S/PV.8349 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal and Uruguay to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations; and Ms. Sarah Blakemore, of Keeping Children Safe. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Her Excellency Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations; and His Excellency Mr. João Vale de Almeida, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Lacroix. Mr. Lacroix: I would like to thank you, Madam President, for convening this debate on peacekeeping reform and how we can maximize our collective efforts to improve the performance of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Almost a year ago, the Council adopted resolution 2378 (2017), a landmark resolution on peacekeeping reform, under the presidency of Ethiopia. Since then, many efforts have been made to enhance peacekeeping, but much more needs to be done. We welcome today’s discussion. It comes at a time when our operations face significant challenges: elusive political solutions, intra-State conflicts that are intertwined with broader threats, including international terrorist movements and organized crime, large-scale violence against civilians, and the targeting of our peacekeepers. Too many are making the ultimate sacrifice. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to them. Improving peacekeeping is by its very essence a collective endeavour. Ensuring that our missions are fit for purpose and perform well requires action by all of us and all of us working together. All stakeholders who, in one form or another, take part in peacekeeping need to improve our performance, and we all need to support each other in doing so. That includes the Secretariat, as well as the Member States, Security Council members, troop- and police-contributing countries, host nations, regional and subregional organizations and others. That is why the Secretary-General launched the Action for Peacekeeping initiative in March. Following intensive consultations with all of our Member States, as well as intergovernmental organizations, the Secretary-General put forward the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations to all Member States for their endorsement. The mutual commitments that it proposes, including on performance, are key to enhancing peacekeeping. The Secretariat is committed to playing its full part in responding to the challenges that I just highlighted. First, we continue our efforts to enhance performance, particularly by implementing the action plan to strengthen the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. The action plan is ultimately about performance, and it includes the requisite elements to strengthen it. Through its implementation, we are changing mindset, strengthening our operational readiness and modifying our posture. We are also enhancing the capacity of United Nations peacekeeping by providing better-tailored training and doing our utmost to make sure that peacekeepers have the equipment they need. We are strengthening accountability and ensuring that if an incident occurs, our peacekeepers receive the best care possible as soon as possible. Much work remains to be done, but we are beginning to see the effects of our collective efforts. From 15 January to 31 August, 17 peacekeepers lost their life due to acts of violence. The number over the same period last year was 26. This represents a significant decrease. In mentioning these figures, I want to remain cautious and modest because threats against our peacekeepers remain very high. I want to emphasize that each and every peacekeeper killed is one too many. We mourn the lives of the fallen and are reminded that we must collectively do more to strengthen the safety and security of our peacekeepers. It is essential to enable us to better execute our mandates in the countries in which we serve. The trend that I have described calls on us to remain vigilant and fully mobilized to continue this course of action. In many of our missions, peacekeepers are carrying out more effective responses to threats and attacks. I recently returned from Mali and I can attest to the positive changes that the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSCA) has made. Many of its camps are better protected, including through more advanced systems for detecting threats. I saw that our peacekeepers in Aguelhok and Tessalit are proactively patrolling, despite the significant threats that they face. Last April, a large group of assailants carried out a sophisticated, complex attack against one of our bases in Timbuktu, resulting in the death of one peacekeeper. In that case, the mindset and the degree of preparedness of the troops helped to significantly limit the number of casualties, as the attackers were met with a robust response. We see such evolutions in other missions as well. In the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), for instance, our peacekeepers are protecting civilians more effectively through a more proactive posture. First, we have put in place a robust structure here at Headquarters and in the field to take forward implementation of the action plan. I assigned the Office for Peacekeeping Strategic Partnership with overseeing implementation, in close collaboration with the Office of Military Affairs and other relevant offices. The Implementation Support Teams established at Headquarters and in the five high-risk missions continue to be very active in taking forward their respective action plans to drive concrete change on the ground. Secondly, we have undertaken a series of independently led reviews of peacekeeping missions. We have been going back to square one to assess these missions’ mandates and whether we have the appropriate strategies and resources to keep or restore the peace. The recommendations of the reviews inform the proposals and options that the Secretary-General puts forward in his recommendations to the Security Council. We are already beginning to learn lessons from this series of reviews, and we intend to continue to strengthen and refine this methodology. Thirdly, we are taking forward the Secretary- General’s reforms of the peace and security architecture in order to provide more integrated analysis and better country and regional strategies. We are also preparing to implement the Secretary-General’s management reform, which will empower our peace operations in the field and enable us to become more reactive and nimble. Fourthly, we continue strengthening cooperation with our key partners, especially the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), both of which are with us today. That includes more triangular cooperation between the United Nations, the AU and the EU at the strategic and operational levels. As part of this wide effort to enhance the efficiency of peacekeeping, we are devoting considerable attention to better assessing performance. We are putting in place the policies and evaluation systems that will enable all of us, collectively, to better tailor our efforts to strengthen peacekeeping and better support all peacekeepers, whether uniformed or civilian. For our military personnel, we have established a clear framework of performance standards and assessments based on regular performance evaluations of military units, including on command and control, the protection of civilians, conduct and discipline, and training. These assessments will inform our reporting to the Council, in accordance with several recent mandate resolutions, including resolution 2409 (2018), mandating MONUSCO. We have also stepped up our efforts to make sure that the units joining our missions meet our operational readiness standards before they are deployed, including through the development of a new methodology for carrying out predeployment evaluations. Since April, we have used it to assess eight units from six troop-contributing countries. The evaluations examine whether they have the basic military know-how and the requisite skills to carry out the mandated tasks of the Mission. They also assess whether these units have the expertise needed for the specific environment in which they will be deployed. We are also developing more specific performance assessment criteria for formed police units. Further, we are also investing significant resources and efforts in the development of the integrated performance policy framework requested by the Special Committee for Peacekeeping Operations and supported by the Council. Through it, we aim to strengthen and hold accountable all peacekeepers, civilian and uniformed, at all levels and in equal measure, both in the field and at Headquarters. Changing institutional structures and individual behaviour requires us all to rectify shortcomings, strengthen leadership and accountability, and provide incentives for change. Our goal is to maximize the effect we have on the ground as we deliver on the Council’s mandates. Data collection and analysis are an integral element of our approach. The new comprehensive performance assessment system will enable us to assess whole-of-mission performance, civilian and uniformed components, staff and leadership through data collection and analysis. By identifying bottlenecks or problems, we aim to promote better-informed decisions by senior leadership to refocus efforts and take corrective action. This system will also help Member States to craft more targeted mandates and direct resources towards areas where we can make the biggest difference. We are already starting with three pilot missions. We have already conducted a visit to MINUSCA last month, and will visit a further two missions by the end of this year. We are planning for all missions to be using the new system by July 2020. We will continue to engage Member States proactively on this topic. We also attach particular importance to leadership across all mission components, and we have enhanced and professionalized the assessment process for selection, as well as support to our heads and deputy heads of mission. Finally, but most importantly, we have developed mechanisms to enhance accountability for when we fall short. We have decided to systematically commission independent, ad hoc investigations to clarify the causes and circumstances of incidents that indicate serious shortfalls in mandate implementation. Through frank and precise analysis, these investigations have fostered constructive engagement with troop-contributing countries (TCCs) and police-contributing countries (PCCs), as well as amongst ourselves. This has enabled us to work together to find solutions for such shortfalls. We have taken measures to change the way we work, notably by enhancing our procedures and our collective preparedness, as we did following the July 2016 incident in Juba, South Sudan. Where necessary, we have also instituted remedial measures, including in some cases by preventing the redeployment of troop or police units until we can confirm that they are able to meet relevant standards and requirements. Despite its full commitment to developing and implementing these initiatives and tools, United Nations peacekeeping cannot succeed without the engagement and the mobilization of all stakeholders and, first and foremost, the Member States. Strengthening peacekeeping often requires strengthening the capacities of those who provide its men and women — the TCCs and PCCs. As has been highlighted on many occasion in the Council and other forums, it is an effort that involves not only the Secretariat, but also fellow Member States. That is precisely the goal of the light coordination mechanism, which we established late last year. By identifying specific needs for targeted training support, we can facilitate training and capacity-building partnerships among Member States. We therefore welcome the development of triangular partnerships, whereby Member States provide troop- and police-contributing countries with training and equipment prior to deployment. Such cooperation is an illustration of how we can collectively respond to capacity challenges. I encourage all Member States that have the capacity to provide such training and equipment to TCCs and PCCs to continue their efforts to respond to the current needs so that our peacekeepers can operate most efficiently in the challenging context in which we are deployed. In that regard, I want to mention the new action plan for training, for which we have requested voluntary contributions. We are grateful to those that have already provided support. I also encourage all Member States to assess the evolution of the performance of United Nations peacekeeping operations, including by visiting operations on the ground and sharing their conclusions with us. I would also like to take this opportunity to call on all Member States, particularly those with the most advanced military capabilities, to contribute more troops and police to United Nations peacekeeping. We still have an ongoing need for critical capabilities, including helicopters, capacities to counter improvised explosive devices, rapid-reaction forces, situational awareness and medical support. We welcome all contributions in these areas. The engagement of Member States is also key to increasing the number of women who are part of peacekeeping. More women in peacekeeping simply makes peacekeeping more effective. We need to significantly enhance the number of female peacekeepers at all levels and within uniformed as well as civilian components. We must also ensure that they are able to meaningfully participate in our work. Women make up only 21 per cent of our personnel. We must do better. I am pleased that, through our common work, we have seen some improvements. Gender strategies for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, as well as within each of our missions, and the uniformed gender parity strategy, are starting to yield results. At Headquarters, women officers now represent 18 per cent of all officers in the Office of Military Affairs, and we are committed to raising that proportion further. In the field, women police officers represent 21 per cent of our individual police officers and 7 per cent of our formed police units. We intend to continue our efforts to increase the number of female peacekeepers at Headquarters and in the field, in line with resolution 2242 (2015). . The policies that we have promoted can be achieved only through the active involvement of Members States. I therefore welcome the efforts undertaken by a number of Member States and call on all States to further those initiatives and significantly increase their contributions of women peacekeepers. Ensuring that all United Nations personnel maintain the highest standards of conduct must be at the heart of our collective efforts. We fully share the Council’s expectations in that regard and will continue to place prevention at the forefront of our efforts. We have done more in recent years to strengthen accountability, transparency, enforcement, awareness- raising, advocacy and the provision of victim-centred support. We have implemented greater transparency in reporting, expanded the vetting of personnel, improved investigation timelines and seen increased responsiveness by Member States. The Secretariat now vets all categories of personnel against a prior history of misconduct while serving in the United Nations. Last year, the Secretary-General appointed a dedicated Victims’ Rights Advocate, Ms. Jane Connors, to ensure that victims of sexual exploitation and abuse have access to the support they need, including urgent assistance, the ability to file complaints safely and reliably and access to timely information on the progress of their case. Multiple channels exist to anonymously report misconduct, including online and by phone. Following the adoption of resolution 2272 (2016), the Secretariat established a committee to consider possible credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and abuse, or instances where Member States may not have taken appropriate steps to investigate allegations, hold perpetrators accountable or inform the Secretary-General of the outcome of those processes. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this complex issue, but the 2272 Committee has not shied away from engaging with Member States to take preventive and corrective action, including repatriations where required. We have removed or repatriated units where we deemed it appropriate. I am glad that we will shortly hear from Ms. Sarah Blakemore, Chief Executive Officer of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Keeping Children Safe. One of the most critical partners for our work in preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as for accountability and victim support, is the network of NGOs and civil society partners operating on the ground. Only by working together will the United Nations, Member States and civil society end that behaviour, which irreparably harms victims and tarnishes the reputation of thousands of United Nations personnel who serve with honour. When, despite all our efforts, personnel violate our standards of conduct, we must continue to work to achieve accountability in partnership with Member States, and we are strengthening our policies to do so. United Nations investigative entities are required to complete investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse within six months. Troop- contributing countries have also been asked to complete their investigations within that time frame. In matters deemed particularly urgent, troop-contributing countries are requested to complete investigations within 90 days. Such measures have led to a decrease in the average reaction time by Member States. We must be unequivocally clear that it is Member States that possess the authority to hold all categories of personnel accountable for criminal conduct. In the case of police and military personnel, they can also enact administrative sanctions as appropriate. Such responses are essential, and we are grateful to the 98 Member States that have signed the voluntary compact with the Secretary-General on the commitment to end sexual exploitation and abuse. We share a joint responsibility to end impunity, strengthen prevention and response, respond rapidly and decisively to credible reports and meet the needs of victims quickly and appropriately. Drawing on all those efforts, the Secretariat is fully committed to playing its part to enhance peacekeeping performance. In that spirit, the Secretary-General makes several concrete commitments, including on performance, in the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, proposed in the framework of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. We will spare no effort to deliver on those commitments. We are very grateful for the willingness shown by a large and growing number of Member States and other stakeholders to also make such commitments through their support for the Declaration. I am happy to report that, as of today, 55 Member States have endorsed the Declaration. The many troop- and police-contributing countries that have done so account for 65 per cent of all personnel contributions, a number that is increasing every day. The broad and cross-regional support for the Declaration reflects the strong consensus around the key objectives that it lays out. I want to express my thanks to all States that have already endorsed the Declaration. We look forward to a substantial number of additional endorsements before the high-level event on Action for Peacekeeping on 25 September. We also look forward to building upon the Declaration to continue strengthening United Nations peacekeeping. Finallly, we are gratified to see the Security Council’s commitment to supporting our efforts to improve peacekeeping. We hope to be able to count on the continued support of all Council members for Action for Peacekeeping and all our ongoing initiatives to foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation.

I thank Mr. Lacroix for his briefing. I now welcome and give the floor to Ms. Blakemore. Ms. Blakemore: I thank you, Ambassador Haley, for inviting me to speak on this important topic. My name is Sarah Blakemore and I am the the Chief Executive Officer of Keeping Children Safe, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that works with organizations in almost every country of the world to protect children and adults at risk from all types of abuse. The issue of preventing abuse by peacekeepers is a particular concern to Keeping Children Safe because its establishment, in 2002, coincided with the exposure of widespread sexual exploitation and abuse carried out by peacekeeping personnel and staff, in more than 40 humanitarian aid agencies, of children in refugee camps in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Since then, in partnership with the University of Reading, we have been researching evidence-based solutions to addressing abuse in the context of peacekeeping, with a particular focus on ensuring that organizations do all they can to prevent abuse, and, if abuse does occur, that they ensure that the rights and wellbeing of victims are paramount. I am going to share some of the stories of victims who have taken part in that research. The vast majority of peacekeeping personnel perform their jobs with courage, dedication and professionalism. Yet in conflicts and crises across the world, peacekeepers have subjected people in situations of extreme physical and psychological vulnerability to rape, trafficking, violence and abuse, including demanding sex for the basics of survival — food, shelter, education and medicine. A significant proportion of the victims have been children. All organizations have the responsibility to safeguard the people they serve, but the extreme imbalance of power between peacekeeping personnel, on the one hand, and the people whom they have been sent to serve, on the other, makes it essential that robust safeguarding systems be in place. Too often, however, victims have no way of reporting the abuse, no medical or psychosocial care and no access to justice. The organizations that fail to protect them continue putting them at risk, and the abusers go unpunished. A mother in Haiti explained to us the desperate situations in which this sexual exploitation takes place: “We know which bars they go to. They come there to buy sex. I need the money to feed my children. Before we did not need to make money like this, but now there is no work or food.” One woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo told us: “Some of them pay money. But they also give you food or tarpaulin or things we need. Where else can we get these things?” Another woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo told us: “We stand near the bases because they come out looking for us at night.” Sometimes babies are born as a result, and women are left with little or no support for themselves or the child. A young woman in the Central African Republic told us: “They say they will pay for the baby. Many do not, but he did pay some money. But when he left the money stopped. Now I cannot go to school. I cannot afford to send my baby to school. What will happen to us?” Many women and their children suffer ongoing stigma and discrimination: “Everyone knows who is a MINUSTAH baby. They say things about us. They treat our children differently.” Child sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers is well known about within communities. Here is what one 13-year-old girl in the Central Central African Republic told us: “Sometimes they just ask you to take your clothes off so they can take photographs. But sometimes they say you are their girlfriend. Those ones give more money and help. But if you get pregnant they find someone else.” Many of the children describe the ongoing impact of being known to be exploited or abused: “We can’t go back to school because everyone knows. The others, they won’t come close to us. The teachers don’t want us there. Everyone knows who has been with the peacekeepers.” That was from a 12-year-old girl in Haiti. The abuse is not hidden. “Everyone knows who is doing it”, a little boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo told us. If everyone knows who is doing it, then it is incumbent upon all of us to act to prevent it. Keeping Children Safe calls on world leaders to champion the safety of children at the highest levels by requiring all organizations involved in peacekeeping to implement robust international child-safeguarding standards, including having advocates for victims’ rights, to prevent abuse, to protect the rights and dignity of victims and survivors and to help bring perpetrators to justice. But if we are going to have any real and sustained impact on this issue, then it is critical that we keep listening to the voices of those victims. So I will end with the words of a woman in Haiti, who told us: “I told them what he [the soldier] did to me. But they never told me what happened to him. Until I know what happened to him, I will never have peace”.

