a fact that the African Union and regional organizations have made considerable sacrifices in responding to urgent demands for peacekeeping and mediation. This has been done despite such challenges as the lack of sufficient resources. It is imperative that the question of predicable and sustained resource availability be addressed to bolster conflict prevention mechanisms. I would strongly urge, therefore, that the United Nations and the international community invest more in conflict prevention mechanisms in order to save the huge amount of resources, both capital and human, that is expended in addressing fully fledged conflicts.

The President: 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 meeting rose (115 p.m. 10-45510