I thank Ms. Blakemore for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. I wish to thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Ms. Blakemore for their briefings and for their commitment to United Nations peacekeeping reform. In a speech to the General Assembly in 2003, President George W. Bush pointed out something important that the founding ideas of the United Nations and the United States have in common. He said: “Both recognize a moral law that stands above men and nations, but which must be defended and enforced by men and nations.” (A/58/PV.7, p. 12) Of all the activities in which the United Nations engages, peacekeeping best embodies this founding ideal. We ask our peacekeepers to go into dangerous situations and put themselves in between warring parties. We ask them to be brave and impartial and, above all, to protect some of the most vulnerable people in the world. We ask this all in the name of peace. But in the end, our peacekeepers are just men and women. They are human beings, and, although our ideals are perfect and eternal, human beings are imperfect and fallen. Our peacekeepers do much that is good. United Nations peacekeepers were instrumental in Côte d’Ivoire’s transition from civil war to peace. Now Côte d’Ivoire is paying it forward as an important new peacekeeping force for others. In Sierra Leone, our peacekeepers helped secure peace after a civil war of unspeakable violence. In the Congo, peacekeepers from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are enabling a response to the Ebola outbreak and standing ready to provide logistical support to elections in December. And in South Sudan, thousands of civilians are alive today because of protection-of-civilians sites created and maintained by United Nations peacekeepers. United Nations Mission in South Sudan peacekeepers recently partnered with humanitarian organizations to relocate 3,500 internally displaced persons, mostly women and children, from a protection-of-civilians site in Juba to a site in the community where they could reunite with their families. But those success stories are sadly overshadowed by other instances in which peacekeepers fail to live up to the ideals of their mission. In some cases, they are even destructive to our ideals. In instances when even a minority of peacekeepers abuse and exploit the citizens they are supposed to protect, that harm can overshadow the good. We hear far too many stories of vulnerable civilians who put their trust in peacekeepers, and our peacekeepers fail to protect them. Just last week we were reminded of the horrific events at the Terrain housing compound in Juba in 2016. A South Sudanese court just convicted soldiers loyal to President Kiir for raping aid workers and killing a journalist. An American was among the women raped. The attack lasted for hours, and during that time the victims reportedly called the United Nations peacekeepers’ station just a mile away. They begged for help, but no help came. These convictions are a measure of accountability for the men who committed those crimes, if not for the officers who led them. But what about the peacekeepers who failed to intervene? Where is the accountability for them? Peacekeeping is based on trust between the protected and the protectors. The United Nations puts peacekeepers in this position of trust. We, the Security Council, give them this power. We are responsible for what they do with it, not just for the sake of the victims, but for the sake of the mission, the United Nations and peacekeeping itself. Once that critical trust is gone, no matter how many resources a mission has or how strong its leadership, the mission will fail. Even worse than failures to protect are instances in which civilians have been attacked, abused and exploited by the peacekeepers who were supposed to protect them. We have all heard the stories, some of which Sarah has just described in haunting detail. The Council has just heard about young girls and boys grabbed off the streets; young girls forced to have sex with soldiers for as little as an egg to eat; sexual assaults so common that they are not reported; and young girls and women left alone to care for their so-called peacekeeping babies, after the rapists who fathered them have left the country. A farmer and mother of seven in the Central African Republic said it better than I could when she told a reporter: “We were told that the peacekeepers had come to protect us. Instead, we see that it is the peacekeepers who cause the rapes. It makes me sick”. It has been two years since the Security Council was briefed on horrific allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The Security Council recognized the need to take action in response to these violations and adopted resolution 2272 (2016), the first resolution to address the need to hold peacekeepers accountable for sexual exploitation and abuse. But two years later, we are still waiting for justice for the victims in Dekoa. We supported the Secretary- General in the repatriation of troops and police who display a pattern of abusive behaviour. Some critical steps have been taken and we applaud them, but we have an obligation to ensure that more is done. The United Nations own public reporting shows that several peacekeeping units have faced repeated allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, but those same allegations have remained pending for years. The perpetrators have gone unpunished and, unbelievably, some accused troops remain in United Nations missions, able to continue the abuse and to wield the power that they have — the power that we have given them. What message does that give to other peacekeepers? The United States acknowledges and appreciates the step that the Secretary-General has taken to address this crisis, and Member States have responded to the Secretary-General’s leadership by supporting United Nations initiatives to prevent and report sexual exploitation and abuse. The United States shares the Secretary-General’s commitment to peacekeeping performance across the board. The ongoing struggle to make progress in solving the problem has shown the need for clear, objective standards of performance and accountability. We need to create a culture of performance in United Nations peacekeeping. People such as the mother of seven I quoted earlier deserve to know that when the Blue Helmets arrive, they are not a threat but there to perform their duties in service of peace and security. The United States has introduced a new draft resolution to empower the Secretariat and accelerate progress on improving peacekeeping performance. Our draft advances three simple but critical peacekeeper performance priorities. First, it mandates a timely and transparent process for reporting performance failures to the Security Council and to the Member States concerned. We cannot fix what we do not know. Better information will help the Council, the Secretariat, troop- and police-contributing countries and donors work together to recruit, field and retain the most qualified and capable peacekeepers. Secondly, we create accountability measures for failures of performance and concrete incentives for stronger performance. Accountability is not a dirty word. We must ensure that our peacekeepers are capable, professional and willing to carry out the critical mandates with which they have been tasked. At the same time, we need to do a better job of recognizing, rewarding and replicating good performance. This draft resolution puts the force of the Security Council behind that too. And thirdly, our draft resolution recognizes the role of data in improving troop performance by matching the right troops and police to the right roles. Training and operational readiness, not politics, should be our criteria for deploying troop and police units. In the days ahead, I urge my colleagues to work with us on the draft resolution. They should bring their best ideas of how to incentivize better performance and hold all peacekeepers, in particular those in the positions of leadership, to the highest possible standards. Of course, we owe it to the victims of abuse and neglect, but we also owe it to the peacekeepers themselves. Their safety and security is directly linked to their performance. The men and women we send into harm’s way need to know that they are always serving alongside other peacekeepers who can be counted on to do their duty and not abuse their power. The people of the United States support the United Nations when it lives up to the ideals of its founding because we share those ideals. We ask Council members to help us show that such support is not misplaced and join us in the effort to ensure that the men and women who represent the United Nations to the world have the training, professionalism and character to match their high mission. Many vulnerable people in the world depend on us. They give us their trust. We owe them our protection. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to Council members who wish to make statements.

I make this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council — Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea. The three countries align themselves with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the African Union later today. I would like to thank Mr. Jean Pierre Lacroix, Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for his briefing on the progress made in the implementation of resolution 2378 (2017), and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for her enlightening and poignant briefing. Resolution 2378 (2017) was the first resolution to comprehensively address the issue of the reform of United Nations peacekeeping operations, following the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) (see S/2015/446), and it was adopted against the backdrop of the Secretary- General’s efforts to reform the United Nations peace and security architecture on the basis of the recommendations of the HIPPO report. We are pleased to note the outcome of the discussions in the various Committees of the General Assembly on restructuring the peace and security pillar. We hope that the current momentum will enable the United Nations to become better organized when responding to conflict and crisis situations, by adopting an approach that covers all pillars and political and operational responsibilities. We believe that it is important to continue to reform peacekeeping operations in order to implement the plans and vision of the United Nations international peace and security architecture to enable it to respond to the many challenges brought about by current crises. The issue of the reform of peacekeeping operations has sparked growing interest among all stakeholders since the high-level open debate convened in March under the presidency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (see S/PV.8218). That debate provided a good opportunity to discuss the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative. By the end of the debate, it was clear to us that, as underscored by the initiative, peacekeeping is above all a shared responsibility. Peacekeeping is not exclusive to troop- contributing countries, and effective reform efforts cannot focus solely on those countries. It is a collective endeavour that involves the States Members of the United Nations, the Security Council, host countries, troop-contributing countries, financial contributors and regional partners. Effective reform efforts require ongoing coordination among all key peacekeeping actors. That is why we welcome the notion of shared responsibility, highlighted in the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which was developed following a series of consultations among all Member States. We welcome the ever-increasing number of countries that are signing onto the Declaration as a sign of their commitment to supporting the reform efforts under way. We welcome the wealth of information that will be shared during the high-level event to be chaired by the Secretary-General on 25 September, on the sidelines of the general debate of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. Resolution 2378 (2017) underscored the importance of the proper implementation and follow-up of United Nations peacekeeping reform, in accordance with existing mandates and procedures. In that regard, the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which Côte d’Ivoire now chairs, has been tasked with reviewing reform initiatives, in close cooperation with all the relevant stakeholders. Over the past year, the Working Group has facilitated important discussions on peacekeeping reform, enhanced triangular cooperation, the protection of civilians, the role of women in peacekeeping, strategic force generation and capacity-building. The Group is vital in that it fosters discussions on various aspects of the reform and supports implementation and follow-up. With regard to strategic force generation and efforts to bridge existing gaps, important discussions took place in December 2017 under the Japanese presidency of the Security Council (see S/PV.8150), based on the quarterly report of the Secretary-General. We welcome the fact that the Secretariat has already taken important steps to improve United Nations force-generation processes and capacity-building. The outcome of the Vancouver Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference and pledges made at that event attest to the shared commitment of Members States. It is important that we honour the promises made at the conference. It is our view that progress on the issue requires ongoing efforts and political support from Member States. We look forward to the upcoming defence ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in spring 2019. Improving the performance and effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations is also an important issue highlighted in resolution 2378 (2017), and we note the ongoing efforts in that regard. It is essential to monitor the training and capacity of peacekeeping operations, in particular their military, police and civilian components, in order to enhance performance in important areas, such as the protection of civilians and the promotion of human rights. It is also vital that we all remain objective with regard to issues relating to the performance of peacekeeping operations. We must understand that the effective implementation of peacekeeping mandates is a responsibility shared by all stakeholders and that it depends on several critical factors. It is also imperative that we make every effort to ensure that civilian and uniformed personnel have the skills and training required in an increasingly complex operational environment. Without the right resources and skills to match their operational environment, it is difficult for contingents to discharge their mandated tasks. We cannot ask for more to be done with less. The Security Council must also shoulder its responsibility, in particular with regard to solving problems posed by “Christmas-tree” mandates, according to the term used by the Secretary-General. Its inability to formulate mandates defining realistic and achievable goals has been one the principal factors contributing to the difficulties that have been encountered in implementing them. The issue of performance should therefore be considered in the light of this problem if we are to make progress on it. One of the important pillars of the ongoing reform of United Nations peacekeeping operations is the strengthening of partnerships with regional and subregional organizations, particularly the African Union. The African countries that are members of the Security Council are pleased with the progress that has been made in the framework of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, with closer collaboration, more regular exchanges of information, more thorough consultations and better- coordinated action. In that regard, we look forward to the comprehensive integrated performance policy framework that the Secretariat is working on at the request of the Special Committee on peacekeeping Operations. It is also important to ensure that peacekeeping operations take account of the gender aspect, in accordance with resolutions 1325 (2000) and 2242 (2015). We all recognize the importance of improving the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding for African peace operations authorized by the Security Council. In resolution 2378 (2017), the Council expressed its intention to consider the practical arrangements that can be made and the conditions necessary for establishing a mechanism by which African peace operations authorized by the Council under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations can be partly financed through statutory contributions on a case-by-case basis. To that end, considerable efforts have been made to strengthen the mechanisms for the establishment of mandates and the management, control and accountability of African peace operations, as well as to finalize frameworks regarding respect for human rights, conduct and discipline. These are all requirements that can help to achieve the objectives of accountability, transparency and respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law, in accordance with United Nations standards for conduct and discipline. These concerns are fully reflected in the Secretary- General’s latest report, issued in July (S/2018/678). We therefore believe it is time that the Council translated into concrete action its expressed intention to fund African peace operations on a case-by-case basis. We will continue to advocate for achieving this important goal, which we believe is vital to strengthening the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in the context of collective security. We will work closely with all members of the Council in the next few months to advance the discussions, building on the positive momentum generated in recent years by resolutions 2320 (2016) and 2378 (2017). We hope that this dynamic will be further consolidated in the coming months under the Ivorian and Equatorial Guinean presidencies of the Security Council, where we hope to have the support of all the member States of the Council for the adoption of two resolutions on the financing of African peace operations and the African Union’s Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative.

We thank Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for his briefing and appreciate his views. We also thank Ms. Blakemore for her briefing and her emotional testimony. Peacebuilding is unquestionably one of the main pillars of the United Nations, and peacekeeping operations are an irreplaceable part of the maintenance of international peace and security through conflict resolution. That is why issues related to improving peacekeeping missions and increasing the efficiency and security of Blue Helmets are always a focus of attention for Member States and the Secretariat. We appreciate the Secretary-General’s initiative and personal efforts in this area, including his proposal for a Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. Many of the provisions of this document deserve support. We have endorsed it, but with reservations. For example, we do not support equating the tasks of monitoring human rights and protecting civilians, since the latter could involve the use of force by peacekeepers. Nevertheless, it is important that close attention be paid to peacekeeping’s effectiveness, which means ultimately that Member States, with the help of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34), should be able to reach a consensus solution. One of the issues that should be resolved is that of increasing the effectiveness of the work of peacekeepers and civilian personnel and strengthening discipline. We believe that requires a complex and comprehensive approach, based on cooperation between the Security Council, the troop-contributing countries, the host countries and the Secretariat. It is important not only to have an honest, constructive conversation, but to ensure that all the links in the chain fulfil their obligations in good faith. Needless to say, where improving the overall effectiveness of peacekeeping efforts is concerned, only extremely clear and well-defined mission mandates, with an emphasis on political solutions, can help to achieve substantive results. During strategic reviews of missions their mandates should be systematically purged and their peripheral human rights, humanitarian and social tasks handed over to their host Governments. Of course, the effectiveness of the Blue Helmets depends directly on transparent, comprehensible work by the Secretariat. Training aids, concepts and guidelines should correspond fully with the parameters defined by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and should make implementation clear and understandable. Unfortunately, not everything is perfect in that regard. One of the most vivid examples of disregard for Member States’ decisions is the collection and analysis of information, or so-called intelligence in peacebuilding. The first version of the concept document contradicted States’ decisions. And as we understand, it is proposed that the second, reworked version be implemented without the C-34’s full consideration and approval. Needless to say, we do not share this approach to such a sensitive issue. With regard to performance standards, they should include an assessment of the performance of all the components of peacekeeping missions, as well as of the Secretariat in New York. The corresponding methodology should be based on clear and precise benchmarks and should therefore exclude any possibility of a biased or subjective approach to determining whether contingents are ineffective. There is another tough issue that I cannot avoid. Unfortunately, the statistics on sexual crimes are not a cause for optimism. The problem deserves close attention, and we heard emotional evidence to that effect today from Ms. Blakemore. But the notion of entire contingents’ collective responsibility for individual, though inexcusable crimes raises reasonable questions. However, this is not just about crimes where the accused are Blue Helmets. The zero-tolerance policy should apply equally to non-United Nations peacekeepers and representatives of non-governmental organizations accredited to the United Nations. In general, we assume that the parameters for reform of United Nations peacekeeping activities should be determined in a format organized among States. That is how it has been established in the reports of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations that the General Assembly approves by consensus every year. And the implementation of initiatives should also be carried out with full consideration for the opinions and concerns of Member States. However, unconditional compliance with the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping — the consent of the parties, impartiality, refraining from the use of force except in self-defence and protection of the mandate — is central to these reform processes. Any flexible interpretation of them, even for the most benign reasons, is unacceptable. These basic principles should govern every aspect of missions’ work, including the protection of civilians where that is enshrined in the mandate. There can be no possibility that peacekeepers can suddenly draw their swords and become aggressors in a conflict, let alone use force against host Governments, which have the primary responsibility for the security of their populations. And we also have questions about the proposals to transform peacekeeping into a tool for the use of force or discussions about introducing Blue Helmets into offensive or counter-terrorist operations. That approach would turn them into targets. We should pay attention to the fact that the rising numbers of deaths among peacekeepers in the past few years has been taking place just when the mandates of certain missions have been being strengthened. At the same time, we fully concur with the importance of increasing peacekeepers’ safety, which could be done by improving their professional equipment and material and technical training. In conclusion, I would like to comment on the proposal of the United States on the draft Security Council document on peacekeeping performance. During the discussion on it we will of course be guided by the approaches I have just described. However, with regard to the general nature of the issue, we believe that whatever the decisions we make, it is important that they have the full support not only of Council members but also of the troop-contributing countries. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations is best suited for that, as it provides an effective platform for this kind of trilateral cooperation format. We do not believe that the Council should try to bypass the C-34 and get involved in micromanagement, although it will unquestionably be important to send a political signal about the importance of improving peacekeeping performance. That can be done in a separate presidential statement.

We thank the United States presidency for drawing attention to the issue of peacekeeping’s successful performance and effectiveness. We thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Ms. Blakemore for their comprehensive and informative briefings. Kazakhstan is fully committed to strengthening and improving United Nations peacekeeping capabilities through well-defined, clear and achievable mandates, the appointment of highly qualified and competent personnel from various disciplines and the provision of adequate equipment and funding resources. My delegation would like to make some observations and recommendations on some key points. Today we are at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges that demand transformative changes involving reforms, innovative approaches and, most of all, new yardsticks for measuring performance in every sector of United Nations peacekeeping. The effectiveness of peacekeeping is being questioned, particularly with regard to the many problems that it is encountering, and which teach many important lessons with regard to decisions on how and when to deploy peacekeepers and the kind of structures and streamlining that are required to support United Nations peacekeeping. It is in that regard that the road maps outlined in the reports of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (see S/2000/809) and the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (see S/2015/446), on the peacebuilding architecture, together with resolution 1325 (2000) and the Secretary- General’s plan of action, deserve full consideration. Effectiveness can also be measured not just in its ability to bring conflicts to an end but also in how it sets the stage for lasting peace and sustainable development. It is in that regard that Kazakhstan has proposed an innovative threefold strategy for preventing and addressing conflicts, which combines a security- development nexus with revamped regional and whole-of-system approaches to enhancing efficiency and accountability. Where mandates are concerned, it can be difficult to assess performance because of the expansive scope of the objectives that some mandates encompass. Some of the tasks involved are defined differently by different Member States and the mandates of individual peace operations often make demands that go beyond reasonable expectations. More realistic goals would help to improve the effectiveness of United Nations missions, reduce human suffering, prevent violent conflict beyond States’ borders and promote conflict resolution. Another factor is the evolution of situations over time, which requires ongoing monitoring throughout the peacekeeping cycle so that policies can be modified, strategies adapted and exits planned. In addition, the success of peacekeeping missions’ operations can be measured by mandate performance, and the degree to which they facilitate the resolution and containment of conflict and limit casualties. Results can also be evaluated at the strategic level in terms of political stability rather than the implementation of purely operational and tactical measures. Performance assessment should also include the use of technology to enhance mandate implementation, including the protection of civilians, interoperability as a prerequisite for effective operations, information sharing, medical support, camp and installation security and mobile communications and information platforms. We must also strive for effects-based and performance-focused standards if we are to have measurable, indicator- driven reporting. Investigations into any kind of malpractice should be transparent and available to all. The potential of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, which is a valuable tool with a unique database of Member States’ peacekeeping capabilities and deficiencies, should be fully employed. There are several stakeholders in peace operations. Different actors have different goals or assign different priorities to shared goals, which is why the two need to be able to converge. Police-contributing countries and troop-contributing countries (TCCs) also face the dilemma of simultaneously balancing the safety of their own United Nations personnel with the protection of civilians. Improving the accountability of United Nations peacekeepers is an ongoing challenge. While most give heroic service, some in the field lack equipment or have exhibited poor performance and blatant misconduct, especially where sexual exploitation and abuse are concerned. Such deficiencies require stringent organizational accountability measures aimed at ending all impunity. In order to make peacekeepers more effective, the whole United Nations system must be accountable. The United Nations should also strengthen its cooperation with regional and subregional organizations through a comprehensive strategy for conflict prevention and resolution, with investments in development, as we mentioned in connection to our threefold strategy. We fully support building new and comprehensive partnerships with the African Union, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and other structures and groups of countries for resolving regional and country-specific conflicts with a view to enhancing peacekeeping performance. We are confident that the active involvement and engagement of new countries in United Nations peacekeeping, including through co-deployments, can bring fresh vigour, new blood and greater efficiency to peace operations. Kazakhstan is committed to increasing its contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations by co-deploying its unit with that of India to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and deploying more officers to United Nations peacekeeping missions. We are also working on certification by the United Nations of the courses of the KAZCENT peacekeeping training centre, which has been recognized for reaching the highest international standards. Furthermore, bringing new TCCs into United Nations peacekeeping enhances the credibility and effectiveness of United Nations missions and promotes cooperation and collective responsibility among countries, regional organizations and the world community as a whole. Lastly, Kazakhstan stands ready to work on increasing the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through a concerted multilateral effort.

At the outset, we would like to thank you, Madam President, for holding today’s meeting. We also thank Under- Secretary-General Lacroix and Ms. Blakemore for their valuable briefings. Despite the fact that the Charter of the United Nations does not address peacekeeping operations in any of its articles, they are currently the Organization’s most costly and important activities, as well the most important tool that the Security Council has at its disposal for the maintenance of international peace and security. I will address three aspects of this topic — first, pathways for reform; secondly, rewards and accountability; and thirdly, dealing with problems. First, with regard to pathways to reform, political solutions and the Security Council’s responsibility for maintaining international peace and security take priority when we discuss peacekeeping operations. In discussing implementing or reviewing reforms, we should always keep in mind the importance of respect for States’ sovereignty and for the three principles of peacekeeping — the consent of the States concerned, impartiality and refraining from the use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate. Reforms start with the definition of clear and meaningful mandates that support an existing political process, followed by the development of specific, measurable tasks and subsequently a review of the collective efforts of the Secretariat, the Security Council and the troop-contributing countries (TCCs) with the aim of establishing shortcomings and achievements. Resolution 2378 (2017) is an important point of reference that guides the Security Council in its deliberations. The Council is currently discussing reform at various levels, including the Secretary-General’s initiatives, which we support, in its resolutions or through its subsidiary bodies. Our debate focuses on our ultimate common goal of achieving sustainable peace by providing elements of success in the area of peacekeeping, such as trained personnel at the operational, theoretical and linguistic levels; ensuring the necessary equipment; defining clear policies; and carrying out detailed reviews. In that regard, I reaffirm that we stand ready to cooperate with the United States and other States Members of the Security Council with regard to adopting a draft resolution in the coming days to support various aspects of reform and develop peacekeeping operations based on previous understandings that would eventually contribute to the development of peacekeeping both at Headquarters and in the field, and then move it to higher levels. Secondly, concerning rewards and accountability, we have long discussed and even sometimes disagreed on the issue of accountability in cases of failure. We also must consider the many achievements of peacekeeping operations. The past 70 years of peacekeeping have seen myriad examples of success stories in which peacekeeping operations implemented their mandates as required, with minimum casualties and loss of life and money. The United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission, which ran from 1991 to 2003, is but one example of such success stories. The efforts of the Secretariat this month, led by the Secretary-General, deserve support and commendation. These include the announcement of the shared commitments and the Secretariat action plan regarding the report of retired Lieutenant General Santos Cruz, entitled Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers, in addition to earlier reports and plans. In that regard, the efforts of the Secretariat include policies to establish the values of accountability, discipline and excellence, while respecting States’ sovereignty when dealing with situations pertaining to their uniformed personnel. Six months ago, the Secretary-General listed the elements of an initiative concerning peacekeeping, of which performance is an essential elements. We look forward to working with the Secretariat in order to develop an informed and integrated plan for peacekeeping operations and their reviews. That leads me to my third aspect, which concerns addressing negative phenomena, including sexual exploitation and abuse. That requires concerted efforts on our part to eliminate them. In that regard, we must support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy. We also appreciate the rapid and firm response of TCCs to cases in which discipline is violated. As for the protection of civilians, which is at the core of the majority of peacekeeping troops, it is achieved only when civilians feel safe from all threats regardless of their source. Such threats against civilians constitute a red line and are totally unacceptable, whether at the level of the mission, the United Nations with all its organs, or United Nations membership. In conclusion, we pay tribute to the sacrifices made by peacekeepers over more than 70 years of protecting civilian lives. We commend the participation of Member States in peacekeeping, be it by contributing troops, providing materiel and equipment and training, or sharing expertise, which are necessary for the success of peacekeeping operations.

We very much welcome this annual debate on peacekeeping and the implementation of resolution 2378 (2017), which takes place within the context of our collective efforts to strengthen peacekeeping and move from words to action in making peace operations fit for the twenty-first century. I want to thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for sharing her very important perspective and the important work that she and her organization do. I believe that this is an appropriate occasion to pay tribute to the thousands of women and men peacekeepers who do a tremendously important and courageous job every day in implementing decisions by the Security Council, often in complex and dangerous circumstances. Sweden aligns itself with the statement to be delivered later today by the observer of the European Union. We stand firmly behind the Secretary-General’s reform agenda, while putting prevention and sustaining peace at the heart of our efforts. We also strongly support the Secretary-General’s action plan for peacekeeping initiative to strengthen global partnerships. Its holistic approach, in which performance together with peacebuilding, partnerships, people and politics form the basis, will make United Nations delivery more effective and efficient on the ground, but that requires that the United Nations as a whole be able to engage flexibly and effectively throughout the conflict cycle, from prevention to transition. Peacekeeping is one of the most effective instruments available in that regard and a crucial means to protect civilians and create conditions for successful political processes. It is also our most costly and exposed instrument, and it will be truly effective only if all other parts of the system fall into place. Today, I will focus on three aspects that we find particularly important to the discussion on peacekeeping and performance, namely, situational awareness, strong leadership and accountability of our peacekeepers. First, for the Council to be able to engage effectively in conflict prevention, management and resolution, access to candid and timely information and analysis is critical. That is also crucial for ensuring the safety and security of both peacekeepers and civilians. We therefore welcome the Secretary-General’s efforts to streamline and coordinate information and situational awareness within the Secretariat and encourage the continued implementation of the new policy on peacekeeping intelligence. Secondly, the Secretary-General’s reform agenda foresees a greater delegation of authority to the field. That, together with the multidimensional nature of peace operations, requires well-prepared and cohesive leadership on the ground. Crisis management situations also require clearly defined roles and chains of command. Thirdly, making peacekeeping more effective and efficient is a shared responsibility between troop- and police-contributing countries, Member States, the United Nations and host States. It also requires a broad approach to performance encompassing military, police and civilian personnel. We welcome the development of a comprehensive performance policy on peacekeeping. Harmonized and integrated standards and guidelines are crucial in the field. In addition, enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, not least of which the African Union, is important for increased effectiveness. Uniformed units must have the right training, skills and equipment to be able to protect civilians as well as themselves and to deliver on mandates. We need to hold troop- and police-contributing countries accountable in that regard but also support predeployment training, including in human rights and international humanitarian law. Sweden, as a contributing country, will continue to take full responsibility for its units so that they are fully trained and equipped to meet the challenges that they face in their peacekeeping missions. We also commit to continue our support to other troop- and police-contributing countries through training and capacity-building. Experience clearly shows that women’s participation in peacekeeping missions increases operational effectiveness and performance. Women’s participation and active engagement in peace processes and peacebuilding are also crucial for achieving sustainable peace. We must all step up our efforts and deliver on promises to include more women in those processes and in our missions. We also stress the importance of the full implementation of the human rights due diligence policy, the human rights screening policy and the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. Those are all important measures for preventing violence and abuse in connection to peacekeeping, and, as such, they contribute to strengthening the legitimacy of United Nations operations. Cases of abuse, such as those we heard during Sarah Blakemore’s testimony here today, are unacceptable and must be followed up both for the victims and to ensure accountability for individual perpetrators. Lastly, in two weeks’ time the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations will be adopted. We will endorse the Declaration and call on others to do the same. We believe that the performance of peacekeeping can be improved if we all live up to our joint commitments and the implementation of the Declaration.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this important debate today. I also thank the Under-Secretary-General and Ms. Blakemore for their briefings. I believe that there has been a huge amount of progress and important successful outcomes concerning the peacekeeping agenda over the past 10 years. At the same time, Sarah Blakemore’s testimony reminds us that there is a long way to go, but I believe that it would be right to begin by joining my Swedish colleague in commending the 100,000 United Nations uniformed peacekeepers and the 14,000 civilian peacekeepers and their commitment to delivering international peace and security. The vast majority of these men and women are courageous and they operate in incredibly challenging conditions. As the Under-Secretary- General mentioned, 138 lost their lives last year. We pay tribute to their sacrifice and we thank their families for allowing them to carry out the very difficult jobs they do. We, the Council, are responsible for their deployment. We need to do our utmost to improve the safety and security of all peacekeepers and to make sure that peacekeeping is as effective and efficient as possible. That means having high-performing peacekeeping missions. We need to get the best possible impact from the $7 billion we spend annual on United Nations peacekeeping, but I also want to say that we need to have multidimensional peacekeeping. I do not agree that missions should not look at human rights and humanitarian factors. These are conflict drivers; they are root causes; they need to be fixed. We cannot turn the clock back, so we need military, political and development solutions. The Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative provides the basis for making a reality of getting more impact for our money. We are proud to have endorsed the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping and we encourage other Member States to join. I would like to highlight four particular areas where I think we should concentrate our efforts to have peacekeeping be more effective. First, we must get it right from the start. That involves planning. The Council has an important role to play in improving performance. That starts with the mandates we authorize, which need to be realistic, achievable and developed on the basis of frank advice from the Secretariat, as well as robust debate by the Council. In turn, we look to the Secretariat to use our peacekeeping resources effectively and to match capabilities to requirements. We often talk about the United Nations breaking down silos. I would just recall that in Darfur, there are some 27 different United Nations entities on the ground. That requires coordination, planning, a comparative advantage approach and a United Nations- wide approach. Secondly, we must make sure that it works. A number of speakers this morning have drawn attention to the critical importance of performance. Peacekeepers on the ground need to be equipped, capable and willing to do the job we ask of them. That means we need to strengthen training, both before deployment and as troops are in the field. We need the light coordination mechanism on training to be made operational as quickly as possible. That mechanism needs to enable better matching-up of those that can provide capacity- building and equipment with those that need support. As the Under-Secretary-General mentioned, we need to do more than pay lip service to the role of women. We should make this a priority. At the London Defence Ministerial, some 63 countries, including many represented in this Chamber, called for the doubling of the number of women in military and peace contingents by 2020. I hope that we can all play a part in making that a reality. For the United Kingdom’s part, we have launched the Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Staff Network, and we hope that it will promote ways to integrate gender perspectives into military planning and operations, and thereby improve numbers. Third is the feedback loop. Checking that we know what works and continuous improvement requires a robust and objective evaluation of mission performance. As you said, Madam President, processes must be transparent and we need better accountability. Between us, we have huge amounts of knowledge to draw on, and I hope that the Secretariat will be able to speed up the development of a comprehensive performance policy. Fourthly, we must recognize when we get it wrong. The failure to be transparent and maintain a culture of accountability can lead to shocking abuses, as Ms. Blakemore was able to outline today. We strongly support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy and we look to its implementation. The United Kingdom has provided about $3 million to support the Secretary-General’s efforts, and our voluntary funding has improved system-wide coordination and enabled robust vetting and mandatory predeployment training. It is also important that we have good communication so that we can focus on providing redress for victims. In conclusion, we need to be confident that our peacekeeping missions are fulfilling their mandates to protect civilians and we need to be equally confident that they are fulfilling their duty to protect our own mission personnel. We therefore need to fulfil our own duty to ensure that these missions are supported and given the necessary resources so they can do their jobs.

We would like to thank you, Madam President, for convening this debate and Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for their important briefings. This meeting is particularly timely in view of the draft resolution on the performance of peacekeeping operations that we have been considering and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which Peru supports and hopes to adopt in the General Assembly. As troop contributors, we wish to emphasize the importance of coordination and cooperation among contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat. We welcome the reforms being promoted in that regard by Secretary-General António Guterres and his Action for Peacekeeping initiative. It is important to implement and evaluate the mandates of the Council more consistently, efficiently and effectively in support of specific political processes and the protection of civilians, following an inclusive and operationally complementary approach. To that end, we recall that resolution 2378 (2017) stipulates that data related to the performance of peacekeeping operations should be centralized by the Secretariat in order to improve the corresponding analysis and evaluation, on the basis of clear and well-identified parameters. In that regard, we believe that support for a given political process should follow a comprehensive strategy coordinated with relevant actors, including regional actors. The performance of a mission should be evaluated in terms of the actual capacities that exist to fulfil its mandates. That includes, among other measures and as appropriate, the development of operational intelligence capabilities and of exit strategies aimed at sustained peace, coordinated with the Government and other national actors concerned, such as the Peacebuilding Commission and the United Nations country team. Peacekeeping operations must also be properly trained to fulfil the primary responsibility to protect civilians, and in particular the most vulnerable. That requires a minimum training for Blue Helmets in international humanitarian law and human rights, including a gender approach to preventing and dealing with sexual violence. Peru adheres to the policy of zero tolerance for cases of sexual exploitation and abuse. We have signed the voluntary compact proposed by the Secretary-General, and we wish to express our recognition and support for his leadership and action in that area. Additionally, we stress that the necessary interaction with the civilian population and the promotion of preventive and inclusive approaches also require the fuller participation of women in peace operations and in the respective political processes. We have also been increasing the participation of women in the six missions in which we participate. Women represent nearly 15 per cent of our deployed personnel and we are working to continue to increase that number. Peru recognizes the need for minimum performance standards for troop contributors. To that end, a thorough and updated knowledge of the expectations, challenges and requirements of the respective mission is required, as well as the corresponding operational capabilities and training. In view of the increasing complexity of mandates, we underscore the need to improve mission planning and to follow through with pledges of specialized capabilities. We also stress the need for performance evaluations, rather than being punitive, to be oriented towards remedying any shortcomings detected in the training phase and in the execution of the mandate. In order to do so and in line with resolution 2378 (2017), we stress the importance of ensuring dynamic and flexible support for activities on the ground by encouraging innovation to improve implementation and results with a view to strengthening the overall effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. From that perspective, we believe it necessary to rethink the current format of interaction between the Secretariat and troop contributors with a view to generating a more dynamic and in-depth dialogue on performance standards, objectives and indicators. We conclude by reaffirming our commitment to peacekeeping operations, which, in the words of the Secretary-General, represent a minimal investment in the face of global military expenditure that has the potential to multiply growth and prosperity in the host countries.

At the outset, I would like to thank you, Madam President, for organizing this important debate and the Under-Secretary- General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, for his particularly enlightening briefing, as well as Ms. Blakemore for her valuable testimony. Peacekeeping reform is a central issue for the future of the United Nations. The Blue Helmets are the most visible face of the Organization. Every day, under difficult conditions, they contribute to safeguarding ceasefires, protecting civilian populations from abuses and maintaining a fragile peace that, without their presence, would very quickly collapse. Therefore, not only must we pay tribute to them, but we also owe it to them to do everything possible to enable them to work effectively in the service of peace. Much has been accomplished in recent years, but more remains to be done. That is why France fully supports the Secretary-General in his undertaking to reform the peace and security pillar of the United Nations. For their part, more than 50 States, including France, have already endorsed the Action for Peacekeeping initiative that we will adopt at the summit on 25 September. It is an important success for the Secretary-General, the United Nations and all of us. Among the elements of that reform, the question of the performance of peacekeeping operations is essential to the credibility of the action of peacekeeping forces. The report authored by retired Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, entitled Improving security of United Nations peacekeepers, which was commissioned by the Secretary-General, proposed many improvements that the Secretariat has begun to energetically implement. That is a good thing, and France encourages the Secretariat to continue on that path. To contribute to improving the performance of those operations, there are three key components that I would like to underscore. First, I will address training both before and during missions, which includes of course basic military operational training and linguistic training. As everyone knows, France is working in both of those areas. The Blue Helmets deployed in the field must benefit from that training so as to deliver their best performance, particularly in the event of a change in mandate. To that end, triangular cooperation offers many advantages and benefits both for troop-contributing countries and for third countries. France plays a leading role in such cooperation by supporting the training of nearly 30,000 French-speaking African soldiers each year, and intends to continue its efforts in that regard. Secondly, it is necessary to improve force generation. Better mobilization of the armed forces and police, improving their projection capabilities and mobility and increasing the ratio of women within contingents are key elements of peacekeeping performance. There is still work to be done there, but we are confident that the Action for Peacekeeping initiative will make great strides in that regard. Thirdly, it is essential that a proper performance assessment be put in place and that cases of underperformance be addressed. A frank and open exchange must take place between the Secretariat and the troop- and police-contributing countries in the event of proven underperformance in order to better identify the various pitfalls that have led to those situations and to rectify them, even if, in the event of failure and especially in the case of abuses, we will need to consider repatriating the troops concerned. That is crucial to the effectiveness of missions, the security of other contingents and the successful implementation of mandates, particularly with respect to the protection of civilians. In the same vein, it is important that the quality of the work of the most efficient contingents be recognized and acknowledged. But the performance of peacekeeping operations is not limited to the military and police aspects of the operations concerned. The performance of civilian elements and the quality of mission organization must also be assessed. Some structural flaws can have very concrete consequences. To cite but one example, France is very concerned about the lack of real progress on the coherence and responsiveness of the health-care chain of command, the shortcomings of which could endanger the lives of the Blue Helmets on the ground. Finally, there must be zero tolerance towards peacekeepers and civilian personnel who are guilty of sexual assault. It is not possible to overemphasize the crucial importance for the Blue Helmets and civilian peacekeepers to exhibit exemplary and responsible behaviour, especially at a time when the actions I have referred to can undermine the credibility of our work and the trust of the civilian population in the United Nations. Our goal is to create a real culture of performance backed by clear, accountability and incentive mechanisms. That is the best way for us to collectively respond to professional United Nations bashers, who will always find themselves repudiated by France. Performance cannot be judged out of context, however. Blue Helmets and civilian members of missions work within the specific framework of their mandate. I take this opportunity to reiterate the urgent need for those operations to have a clear, sequenced and prioritized mandate in the service of well-defined and transparent political objectives. That imperative must guide our daily work. To that end, France is working on all the mandates for which we are responsible in our capacity as penholder. It is also key to ensure that operations have the necessary resources. Indeed, without funding commensurate with mandates, the entire functioning of a mission is weakened, along with the safety and security of United Nations personnel. That essential point also falls under our collective responsibility. I cannot conclude without reiterating the importance of proper coordination and cooperation of peacekeeping operations with the various local and regional actors on the ground. In that regard, I fully share the opinion expressed by my colleague and friend from Côte d’Ivoire on behalf of the three African countries on the Council. Regional organizations play an increasingly important role in the promotion of peace and security. That is the case with the European Union, but also and above all of the African Union and the continent’s subregional organizations. Their operations add irreplaceable value and are in full complement of those conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. That is why strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union is a top priority of our work, and why we must effectuate United Nations support for African peace operations as soon as possible, which is one of France’s strategic priorities.

First of all, I should like to thank the United States presidency for holding this debate ahead of the upcoming high-level meeting on action for peacekeeping. Let me also express my appreciation to Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for their remarks and valuable inputs during today’s discussion. Poland would approach performance in United Nations peacekeeping operations from a holistic perspective, as a collective effort that is well integrated into the wider context of the engagement of the whole of the United Nations system to improve peacekeeping and as an endeavour of the entire international community, rather than that of only isolated incidents involving the actions of inefficient peacekeepers. Thus we need to address all stakeholders, including members of the Security Council, and ask how our declarations and words translate into real action. Let me focus on three points today. I should like to begin with one of the key elements in building an effective and efficient performance culture in the Organization: information-sharing. We see information and data-driven analysis as the founding principle of and entry point to improved peacekeeping. It serves the efforts of all stakeholders in strengthening missions’ effectiveness and efficiency. Better situational awareness improves planning and makes it possible to identify clear and well-understood benchmarks. Subsequently, realistic plans serve as precise guides for troop-contributing countries (TCCs) in their pre-deployment training. This chain reaction is what leads to the effective implementation of a mandate and is indispensable in missions’ ultimate goal of protecting civilians and United Nations personnel. Poland is also a strong believer in tailored pre-deployment training and the provision of adequate equipment to our troops. Such mission-specific preparations are possible only when TCCs are provided with the full operational, political, geographical and security picture. Thus we would underline the importance and necessity of implementing and integrating peacekeeping intelligence capabilities as part of the information culture in the field and at United Nations Headquarters. The second point I would like to touch upon today is communication. The role of the Secretariat, the Security Council and TCCs in this process must be underscored. In this regard, Poland welcomes the openness and transparency that characterized the consultations on the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. This approach should be adopted as a regular procedure in discussions on such vital topics as peacekeeping. Additionally, we should not overlook the power of communication in the process of putting political pressure on key stakeholders or the need to include host nations as they play a pivotal role in and take ownership of the national political process. While we all agree on the primacy of politics in conflict resolution and the leading role of host States in political processes and the protection of their own citizens, the process poses a challenge: how to address the issue of unsatisfactory progress and engagement by the host State, and how should we, the international community, address such shortfalls when they become evident? I believe that the best answer is for the Security Council to speak in unison, followed by collective and orchestrated action. My third point focuses on the steps that should be taken to ensure the effective involvement of women in peacekeeping operations. Education in the basics should be provided so as to create and develop adequate capacity among women and girls, which is essential for them to be recruited for leadership positions. Moreover, as the United Nations military force depends on Member States’ contributions, it is crucial to focus on the challenges that women face within individual States’ military recruitment processes. Women, as they are the main victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, should have an active role in the system for monitoring such exploitation and abuse, including direct access to and full participation in determining the scope of a perpetrator’s punishment. Poland strongly supports establishing monitoring units on sexual exploitation and abuse, with the highest ranks or positions therein reserved for women, as the best providers of solutions. The special report on safeguarding children prepared by Keeping Children Safe highlights current initiatives such as the e-learning training programme on sexual exploitation and abuse for personnel deployed on missions. It is strongly advised that such actions be implemented as a tool for further reducing the number of related complaints. In conclusion, I should like to emphasize the wider context of peacekeeping that is reflected in the Secretary-General’s reform of the security pillar. The reform process should create a supportive environment both in the Secretariat and in the missions. Efforts to improve the performance of the reformed security pillar should take into account the interconnectivity of all of the elements of and stakeholders participating in United Nations peacekeeping. I should like to underscore Poland’s strong support for the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative. Poland was among the very first countries to endorse the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.

I wish warmly to thank you, Madam President, for putting the key issue of improving the performance of peacekeepers on our agenda. It is one of the three priorities for the Kingdom of the Netherlands during our membership in the Council. I also thank Mr. Lacroix and Ms. Blakemore for their briefings. May I add that I was deeply impressed by Ms. Blakemore’s testimony on the criminal abuse of children by peacekeepers. This is simply unacceptable, and I think that she has strengthened our common resolve to end such crimes. To quote the Secretary-General, “At its best, United Nations peacekeeping is a remarkable enterprise of multilateralism and international solidarity.” (S/PV.8218, p. 2) But peacekeeping has its dark chapters, and we in the Netherlands know that all too well from our own history. Today United Nations peacekeeping faces serious challenges, so let me first pay tribute to and commemorate the brave Blue Helmets, women and men, who have given their lives for a safer world. We were honoured that the Secretary-General launched his Action for Peacekeeping initiative during the Dutch presidency of the Council, in March, in the presence of our Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, and that of the Minister of Defence of Côte d’Ivoire, on behalf of President Ouattara (see S/PV.8218). We were pleased to play a role in co-facilitating, together with other members of the Council, the Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, and we salute the leadership of Côte d’Ivoire as Chair of the Council’s Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and our cooperation on the presidential statement we adopted on 14 May (S/PRST/2018/10). We look forward to the high-level event on peacekeeping, to be held in two weeks, and we are heartened to see so many countries recommit themselves the great enterprise of peacekeeping in such a short time. We encourage those countries that have not yet signed on to the Declaration to do so; indeed, I see that the representatives of some of those countries are present here today. Today we will focus on performance, which is a key element of the reform of United Nations peacekeeping. In that light, I will focus on three issues: first, women in peacekeeping; secondly, performance and accountability; and, thirdly, training and effective force generation. Of course, I align myself with the statement to be made later today by the observer of the European Union. First, increasing the number of uniformed women in peace operations is essential. I welcome Mr. Lacroix’s personal commitment, which he has just expressed, to the issue. As the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations stated in its 2017 report, the meaningful participation of women at all levels and in all pillars of a mission is key to the operational effectiveness, the success and sustainability of peace processes and peacebuilding efforts. Therefore, we look forward to the furhter development of a gender- sensitive force- and police-generation strategy by the Secretariat. We welcome the development of female engagement teams and efforts to institutionalize such teams in deployments by troop-contributing countries. We also support initiatives by Member States and the United Nations, such as the Elsie initiative and the UN- Women female military officers course. We try to do our part. Together with Spain, we organize a yearly female peacekeepers course. Secondly, with regard to performance and accountability, we need a comprehensive and integrated performance policy with clear standards as an important basis to provide guidance and improve accountability. The same holds true for scrutiny in vetting and transparent evaluation standards. Adherence to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse demands our continuous attention. Part of the moral compass of peacekeepers should be a very simple rule — there is no such thing as an equal and consensual relationship between peacekeepers and residents of local communities. It simply does not exist. In our view, the Secretariat and missions can further improve data- and intelligence-based analysis and decision-making. It is obvious that being aware of the context and security situation, in real time, in their area of operations is vital to missions and to the safety of peacekeepers. In asymmetrical environments, peacekeeping intelligence is even more crucial. Therefore, we strongly support the development of that concept. Excellence in duties and leadership should be rewarded. We must continue to learn from positive and negative lessons We welcome the use of independent strategic reviews in that regard. We call on the Secretariat to continue to further enhance measures to inform the Council of the planning and outcomes of such reviews. We welcome your initiative, Madam President, for a draft resolution on peacekeeping and we will continue to work closely with you and your team to ensure its maximum impact. Thirdly, on the issue of training and force generation, the report prepared by Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, entitled Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers, stated that United Nations mission leadership and contributing countries must change their mindset. They must be willing to take risks and show willingness to adapt to the new realities United Nations peacekeeping faces. We fully agree. It is essential that missions possess well-trained and equipped personnel. Missions must have the right capabilities to implement the tasks mandated by the Council. The United Nations must continue to refine and further develop training so that peacekeepers can perform their tasks with confidence and decisiveness. The training should include special leadership modules. The United Nations and its Member States should do more to better coordinate training and address specific training needs. There are more ways to strengthen the impact of peacekeeping, such as innovative force generation, smart pledging and the use of annual rotation schemes. We welcome initiatives from Member States and the Secretariat to identify good practices and further improve force generation. The Council has a specific responsibility. We need to provide more tailor-made solutions for the challenges faced by the men and women who risk their lives serving in peacekeeping missions to protect others. We must do everything in our power to avoid sending Blue Helmets on impossible missions. As Lieutenant General Santos Cruz stated, “We need to change the way we are doing business”. That is a key challenge for us all in order to bring safety and security to civilians in areas where Blue Helmets are active. We owe it to the civilians involved, to the Blue Helmets and to the brave men and women who gave their lives under United Nations command for a safer world.

Bolivia thanks Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for their briefings. Ms. Blakemore’s statement brought the voices of the victims of abuse and sexual exploitation into the Chamber. Such testimonies cast a shadow over peacekeeping operations — one of the most important tools of the Organization in its quest for stability, peace and security. The regrettable actions of some individuals should not prevent us from highlighting the key role played by the military and police contingents, observers and civilian personnel in the various missions. They are the ones on the ground risking their lives every day in an attempt to fulfil the tasks mandated by the Security Council. The persistent threats to international peace and security posed by terrorist groups and transnational crime have served to highlight the urgent need for a major structural reform of peacekeeping operations to enable them to provide a more efficient and effective response to their respective environments to overcome threats. In that regard, we believe that we should consider the efficiency of each peacekeeping operation. It is vital that each mission be supported by the country or countries in which it is deployed. We reiterate that it is impossible to think about a positive or favourable outcome or that missions will fulfil their mandates if they do not have the full consent of the Government of the host State. In addition, for missions to enjoy legitimacy, it is indispensable that they fulfil the purposes for which they were conceived and comply with the principles of peacekeeping operations. In that regard, they must be impartial and serve only to help build lasting peace. At no time should they be seen or used as an intervention force. In all cases, peacekeeping operations must respect the rule of law, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each of the countries in which they operate. Similarly, missions must always have a clear, measurable and attainable mandate. To that end, the monitoring and evaluation tools at our disposal should be used to verify that mandate objectives are reached. For one reason or another, those missions not meeting their objectives must be evaluated and their mandates reconfigured. It is not possible to continue with missions that extend over several decades. We believe that the performance of mission personnel is an important element of mission success. As we all know, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations has requested the Secretary-General to develop an integrated performance policy framework, which should include a methodology for measuring and managing the performance of peacekeeping forces. That in turn will serve to improve the planning and evaluation of all missions, while emphasizing accountability, encouraging performance and recognizing outstanding performance. In that regard, it is important to take into account the multidimensional aspect of performance, which is developed through the interaction of military, police and civilian personnel. The effective and adequate provision of economic, human and material resources for missions requires technical, logistical and, above all, realistic analysis. We emphasize the fact that improving institutional agility in deploying troops is a priority. Similarly, international standards established by the Organization must be respected. In addition, it is important to select the best qualified and most specialized personnel to respond to the asymmetrical and high-risk contexts faced by missions, without exception. We also again stress that providing adequate and proper equipment and training for troops is not just the responsibility of troop-contributing countries, but of the United Nations as a whole. Furthermore, we believe that cooperation with regional and subregional partners should continue to take place within an institutional framework in order to strengthen the exchange of information, consultations, coordination in early warning services, conflict analysis and common strategies, as well as joint interventions that take into account the needs of each region on the basis of comparative advantages. Last, but certainly not least, we believe that we cannot expect to achieve certain objectives with budget cuts that are not commensurate with the reality on the ground and without consultations with the host country and troop-contributing countries. That is especially true considering that the mandates of most missions include the protection of civilians and that, in most cases, those countries with the capacity to contribute more also have a historical debt to those countries in which the missions are deployed.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this meeting, and I thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing. I also listened carefully to the statement of Ms. Sarah Blakemore, United Nations peacekeeping operations are an effective means of defusing and easing regional conflicts and defending collective security and have been making important contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security. At present the context in which United Nations peacekeeping operations are deployed and the tasks they have to perform are increasingly complex. United Nations peacekeeping operations should keep improving in response to the evolving peacekeeping landscape. In September 2017, the Council adopted 2378 (2017), which requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Council on an annual basis a comprehensive briefing on the progress of United Nations peacekeeping reform. China commends the Secretariat for taking measures to implement the resolution and update the Council with comprehensive information. The Secretary-General launched the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and will convene a high-level meeting during the general debate of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. China commends the efforts of the Secretary- General and is keen to see the initiative contribute to high efficiency and the effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations. With regard to the reform of United Nations peacekeeping operations, I would like to share the following points. My first point concerns the need to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping operations — the consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate. Those are the very cornerstone of peacekeeping operations and a sine qua non and assurance with which peacekeeping operations can win the trust of Member States and function properly. Peacekeeping operations should fully respect the sovereignty of host countries, strengthen communication with them and help them to develop their own capacities in the area of peace and security in the light of their specific needs. Secondly, there is a need to maintain the primacy of the political track. The purpose of peacekeeping operations is to help host countries establish and maintain a sustainable peaceful environment and create enabling conditions for putting an end to conflict politically. A realistic achievable mandate with well- defined objectives and highlighted priorities should be developed for each mission focusing on peacekeeping, which is the core mission of peacekeeping operations. The mandate can be adjusted in the light of dynamic needs, with the core agenda reconfigured phase by phase to be more effective in maintaining the stability of the host country and helping it move the political process forward. Thirdly, we must build a peacekeeping partnership. It is necessary to motivate all stakeholders, including host countries, troop-contributing countries (TCCs), financial contributors and the Secretariat, and to ensure sufficient resources for peacekeeping operations and streamline the use of resources. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation with regional organizations. The United Nations should fully leverage the advantages of the African Union in peacekeeping operations in Africa, carry out capacity-building activities in various fields according to its wishes and needs and assist the African Union in forming a standing army and rapid response force as soon as possible. We must strengthen communication among the Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop-contributing countries, and we must give the TCCs more say in peacekeeping matters. Fourthly, better peacekeeping performance requires the Secretariat and the military, police and civilian components of missions to work together. The Secretariat and the civilian component of each mission must provide peacekeeping forces with more efficient, high quality support and services for the implementation of their mandates. It is necessary to ensure the safety of, and medical support for, peacekeeping missions and personnel and ensure the availability of funds and supplies required and enhance emergency response capabilities. We must pay close attention to the actual needs of troop-contributing countries, especially the developing countries among them, and help strengthen the peacekeeping capacity building. It is necessary to review and improve existing peacekeeping performance evaluation system on an ongoing basis. Any work in that area should benefit from the full participation of TCCs. China is an active player in, and major contributor to, United Nations peacekeeping operations. China is an important TCC and financial contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Currently, more than 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are serving in eight mission locations, including Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Lebanon. His Excellency Mr. Xi Jinping of China pledged to further support United Nations peacekeeping operations, and the implementation of various commitments agreed to under that pledge is now under way. We have established a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops and two permanent peacekeeping police units, and have completed their registration in the United Nations Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. The China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund has prioritized peacekeeping capacity-building, through which it aims to assist the United Nations in enhancing the safety and security of peacekeepers and supporting developing countries in building their peacekeeping capacities. At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in early September, China announced the establishment of the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund, through which we will continue to provide gratis military assistance to the African Union and facilitate the implementation of 50 security assistance projects in the area of peace and security, including peacekeeping operations under the framework of the United Nations. We shall continue to play an active role in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and mobilize the international community to increase its support for the development of the African standby force and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises. China stands ready to continue working with the wider United Nations membership to further improve the peacekeeping system in the interests of international peace and security.

I now give the floor to Her Excellency Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. Ms. Mohammed: I am honoured to have this opportunity to make a contribution during this debate on peacekeeping operations. I wish to congratulate you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and for your leadership since you took over. Allow me to also commend the United States presidency for initiating this important discussion of shared and critical interest to the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union. Permit me to also thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lacroix and Ms. Sarah Blakemore, who just left us, for their informative briefings. Last year’s Security Council high-level debate on peacekeeping reform (see S/PV.8044) and the subsequent unanimous adoption of resolution 2378 (2017) served to underscore the fact that current complex peace and security challenges are such that no single organization can address them on its own. We note with satisfaction the growing recognition of the African Union’s (AU) comparative advantage in providing immediate stability and protecting civilians. In the same vein, we are pleased that the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations continues to achieve milestones as evidenced by the Framework for Enhanced Partnership on Peace and Security, signed in April 2017, by the Secretary- General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. We also note with satisfaction the progress made on the AU-European Union-United Nations trilateral cooperation. In that regard, given the evolving contemporary security challenges on the continent, the AU’s objective is to seek the alignment of current international peace-and-security frameworks. That includes ensuring that predicable and sustainable financing mechanisms are available to efficiently respond to security challenges. In line with that goal, the AU’s commitment — as espoused in the decision of the twenty-fourth ordinary session of the AU Assembly to fund 25 per cent of the cost of its peace-and-security efforts, including peace-support operations — serves as a demonstration of its resolve to ensure that required responses to conflict situations are timely and not constrained by funding. Against that backdrop, allow me to reiterate two critical areas of interest and concern for the AU. First, there have been a number of developments since the adoption of resolutions 2320 (2016) and 2378 (2017) that confirmed the readiness of the Security Council to consider a cost-sharing structure for the funding of peace-support operations. That includes AU’s continuous efforts to operationalize its revitalized Peace Fund, whose progress has been shared as part of the Secretary-General’s update on the implementation of those resolutions. In addition, the AU High Representative for Financing of the Union and the Peace Fund briefed the Council in July on progress achieved so far, including the level of contributions to the Fund — which stands at $47.7 million, the highest since the establishment of the Peace Fund. As part of that process, the AU continues to enhance its compliance and accountability framework and has finalized its policies on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and on conduct and discipline in AU peace-support operations. The AU has also completed a comprehensive review of compliance-and- accountability practices in past and current AU- authorized and -mandated peace-support operations. It has also developed a selection-and-screening framework for AU peace-support personnel and has worked towards the establishment of a misconduct tracking system to further enhance its prevention, monitoring and response measures. A second critical area for the AU is the implementation of the AU strategic partnership on peacekeeping, particularly in ongoing conflict situations such as Somalia, which has enhanced greater cooperation and consultation between the two institutions. Since 2013, the AU and the United Nations have jointly facilitated the development of a concept of operations, undertaken four joint AU-United Nations review-and-benchmarking exercises and just completed a joint operational readiness assessment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Those processes have allowed for greater joint analysis, planning and cooperation between the two secretariats. However, more needs to be done to enable both informal and formal joint consultations between the two Councils so as to bring about greater coherence and convergence on the main issues and critical concerns of both organizations. The Somalia experience provides important lessons for our strategic partnership at the operational, strategic and political levels. For instance, while the 2018 AU-United Nations joint review report and its recommendations covered and highlighted the critical concerns of both organizations on the situation in Somalia and on AMISOM, the Security Council, in adopting resolution 2431 (2018), did not clearly and explicitly recognize critical issues relating to the AU’s political role in Somalia. In conclusion, allow me to reiterate that, notwithstanding the progress achieved thus far on AU’s access to United Nations-assessed contributions, the discussion tends to be focused on a conditions-based approach, with repeated calls for enhancement of the AU’s human rights and financial accountability systems. However, that position by the Security Council should move a step forward by adopting a substantive draft resolution that settles this long-standing issue and sets the pace for the operationalization of an international framework to prevent and respond to instability and conflict in a predictable and effective manner. We believe that ongoing funding challenges faced by current peace-support operations, including the African Union Mission in Somalia, and the limited impact of efforts to address such challenges, including the work of the joint AU-United Nations Special Envoys on the financing of AMISOM, should serve as impetus for accelerated momentum on our collective efforts to operationalize that cost-sharing structure.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. João Pedro Vale de Almeida, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. Mr. Vale de Almeida: I am honoured to speak on behalf of the European Union and its 28 member States. The following countries align themselves with my statement, of which a longer version will be distributed in the Chamber: the candidate countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; the European Free Trade Area country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. First, I would like to commend the United States for holding this debate on peacekeeping and the implementation of resolution 2378 (2017). Peacekeeping operations continue to be a vital instrument in advancing peace and security in the world, as our environment is becoming more and more complex and challenging. We also thank the Secretary-General for his first annual briefing on the implementation of resolution 2378 (2017). We welcome the progress made over the past year in making United Nations peacekeeping more efficient and effective. The European Union and its member States strongly support the Secretary-General’s initiatives to make the United Nations delivery more effective and efficient on the ground, especially the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, which highlights the need for a sharper focus on performance, among other things. We also welcome the Secretary-General’s calls for the primacy of politics, as peacekeeping operations can be deployed only in support of political solutions, not as a substitute. All efforts at improving performance should be integrated in the broader context of the United Nations reform process, at Headquarters and in the field. The latter constitutes an indispensable enabling environment for peacekeeping reforms to have a real impact. We underline the importance of reducing the overall environmental impact of United Nations peacekeeping operations. A lighter footprint would allow for improved safety and security — both for troops and for the civilians of host countries — cost efficiencies and, eventually, better performance. We underline the importance of the reform efforts undertaken, in terms of management, logistics, procurement, and human resources provided to peace operations, which will hopefully provide additional incentives for a culture of performance to thrive. We understand, too, that the efforts made at reform need to be accompanied by commitment and contribution by all members. In demanding greater efficiency and improved performance, it behooves all of us to look at our own performance and support. Only by providing the adequate resources will our combined efforts deliver on our expectations. We welcome the development of a comprehensive performance policy on peacekeeping. Such a policy should tackle several key aspects — such as how to forge consensus around the strategic objectives set out in peacekeeping mandates; which peacekeeping stakeholders will deliver the mandate; how to improve mandates’ design, improve the prioritization of tasks, and training; as well as sound monitoring of achievements. The approach needs to be broad and encompass all peacekeepers — civilian, military and police. Harmonizing standards and evaluation criteria so as to remove any ambiguities that could lead peacekeepers to fail is a must. That can be achieved by strengthening our working methods with stronger leadership, accountability and transparency. Moreover, we expect all stakeholders to play their part in a renewed collective commitment to implementing Security Council resolutions and the highest level of peacekeeping performance. At the same time, an approach aligned with the efforts of troop- and police-contributing countries, as well as a close dialogue with the Secretariat, are required. For us, relevant and appropriate training remains the cornerstone of any performance policy, and the condition to translate some of the aforementioned reforms into practice. On the basis of consolidated standards, such training should include predeployment and in-mission training on integrating a gender perspective, international humanitarian law and human rights components, including child protection, and combating sexual and gender-based violence, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse. We welcome the Secretary-General’s emphasis on increased accountability and his efforts to strengthen the system’s ability to deal with sexual exploitation and abuse swiftly and decisively. The European Union member States have consistently expressed their support for the policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse. The European troop- and police-contributing countries will continue to support the Secretariat in bringing both the capacity and the willingness to create safer environments for communities under the protection of peacekeepers. In conclusion, in support of political solutions, peacekeeping missions and outputs must also be assessed through a more inclusive and people-centred approach. We continue to underscore the importance of the protection of civilians as a core task of peacekeeping. In this regard, regular assessments constitute an indispensable part of performance evaluation. They ensure that the protection of civilians under threat of physical violence is fulfilled in accordance with the requirements of necessity and proportionality. The better integration of modern technology and peacekeeping intelligence capabilities into peace operations should therefore continue to be pursued. We can all agree that a data-driven analysis can help improve the situational awareness of troops in real time, thereby contributing to the implementation of the missions’ mandate, to the protection of civilians and to the security of the United Nations personnel on the ground. The European Union welcomes efforts to incentivize the deployment of greater numbers of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations, including for positions of leadership, and stands ready to work with the Secretary-General on a revised strategy to double the number of women in military and policy contingents of United Nations peacekeeping operations over the next five years.

I now give the floor to the representative of Rwanda. Mrs. Rugwabiza: At the outset, I would like to congratulate the United States and Ambassador Nikki Haley on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of September. I assure the United States of my delegation’s full support during its presidency. I would also like to commend the United States in particular for convening this important debate on United Nations peacekeeping reform, with a focus on improving peacekeeper performance. Rwanda aligns its statement with those delivered by the representative of Côte d’Ivoire, on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, and by Ambassador Fatima Mohammed, on behalf of the African Union I also highly commend and thank the Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Lacroix, and Ms. Blakemore for their briefings. As a top troop- and police-contributing country, Rwanda considerers today’s discussion and debate to be of critical importance. I should like to focus my remarks today on a few points. I will start by addressing some of the ways of improving the peacekeeping performance of civilians and uniformed personnel. I recall that, as rightly outlined in the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, the Security Council should continue to encourage and support the Secretariat to develop “an integrated performance policy framework for mandate implementation based on clear standards for all relevant civilian and uniformed personnel working in and supporting peacekeeping operations in the Secretariat and missions” (A/72/19, para. 102) This framework should contain well-thought-out benchmarks that we can be used both to measure and to monitor peacekeeping performance. Secondly — and here, I should like to emphasise a point that was made by Ambassador Haley earlier — the Security Council should ensure that the Secretariat underlines troop capabilities, operational readiness and the performance record, including the willingness to fully implement Security Council mandates, at the core of which is the protection of civilians. The performance record cannot be recognized only by rewarding troops, as has been happening; it should also be taken into account for future deployment. I think we have reached a level of maturity in United Nations peacekeeping where deployment can no longer be dictated only and exclusively by considerations that are not performance-related. Here, I would like to further develop the idea of operational performance. We have, with a number of other Members, put together a robust set of guidelines in the Kigali Principles that, when implemented, effectively enhance peacekeeping performance while providing for accountability. For example, the Principles seek to enhance performance by encouraging high levels of training, ensuring that peacekeepers are well prepared to protect, consistent with the mandate, and to take disciplinary action against personnel if and when they fail to act to protect civilians, and when circumstances so warrant. We are encouraged that countries contributing more than 50 per cent of peacekeeping troops and that those funding more than 50 per cent of peacekeeping have endorsed the Kigali Principles. We encourage all Members to endorse the Principles and use them for their intended purpose as simple operational guidelines for our peacekeepers and commanders in the field. The Principles are informed by Rwanda’s experience. We know from experience what the lasting impact on peace and security can be when there is a failure of peacekeeping. We have experienced both the worst and the best of peacekeeping, and we know that peacekeeping can make a major difference. With respect to accountability, we should ensure that personnel in the field and at Headquarters are held accountable when it comes to peacekeeping. Here, we would agree with the very practical and pertinent proposals that were presented this morning by Under- Secretary-General Lacroix. Finally, we would like to emphasise the need for effective and greater delegation of authority to field commanders. It is our sense that the Secretariat has the authority required to do so, so we believe that we do not need a specific, additional resolution in that regard. We think that the Secretariat should be able to use the authority it has. Still under accountability, I will not underline points that were underlined earlier by previous speakers. However, please allow me to emphasize one point that is dear to all troop-contributing countries — the caveats. We will once again call on all troop-contributing countries to remove all caveats that impede performance. As was well noted by one of my colleagues, the caveats of some contingents are an unbearable tax on other contingents. At this point, allow me to move onto another element that is dear to Rwanda, which concerns increasing the number of women in peacekeeping. We were very happy in July to be able to deploy a police unit that was in full parity — 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female. This shows that it is possible. We worked very closely on this with the Secretariat; however the key element here in in being able to do so is really leadership — both political and military. Of course, one needs to have well-trained female police or military officers. In conclusion, I will say that we have and have had a range of interventions that are available to all of us to strengthen peacekeepers’ performance. This intervention will need the support, coordination and cooperation of the Security Council, the Secretariat and all Member States. I have outlined a few interventions at the policy level in which the Security Council and the Secretariat play a particularly important role. I have also mentioned the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians and what has informed them. I have provided a few suggestions as to how the Secretariat, the Security Council and troop- contributing countries can respond in cases of failure. In short, I believe that, on this specific subject, we know what needs to be done to improve performance. We have the means to do so; we know the challenges. I think that, at this stage — without intending to promote a well-known company here — we need to just do it.

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Allow me to start by thanking the United States for convening this important debate. Let me also thank the Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and Ms. Sarah Blakemore, from the non-governmental organization Keeping Children Safe, for their thought-provoking interventions. (spoke in English) The success of peacekeeping operations depends on the credibility, integrity and reputation of the United Nations in the eyes of the local population. A growing body of evidence shows that increasing the meaningful participation of women at all levels in peace operations can enhance effectiveness by bringing valuable perspectives, helping build trust with local communities and increasing situational awareness by accessing a greater diversity of information about conflict dynamics. Women bring irreplaceable assets to United Nation peace operations and their contributions support the safety and security of peacekeepers, as well as the operational effectiveness of missions. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) 18 years ago, the United Nations has repeatedly set targets for the increased deployment of women to uniformed roles in peace operations. Unfortunately, we are not on track to meet these targets. What will it take? We need to demonstrate political commitment at the highest level from a broad range of countries, including troop- contributing countries and host Governments. Canada has work to do at home as well. Far too many women in Canada continue to face discrimination and gender-based violence. It is a priority for my Government to meaningfully address these challenges. In the context of peacekeeping, we are doing so by actively working to recruit more women to the Canadian Armed Forces, increase the number of Canadian women deployed to multinational operations and better mainstream gender considerations into how our Government works. (spoke in French) Through effective collaboration and the bold leadership of troop-contributing countries, we can recruit, train and deploy many more women to United Nations operations. But deployment itself is not sufficient; mission leadership must also leverage the contributions and performance of uniformed women deployed in their missions. Making this a reality will require honest reflection at Headquarters, in missions and contributing countries on the barriers and biases that persist. Deploying more women to peacekeeping operations — and mainstreaming gender considerations — will make a tangible improvement to peacekeeping performance. (spoke in English) Canada is contributing to these efforts as a matter of national priority. Since 2014, Canadian police have been at the forefront of a United Nations initiative to provide pre-selection training to female United Nations police peacekeeping candidates and we have partnered with the United Nations to deliver the Female Senior Police Command Development Course, preparing more than 130 female police commanders for leadership roles in United Nations police components. In November, Canada launched the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations because we believe that a thoughtful combination of technical assistance, training, financial incentives and research can help catalyse transformational change and accelerate progress to meet United Nations targets. Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs looks forward to updating Member States on the progress of the initiative at an event on the margins of the high-level week of the General Assembly later this month. Member States can also be sure that we will remain an active proponent of tangible progress on these issues should we be elected to serve on the Security Council for the 2021-22 term. Let me now address the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse. I am glad that it has been included in this debate on peacekeeping. It is clearly not only a conduct and discipline issue, but also one of performance, effectiveness and legitimacy. Instances of sexual exploitation and abuse undermine the credibility of United Nations operations by breaking down the trust between the mission and the communities they serve. We must work together to end sexual exploitation and abuse. Canada is a strong advocate of the full implementation of the United Nations zero-tolerance policy. Our efforts to make this policy real must span the entirety of the United Nations system, as well as the national frameworks of troop- and police-contributing countries. Victims must be able to access a single, integrated, responsive and compassionate system that treats them with dignity, investigates claims and offers a path to justice and restitution. While the Secretary-General has been unequivocal in his message that sexual exploitation and abuse are unacceptable, this message has not yet translated into concrete efforts across all United Nations operations. Only solid leadership can overcome this. The goal is clear — a comprehensive response consistently implemented across the United Nations system to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse and to assist victims. Similarly, more needs to be done to clarify the role of the Victims’ Rights Advocate and, more broadly, how a victim-centred approach should be articulated in policy and in practice. The Secretary-General’s strategy relies upon the successful functioning of key mechanisms, including the Office of the Special Coordinator, the Office of the Victims’ Rights Advocate and the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. These Offices should be sufficiently resourced to tackle a task of this scale, yet much more needs to be done to ensure accountability and fundamentally reconfigure our collective approach to make responses victim- centred. At the end of the day, victims should feel safe in coming forward. It is up to all of us to make it happen; the system needs to be geared towards making it happen. (spoke in French) At the Vancouver Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference last year, Canada hosted 80 Member States and five international organizations to consider how we can better undertake peace operations. It is imperative that troop- and police-contributing countries work together to ensure the reliable and predictable availability of capabilities to meet the critical needs of United Nations operations. It is equally important that we work together to develop new ways to meet those needs that make best use of scarce resources. (spoke in English) In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that improving peacekeeping performance is a complex task. Increasing the meaningful participation of women and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse are essential components of this effort. As I said earlier, part of this effort starts at home. We each need to work with our own national institutions and we need to help and learn from each other. Council members may rest assured that Canada will be looking to the Council, as well as to other Member States, civil society and experts, for advice on what works. We all need to encourage, push and support the United Nations to reach its own goals. We all benefit from a safer world; we need to work together to make this a reality.

I now give the floor to the representative of Senegal.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate the delegation of the United States on assuming the Security Council presidency for this month and for organizing this debate on such an important issue as the reform of peacekeeping operations. I would also like to thank Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Ms. Sarah Blakemore, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the non-governmental organization Keeping Children Safe, for their most enlightening contributions. I also welcome and support the statement made by the representative of Côte d’Ivoire on behalf of the African members of the Council and to endorse the statement made by the Permanent Observer of the African Union. As a major player in peacekeeping operations, Senegal wishes to reaffirm the special interest it attaches to the question of reforming these missions. That is why my delegation welcomes the Security Council’s ongoing focus on this issue, particularly in the framework of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which Senegal had the honour of chairing during our time as a member of the Security Council. I recall that, in October 2017, Senegal and the United States of America jointly organized a triangular dialogue on this important issue in keeping with the spirit of resolution 2378 (2017). The recurrence of these deliberations reflects the constant concern to allow peacekeeping operations to be more efficient and more responsive to pressing needs and challenges — both current and future — against a constantly changing backdrop. We therefore believe that the urgency of peacekeeping operations reform must be viewed in the light of new and evolving challenges to international peace and security. In this respect, the recommendations made by eminent personalities in their various reports, as well as those adopted by the General Assembly, contain ambitious measures in terms of both the modernization of equipment and of improving funding for peacekeeping operations. The effective implementation of these measures should allow peacekeeping operations to take a further step in the accomplishment of their missions through ongoing dialogue, including in terms of the definition and content of their mandates. Among the various stakeholders, I wish to highlight troop-contributing countries, such as Senegal, donor countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat. In this spirit of triangular dialogue extended to all actors, we must pursue and even accelerate the process of reform in order to better adapt peacekeeping operations to the needs and challenges that arise. We must recognize today that there is a need to adapt peacekeeping operations to the specific challenges faced by each theatre of operation if we want to achieve a better performance. In Mali, for example, where our troops operate in a sensitive environment marked by targeted attacks on Blue Helmets, United Nations personnel, civilian populations and infrastructure, appropriate equipment is required in order to work effectively and, above all, safely. That is why Senegal deployed two armoured units within each of our contingents, allowing us to ensure the escort of convoys between Gao and the northern sector without loss of human life for two years. However, if we are to have a greater impact on the ground, particularly in the context of anticipating needs for the protection of civilians and infrastructures, we must strengthen our missions in terms of equipment and operational capacity by considering greater use of new and modern technologies. Indeed, better access to detection technology and risk-mitigation programmes related to improvised explosive devices, data collection and the enhancement of resilience through capacity development in such areas as mobility and medical support could enable peacekeeping operations to function more safely and effectively. In any event, the experiences we have drawn from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, which are now endowed with improved military capabilities and modern technologies, have shown that the responsible use of these tools leads to multiple benefits. Strengthening training for troops is also crucial to the effectiveness and success of peacekeeping operations, which have become multidimensional and now cover many areas, such as humanitarian assistance, the protection of human rights, assistance for displaced persons and refugees, participation in political processes, the reform of judicial systems, training police forces, the disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of former combatants, mine clearance and peacebuilding, to name but a few. For its part, Senegal has built a training centre that meets United Nations standards. Contingents there undergo predeployment training that takes experience into account but also and above all sensitizes them to the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, specifically through a dedicated module. Under the leadership of President Macky Sall, a member of the Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse, Senegal fully supports the zero- tolerance policy on this issue. In this same spirit and in line with resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, my country supports the greater involvement of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution. Senegal has also put in place a national policy for the integration of women in the defence and security forces. It is in this framework that Dakar hosted a seminar organized by the United Nations Police Division all-female selection assistance and assessment team in 2017. My delegation reiterates the importance of implementing the identical Security Council resolution 2282 (2016) and General Assembly resolution 70/262, on sustaining peace. It is equally essential to give priority to political issues, ensuring that missions are based on a clear political strategy and that they have clear, realistic and achievable targeted mandates. Missions must work as hard as possible to establish and maintain a relationship of trust with States and host populations. That is why, beyond consent, it is the cooperation of the host State that we must seek to secure as the best way to overcome some of the obstacles faced by peacekeeping operations. In the same vein, the Council will also have to ensure greater cooperation with neighbouring States and regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union. That is all the more necessary as these organizations have not only displayed their ambitions in this area, but have also demonstrated their effectiveness in finding political solutions to conflicts, giving priority to prevention and mediation. With the African Union in particular, we invite the Council to continue discussions on the issue of predictable and sustainable funding for African Union peace support operations, in accordance with resolution 2320 (2016), a the joint initiative of Senegal and the United States. I will conclude by highlighting that Senegal has just endorsed the Secretary-General’s Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. Senegal also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to continuing to contribute to peacekeeping operations in the hope that the men and women whom we deploy on increasingly volatile and unpredictable environments will have access to and benefit from adequate tools adapted to sufficiently clear and robust mandates, with a view to properly executing their increasingly complex and dangerous tasks.

Indonesia would like to thank the United States for convening this very important debate. We also thank Under-Secretary- General Lacroix, along with the other briefers, for their valuable comments. Let me begin by quoting from Article I of the Charter of the United Nations: “The Purposes of the United Nations are: To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace”. Now, even though United Nations peacekeeping is not present in the Charter in letters and words, it has become an indispensable tool for enabling international peace. It has become the flagship of the United Nations. We should be mindful that, since United Nations peacekeeping is a collective undertaking, it best achieves its aims when all stakeholders — the Security Council, troop- and police-contributing countries, the host Government and the Secretariat — are on the same page. Today I am accompanied by Police Brigadier General Krishna Murti, who sits behind me. He is the Head of the Bureau of International Missions of the Indonesian National Police. He is in charge of the deployment of police peacekeepers and also served in the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and in the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. I am also accompanied by Army Brigadier General Fulad, who also served in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The point is simple. Sometimes we tend to speak in this Chamber without knowing what is happening on the ground. With these two people, and those that have been serving in various missions, we could have a clearer picture of what is happening and what the problems are. I have not brought these two gentlemen here to showcase them; it is to help them understand what we are talking about here in the Chamber so that they can transpose this information back to the troops as to what should and should not be done. That will provide a clear linkage between those that are serving bravely as Blue Helmets on the ground and us sitting in this nice air-conditioned and well-furnished Chamber. I start with this very important point simply to stress once again that I will not simply repeat that which has been stated by my colleagues before me, but I shall highlight several pertinent points that we deem necessary. This is an opportune moment and I believe our time to make a real contribution to peacekeeping is now. Considering the dangerous security environment for many peacekeeping missions in recent years, we in Indonesia commend the Secretary-General for his Action for Peacekeeping initiative. We were involved in that because we believe that what we are doing is something that should be done correctly. We would also like to highlight that all clusters under Action for Peacekeeping are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. In that context, we would like to present a few points. First, since the mandate of a peacekeeping mission is the logical basis for setting its key performance indicators, the mandate can no longer be a Christmas tree. Peacekeeping missions cannot be a substitute for United Nations special political missions and other peacebuilding work. The primacy of politics and the realization of credible peace agreements on the ground must be among the priorities in designing mandates. There should be clear, focused, sequenced, prioritized, realistic and achievable mandates that should be backed up with required resources. I think many of us have elaborated on this. The Secretariat will also need to propose robust parameters for sequencing and prioritizing mandates in close consultation with troop- contributing countries (TCCs) and police-contributing countries (PCCs). Secondly, the necessary capabilities must be deployed so that peacekeepers can protect themselves and the local population. We need to better train, prepare and equip peacekeepers, including through triangular partnerships and co-deployments. We need to utilize peacekeeping centres with the ability to adequately train peacekeepers in keeping with the flavour of the region. I am not trying to promote our peacekeeping centres — we have centres in Indonesia that have been doing quite well, with more than 30 countries involved — but the point is that we must share all this knowledge with all other peacekeeping centres around the world so that we all have the same understanding and feeling of what should be done. Thirdly, all United Nations peacekeeping components should be up to the mark. In this respect, we thank the Secretary-General for his commitment to developing an integrated performance policy framework based on common parameters and clear standards for all actors. As one of the largest troop- and police-contributing countries in United Nations peacekeeping, we would like to appeal to the Council not to design a performance system that will create competition for TCCs and PCCs. Peacekeeping is supposedly a platform on which nations can work hand in hand in contributing to international peace and security, not the other way around. One prevailing example is regarding repatriation due to underperformance, It would be more efficient and less costly if the United Nations or other Member States could help the underperforming contingent with the necessary capabilities and in-mission training, rather than having them repatriated and getting a fresh contingent to replace them. That is the most cost- effective way, as the new selection process will only cost us time and money. Finally, Indonesia stresses the meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping. A recent research study noted that involving women — be it as witnesses, signatories, mediators or negotiators — increases the probability of achieving successful peace agreements that will last at least two years by 20 per cent. That figure has risen over time, with a 35 per cent increase in the probability of achieving successful peace agreements that last for more than 15 years. It is also evident that the involvement of female peacekeepers in missions has been effective in preventing and combating sexual exploitation and abuse. We are pleased to say that Indonesia is taking direct action; we are walking the walk and talking the talk. We have embedded 40 brave women into our recent rapidly deployable battalion for deployment to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and our formed police unit to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic later this year. Another 40 women will be deployed under the wing of my Brigadier General, and I have his assurance here that he will fulfil his promise. This will add to our total of more than 3,600 peacekeepers on the ground, making Indonesia the seventh highest-ranking troop-contributing country. Let me conclude by reiterating the fundamental importance of strengthening the United Nations peacekeeping partnership as a genuinely cooperative, well-supported and collective undertaking, with realistic expectations and clear benchmarks. For its part, Indonesia will always support initiatives that bolster United Nations peacekeeping substantively for its ultimate aim of helping to spawn a nationally owned endeavour to build and sustain long-term peace and development. I would like to echo my dear sister, the Permanent Representative of Rwanda, who spoke a few moments before me, who said simply “just do it”. I would like to that add that we should not only just do it, but that we must do it much better this time.

I thank the United States delegation for convening this debate. The role of peacekeeping operations has evolved dramatically over the years. High expectations, coupled with greater resource constraints, have accentuated the difficulties that missions face and have sometimes created frustration regarding the ability of peacekeeping operations to achieve their objectives. Brazil continues to believe in the capacity of United Nations peacekeeping operations to contribute significantly to the successful resolution of conflicts. However, changes are required in several aspects of peacekeeping operations, including the manner in which we deal with the performance of the mission as a whole. We therefore welcome the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, launched by the Secretary- General, to renew the commitment of Member States to peacekeeping operations. We look forward to working in the year to come to transform the commitments of the declaration into reality. I am pleased to announce on this occasion that Brazil endorses the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. We particularly welcome the inclusiveness of the initiative, which recognizes that peacekeeping is a collective endeavour that depends upon the partnership among the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors and host Governments. Brazil welcomes the Secretary-General’s efforts to address the increasing number of fatalities in peacekeeping operations. We also take note of the recommendations of the report prepared by Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, entitled Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers”, and of its conclusion that a sense of shared responsibility is required in the field. Civilian leadership and personnel also need to play a more active role in taking the necessary preventive measures to avoid casualties. The safety and security of peacekeepers must be placed at the top of the list of United Nations priorities. Peacekeepers must be provided with adequate resources, equipment and training. Moreover, providing United Nations peacekeeping personnel with intensive and extensive predeployment and in-mission training is instrumental to addressing sexual abuse and exploitation, and enhancing performance. The United Nations zero- tolerance-policy must combine preventive and punitive measures, and be provided with the appropriate funding and tailor-made training to suit the realities faced by troop-contributing countries and every mission. At the same time, it is essential to underline that the issue of casualties cannot be considered in isolation. It relates to the specific political conditions of every individual mission and to the political decisions embodied in individual mandates crafted by the Security Council. Brazil has a long and distinguished history of contributing to United Nations peacekeeping operations, having taken part in more than 40 missions since 1947. Currently, Brazil leads the Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, while the military component of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is led by a Brazilian Lieutenant General. The Brazilian perception of improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations is informed in particular by our experience as the main troop contributor to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the work of which was crucial to the stabilization of Haiti and the establishment of a safer and more secure environment. That successful experience was made possible in particular by a focus on mission effectiveness at all stages, from troop selection and training to providing adequate equipment and materiel, as well as effective logistical support. It also included sharing lessons learned and the constant development of mission doctrine. But improvements to any mission’s effectiveness cannot be pursued through military and operational approaches alone. For any peacekeeping mission to succeed, it is essential to build and maintain the trust of local communities. In addition, it must be borne in mind that, in most conflict situations, political dialogue and economic development are a necessary condition for peacebuilding. The experience of MINUSTAH once again comes to mind. The implementation of quick-impact projects proved to be an essential tool for the stabilization process and acted as a bridge for medium- and long-term development efforts. Protecting civilians in conflict situations does not equate with blanket mandates with regard to the use of force. Rather, that ultimately requires the primacy of politics and a people-centred approach, including through engagement with local actors and those affected by conflict. More robust and flexible mandates can often prove counterproductive to achieving a mission’s objectives and compromise the United Nations credibility in the eyes of local society. In our effort to improve peacekeeping, we must not fail to recognize the important results achieved through such a tool. The recent downsizing and closing of missions, such as in the cases of Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, where missions created conditions conducive to peace and security, show the positive effect that United Nations operations continue to have, while bringing hope for a better future to millions of people.

I now give the floor to the representative of Bangladesh.

We thank you, Sir, for convening this debate and for giving us an opportunity to speak. We thank Mr. Lacroix, Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for his comprehensive briefing. As a lead troop- and police-contributing country, Bangladesh takes pride in its value-driven contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations, with its current presence in eleven missions. Our commitment is further validated by our engagement at the mission-leadership level, with one force commander, one deputy force commander and three sector commanders serving at present. Our delegation has endorsed the call for developing an integrated performance analysis framework for all peacekeeping components, and has stressed the importance of a consultative process in that regard. The exercise so far has highlighted that there is a plethora of policies and standards available across the system that nevertheless fall short of building a cohesive and transparent narrative on performance. We therefore expect to have a data- and evidence-based performance evaluation and analysis framework above and beyond the mere compilation of existing polices and standards. In order to have a culture of performance instituted throughout United Nations peacekeeping operations, it should be required to move away from a business- as-usual approach towards a more performance- and results-oriented approach based on impact evaluation. It remains crucial for our policymakers at the national level to understand the exact performance gaps and shortfalls so as to make the necessary investments and improvements. The integrated performance analysis framework should give consideration to institutionalizing the feedback loop. The mandates authorized by the Security Council need to be clear, realistic and achievable in order for those on the ground to deliver on them effectively. In complex, multidimensional peacekeeping contexts, prioritized and sequenced mandates have been generally recommended as the pragmatic approach to adopt. In that regard, we reiterate the importance of triangular consultations among the Council, troop- and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat. Such consultations should take place in both formal and informal settings and move beyond a routine exercise immediately preceding the Council’s consideration of a given draft resolution. The question of adequate resources and personnel for peacekeeping operations is inextricably linked with performance. Without the necessary capabilities at their disposal, peacekeepers often find themselves in compromising situations. Such evident gaps expose them to increasing threats posed by non-State actors, mostly acting in an environment of impunity. It remains critical to rise above extraneous factors and considerations in deploying forces on the ground. Priority should be given to troop- and police-contributing countries that have invested in fulfilling the requirements under the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. Furthermore, troop- and police-contributing countries that commit to deployment without caveats should not be considered in the same light as those that resort to caveats on a range of issues. As a troop- and police-contributing country, Bangladesh has generally shown its readiness to adapt to systemic and operational changes and work in partnership with others on enhancing capabilities and training. We have also taken proactive measures to invest in critical enablers that we consider essential in certain contexts for the protection of civilians and the safety and security of our peacekeepers. In conformity with the agreed principles of peacekeeping operations, host countries and troop- and police-contributing countries should take a pragmatic approach to taking advantage of evolving technologies. A culture of performance should be predicated on transparency and accountability on the part of all concerned. The Secretariat may draw on its recent positive experiences of sharing certain investigations and review reports with the Council and, in some cases, with the wider membership. There needs to be a free exchange of information on the role and performance of regional and subregional forces endorsed by the Organization and those endorsed by non-United Nations forces, and on their respective impact on the performance and safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. The Council, the Member States and the Secretariat should cooperate on strategic communication with the media and civil society in order to share their challenges and promote their common interests. The issue of training evaluations should be an integral part of performance assessment and analysis. In Bangladesh, we initiate mission-specific training for our contingents at least six months ahead of their deployment. Our premier peacekeeping training institute complies with the relevant United Nations standards and is ready to offer a range of United Nations-specific courses next year with participation from abroad. It may be relevant here to state that a United Nations-led seminar is being organized later this year, in cooperation with United States Indo-Pacific Command, for troop-contributing countries in the region on contingent preparation and the deployment process. We are steadily working on increasing women’s participation in peacekeeping operations. In conclusion, Bangladesh remains committed to enhancing peacekeeping performance, in cooperation with all stakeholders concerned, in order to ensure a demonstrable and constructive cultural shift in the United Nations.

I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay.

I would like to thank the presidency of the United States for organizing this debate on a topic of particular importance to the Organization and to which my country has been firmly committed for more than 60 years. I also thank Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix for his detailed briefing and his proposals on actions to pursue, and Ms. Sarah Blakemore for her impassioned briefing, which has made an impression on our hearts and minds because, at the end of the day, we are responsible for the behaviour our personnel. Since the adoption of resolution 2278 (2016), we have observed a number of developments that we believe are already having a clear impact on peacekeeping operations. I will mention but a few, such as the Secretary-General’s proposal for restructuring the peace and security pillar and reforming the management of the Organization; the discussions in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations on the security of peacekeepers, the performance of missions and the protection of civilians; the setting out in the Fifth Committee of the annual budget for peacekeeping operations; Secretariat initiatives, in consultation with Member States, for the development of an integrated policy framework on the execution of mandates based on clear rules for all personnels — an integrated performance policy framework, which will make it possible to quantify and monitor the results of peacekeeping operations; and the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, launched by the Secretary- General and supported by several Member States, including my country, and its Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which identifies future courses of action. Today’s debate focuses on one of the most critical aspects of peacekeeping operation reform, namely, the performance of peacekeepers. For Uruguay, it is clear that ensuring the good performance of peace missions is the collective and shared responsibility of all those involved and depends upon numerous critical factors, such as well-defined, realistic and achievable mandates; political will, leadership and performance and accountability at all levels; sufficient resources and equipment; and guidelines and training on policies, planning and implementation. It is essential that all actors shoulder, rather than shirk, their responsibilities by working together. That is the very spirit of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. Uruguay attaches particular importance to the responsibilities of troop- and police-contributing countries, with the understanding that they are the ones who act on the ground and must discharge the mandates. In that regard, the training of personnel deployed in peace missions is essential. They must be trained to carry out the complex tasks necessary to fulfil the entire mandate. We stress in particular the centrality of the protection of civilians in peace operations. In that regard, I would like to emphasize the contribution of the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians to the reform process. We also recognize that ensuring the effective participation of women in peacekeeping operations at all levels is essential to improving operational effectiveness and enhancing the performance of missions. Uruguay is working to increase the proportion of women in its personnel. We currently have 96 women in peacekeeping missions, only 7 per cent of our country’s total deployed personnel, but we will continue to work diligently to change that. Peacekeepers must be properly trained and equipped, but they must also behave in a manner that safeguards the credibility, impartiality and integrity of the United Nations. Any misconduct by peacekeepers, including allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, undermines the credibility, effectiveness and reputation of the Organization. In that connection, I would like to acknowledge the enormous efforts that the Secretary- General and his team, as well as Member States, are making to combat the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse. Uruguay actively supports all the efforts being made, having signed the voluntary compact against sexual exploitation and abuse, and participating through our President, Mr. Tabaré Vázquez, in the Secretary-General’s leadership circle. Uruguay also works closely with the Conduct and Discipline Unit to facilitate access to justice for alleged victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. The security of deployed personnel is another central aspect that affects the performance of peace operationas. In that regard, I wish to highlight three key elements. First, the procurement of the necessary equipment for each mission cannot depend solely upon the financial situation of each troop-contributing country. Greater cooperation must be fostered among troop- and police-contributing countries, the Secretariat and donor countries. Many of the new technologies required for adequately equippping a mission come at an exceedingly high cost, and hence the need to find alternative ways to obtain them. Secondly, all the necessary measures and protocols must be considered to adequately deal with instances of deliberate attacks against United Nations personnel and facilities. Those who choose to attack United Nations contingents must know that they will be forcefully repelled by an equal or superior force. We must make every effort to provide the different contingents with as many tools as possible to deal with new realities, be they passive defence measures, enhanced rules of engagement, or assurances that the appropriate bodies will hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes. Thirdly, it is necessary to ensure that the State hosting peacekeeping operations cooperates with them. Any violation of the status-of-forces agreement by either party can pose serious risks to the security of peacekeepers. We must remember that the status- of-forces are documents that ensure the protection of the personnel that a country voluntarily contributes to peacekeeping operations. Therefore, the entry of personnel or equipment into a country and the free movement of the same within the country must not be hindered, especially when it comes to medical evacuation and the evacuation of victims. In conclusion, I pledge Uruguay’s commitment to continuing to work on the process of reforming United Nations peacekeeping operations.

I now give the floor to the representative of Belgium.

I thank you, Mr. President, for giving us the floor in this important debate. I would also like to thank Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix for his first annual briefing on peacekeeping reform. We are all aware of the challenges to peacekeeping operations in recent years. We welcome the energetic efforts taken over the past 12 months, namely, the findings of the report prepared by former United Nations Force Commander Lieutenant General Alberto dos Santos Cruz, entitled Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers, the action plan to implement its recommendations, the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, a presidential statement of the Security Council in support of the Secretary-General’s initiative (S/PRST/2018/10), as well as the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, which reached a consensual outcome on crucial issues, such as performance, which we are addressing today. We also welcome the integrated performance policy framework recently presented by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to Member States. Furthermore, the reforms approved in recent months, at the request of the Secretary-General, are all steps towards more effective peacekeeping, including the reform of the peace and security architecture to increase coherency and the reform of management to increase effectiveness on the ground. All those processes contribute to improving the performance of all peacekeeping stakeholders. But while those projects are now nearing completion, there are others that require even broader support from Member States. As Ms. Blakemore illustrated, that is the case for conduct and discipline issues, and in particular sexual abuse and exploitation. The vast majority of the 100,000 men and women who serve the Blue Flag do so with conviction, a sense of honour and respect for local populations. That is why it is in the interests of all, and in particular those who honour the United Nations flag, that those who commit crimes do not go unpunished. We welcome the important work done in recent years in that area, including the establishment of compacts between the United Nations and Member States that include reciprocal commitments. We now believe that it is necessary to extend those compacts to all troop-contributing countries and ensure that national prosecution practices lead to similar results. The Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, prepared this summer, includes commitments that could effectively lead to the improved performance of peacekeeping operations. We welcome the balanced nature of that document. Belgium has already endorsed it and hopes that many other troop-contributors, financial contributors, host countries and organizations will do the same. In particular, we welcome the absolute priority given to the protection of civilians, as well as the central role given to performance, including in planning. Lastly, what more can be done, beyond reforms and the implementation of mutual commitments? There are some areas that we believe could be prioritized. First, improving the effectiveness of missions requires a better understanding of the challenges. That is why we believe that the findings of the strategic reviews should be made available to Council members and key troop-contributors. Secondly, we welcome the special investigations held following major incidents. Their observations can be usefully shared with the parties directly concerned. It would also be useful to take stock — a few months or a year later — of the implementation of the recommendations, the improvements made and, if necessary, the mechanisms for prosecuting those who bear criminal liability. Thirdly, beyond the primary responsibility of the country of origin, there are many initiatives to train staff. We commend the important work of the Secretariat and the mobilization of Member States in that regard. But that work remains incomplete if we do not improve the mapping of those initiatives, as well as follow up with the trained staff. Moreover, we must be realistic. What is the point of adopting a mandate if the human, logistical and financial resources do not follow? Matching up those resources with the mandate should be a concern shared by all of us, at all times. Those resources include intelligence, which is a crucial tool for the safety and security of our peacekeepers and the protection of civilian populations. Integrating the various components of the missions must continue. Lessons must be learned from pilot initiatives, such as joint patrols, and positive experiences must be replicated, especially if that will help to better connect missions with local populations. Our experience in Mali has also shown how much we can increase the effectiveness of an entire mission when the various national contingents are more integrated and complementary. Let us increase the number of those initiatives and work on them even before the deployment of staff. Finally, as stipulated in resolution 2423 (2018), on Mali, would it not be useful in some cases to reach a political pact with the national authorities — a pact that would make it possible to agree on common objectives and lay the foundation for fruitful cooperation with all stakeholders? As can noted, there is no shortage of ideas. I believe that there is positive momentum right now to increase the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, and by the same token make them safer.

I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Let me begin by expressing our gratitude to the United States presidency for organizing this important debate. We also appreciate the insights provided by the briefers. Blue Helmets are recognized and respected all over the world. They symbolize the United Nations commitment to regional and international peace, security and stability. They are emblematic of the collective will and endeavour of all Member States to make the world a peaceful and stable one. Enduring conflicts mean lives lost, families broken, people in camps and women and children left to languish in extreme vulnerability. United Nations peacekeeping has saved and protected millions of lives. It helps shattered communities and neighbourhoods rebuild themselves. It replaces strife with harmony and turns despair into hope. Peacekeeping, as we would all surely agree, has been the United Nations most successful enterprise. The recent closure of missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire is evidence of that success. It is a humbling for us that Pakistani peacekeepers were deployed in three of those missions ,They accomplished their tasks, fulfilled their mandates and, above all, they were able to win hearts and minds. Since the 1960s, my country has contributed over 200,000 troops to 48 missions. Our contribution to peacekeeping has not, however, been without cost — 156 of our bravest made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the cause of peace. Performance has also been the focus of our discussions in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations this year. As a major troop-contributing country (TCC), with a proud history of professionalism, competence and honour, we welcome the focus on performance. Improved performance would lead to better results and improve the safety and security of peacekeepers, which is of prime importance to my country. Let me make six key observations on performance. They may be useful to consider in setting up the new mechanisms that the Secretariat is developing. First, at the time of creating and updating the mandates of missions, the Security Council must base its decisions on practical analysis by the Secretariat of resource requirements. Mandates must be precise, unambiguous and appropriately resourced. When mandates and capabilities are out of sync, efficiency and effectiveness inevitably suffer. Secondly, there is a need for the rationalization and prioritization of mandated tasks. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, for instance, is burdened with 209 tasks. Thirdly, professionalism in peacekeeping ensures excellence in service delivery. Pre-deployment training, including common and standardized training, is vital for all mission components. We have developed peacekeeping training modules that form part of the curriculums of our mandatory courses. We are willing to share this expertise with other TCCs and with the Secretariat. Fourthly, transparency, especially between the TCCs concerned and the Secretariat, to improve delivery will provide better results than a publicized name-and-shame approach. Fifthly, the application of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System must extend to routine deployments rather than being limited to emergent deployments alone. If trained peacekeepers are in readiness, there should not be any hesitation in using them. And sixthly, national caveats hinder performance. They provide one TCC leverage to refuse to perform in a given situation while expecting another that does not hide behind such caveats to perform in the very same situation. This creates a disproportionate set of both responsibilities and expectations. A level playing field is a prerequisite for a fair assessment of performance. As one of the top performers, Pakistan will never shy away from any discussion on performance or from supporting the establishment of an effective system to enhance it. We believe that we are all stakeholders in this endeavour and have a shared responsibility. Responsiveness to the realities on the ground and feedback from TCCs, as well as meaningful triangular cooperation, is the key to developing synergies vital to the success of peacekeeping operations.

I now give the floor to the representative of Romania.

I should like first to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and to wish you and your team every success. Allow me also to commend the United States for holding this debate; I am confident that under your presidency, the Security Council will continue to build on this important topic. Romania associates itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union. Peacekeeping is one of the most effective tools available to the United Nations and a symbol of international solidarity in the promotion of international peace and security. Considering the many challenges that our world is facing today, we believe that, in order to adapt and deliver a quick and effective response in the process of advancing peace and security, peacekeeping reform should go beyond the level of debate. We therefore need to focus our efforts on mobilizing greater support for the development of high standards, imposing real accountability and ensuring that we have well-equipped and trained forces in the field. Despite Member States’ efforts to provide personnel, equipment and financial support, peacekeeping still faces a number of difficulties that undermine its ability to deliver on its mandates. Romania strongly supports the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative, launched in order to respond to these challenges, to renew mutual political commitment and mobilize partners. The Secretary-General acknowledges that action by the Secretariat alone is not enough to meet the challenges we face. We therefore underline the importance of a collective approach in relation to all mission components and all peacekeeping stakeholders, from personnel on the ground and at Headquarters to the Security Council and troop- and police-contributing countries. Romania firmly supports the policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse and is fully committed to the Secretary-General’s strategy to prevent and end this type of misconduct on the part of United Nations personnel. We need coordinated implementation of policies to prevent the occurrence of sexual exploitation and abuse across the United Nations system, as we need to ensure accountability for perpetrators. The President of Romania, His Excellency Mr. Klaus Iohannis, is a member of the Secretary-General’s Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations. In addition, last year Romania signed the United Nations voluntary compact on preventing and addressing sexual exploitation and abuse, and all Romanian personnel participating in United Nations operations are trained before deployment on topics regarding United Nations principles on stopping sexual exploitation and abuse. My country has been a consistent contributor to peacekeeping operations since 1991. We endorse the efforts of the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell to strengthen information-sharing, and we welcome the establishment of the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Romania also welcomes the innovative approach to force generation and appreciates the new initiatives for “smart pledges”, co-deployment and contributions to multinational rotations. We commend the enhancement of efficiency and transparency in the field of the selection, recruitment and deployment of police officers, matching this process to the Strategic Guidance Framework. Following the external review of the Police Division, Romania supports the proposal mentioned in the latest report of the Secretary-General on United Nations police (S/2016/952) that deploying trained, well- equipped and fit police officers with the necessary skill sets to United Nations operations at the right time is essential. We therefore encourage the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to continue exploring potential new models of cooperation in training development and delivery, in close consultation with the troop-contributing countries and in cooperation with other relevant partners. Peacekeeping reform can start with a comprehensive vision and an inclusive policy that set new standards to ensure staff evaluation, performance improvement and real accountability. This set of principles is the foundation of Romania’s vision for peacekeeping reform, based on our experience as an active contributor for nearly three decades.

I now give the floor to the representative of Fiji.

First of all, let me thank the Council for this opportunity to address the members of the Security Council. This is the first time in our 40-year history of United Nations peacekeeping that we have been given an opportunity to address the members of the Council. My sincere appreciation goes to the United States presidency for opening these discussions to troop-contributing countries. I take this opportunity also to thank Under- Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Ms. Sarah Blakemore of Keeping Children Safe for their insightful briefings this morning. This year the United Nations celebrated its seventieth year of peacekeeping. Fiji, which has been an independent country for 48 years, is commemorating its fortieth year of United Nations peacekeeping. Throughout those 40 years, we have consistently contributed to this most noble ideal and mission of the United Nations. It is through United Nations peacekeeping that Fiji has chosen to serve the world community, and we are proud of our service. We have contributed more than 30,000 troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions and have participated in such missions in the Middle East, the Pacific region and Africa. We have lost 60 of our soldiers in peacekeeping missions. We take our international obligations most seriously and have a solemn pact to support global peacekeeping efforts. Our peacekeeping efforts cost us around $10 million annually — a large contribution for a small State. We have not shied away from this obligation for a single day or night over the 40 years of our engagement. Several members have asked why peacekeeping missions take so long; what we can do better and differently in order to reduce the duration and cost of such missions; and what we can do in the area of peacekeeping so that missions can deliver speedier and more enduring results. These are absolutely the right questions to ask. Conflicts have become more complex. No two conflicts are the same. Conflicts are increasing in number, and where they emerge, they internationationalize very quickly. Conflicts internationalize must faster than trade does. The lightening pace of the internationalization of conflicts serves to underscore the importance and centrality of the United Nations to the resolution of conflicts. We are reminded of that every day. In a more integrated world, the United Nations, together with its Security Council, remains the uniquely placed Organization to resolve conflicts and build and sustain peace. Fiji welcomes and supports the reforms that the Secretary-General has initiated. Of all the existing multilateral international institutions, without a doubt, it is the United Nations that possesses the centralized capability to design peacekeeping interventions and secure political support, mandates and financial commitment to sustain peacekeeping efforts, long enough for politics and development to take over. When the United Nations does peacekeeping well, we save lives, promote development and demonstrate progress across the relevant Sustainable Development Goals. When we do peacekeeping poorly, too many lives are lost, human development regresses, communities are worse off and politics and development fail their communities. When peacekeepers fall short of the high standards expected of them, they fail both the people and communities that they have been mandated to protect. They weaken the chances of success of missions. Fiji is making consistent efforts to improve performance and standards. We will continue to do that. In peacekeeping, it is also necessary to be measured in our expectations. The United Nations is dealing with conflicts in some of the poorest regions of the world. It takes time for institutions, resources, capacity and politics to kick in to achieve sustainable human development outcomes, even in the best of our countries, and secure peace. At best, the goal of United Nations peacekeeping is to create spaces for politics to work — where leaders, men and women representing communities involved in conflict, can take measured risks. It takes time for markets and institutions that protect civilians to kick in. A good peacekeeping mission at its core is about broadening such spaces in and among communities. It involves hundreds or thousands of peacekeepers interacting with men, women and children who need their protection. As a small but significant troop-contributing country, we have an obligation to do much more to lift performance and discharge duties and obligations to the highest standards expected by the Council. Such standards are our standards. When performance falls short, missions will fail to broaden spaces or create the opportunities for peace that are so critical. Crucially, peacekeeping is about soft skills — the ability to understand cultures and values, see how women and children become exceptionally disadvantaged in conflict and read signs of individual and group stress. Fiji pays significant attention to strengthening the soft skills of its peacekeepers. We recognize that, when communities have a positive rapport with peacekeepers, it contributes immensely to improving dialogue and reconciliation. That openness may help institutions and politics work better and sooner. A good peacekeeping mission can help reduce the timelines for institutions, markets and politics by years and decades. However, it is unreasonable to expect communities to work through their politics and resolve deeply embedded conflicts within the span of a few years. Applying excessive pressure to shorten the duration of missions may in fact achieve the opposite effect. We must be realistic about time frames. Fiji supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to reform and strengthen the security and peacebuilding architecture. We heard from Under-Secretary-General Lacroix earlier today that such efforts have gained significant momentum, which we welcome. In his 2018 briefing, the Secretary-General asked for a revitalization of United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The Security Council paid considerable attention last week to the role of mediation. They are not different phases of a conflict cycle; they are interrelated and overlap with development, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding. For the United Nations to improve its coherence, the reform of the United Nations development system needs to complement peacekeeping reforms and assist in providing access to resources, capacity and opportunities for communities involved in conflict. When peacekeeping works well, it creates spaces for women to contribute to peacebuilding; boys and girls to be educated safely; markets to work and for political action to be taken. Time and money are important, as is the high-quality design of peacekeeping interventions. If missions are over-designed, agility and flexibility will be undermined. If missions are under- designed, they will fail. Getting that art right requires capabilities and resources within the Secretariat. The Secretary-General’s efforts need to be fully supported. Without doubt, the United Nations must have access to global cutting-edge knowledge, data, and analytics on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. Its importance cannot be overstated. The United Nations is on the right track. We cannot under-emphasize the tools with which our peacekeepers work in difficult circumstances. They protect United Nations and international staff involved in development and humanitarian work. They keep armed groups away from the communities they protect. They protect themselves. They protect humanitarian missions and allow food, medicine and warmth to reach communities, families, women and girls. They are aware that, when humanitarian support is compromised or hijacked and when the human rights of those who they protect are violated, the chances for peace are gradually destroyed. We have witnessed countries slide back into conflict. Good peacekeeping must morph into development in the shortest time possible. However, if it is done too soon, the chance for a fresh conflict will increase. The Secretary-General has asked that peacekeeping missions not create silos. When United Nations institutions inadvertently create development, humanitarian and peacekeeping silos, it is more likely that we will fail across the board. The Resident Coordinator and United Nations development system reforms must complement, reinforce and strengthen peacekeeping reforms. The United Nations also needs to become more ambitious in determining how international development assistance for fragile and conflict-affected countries can better help finance well integrated peacekeeping and development missions. Innovation and creativity are needed. Fiji is working with all of the permanent members of the Security Council to strengthen its peacekeeping capabilities, preparedness and skills. I take this opportunity to thank the United Kingdom, Russia, China, the United States and France for their considerable support to Fiji. We are very grateful. Fiji is also thankful to Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia and our other partners for assisting us in strengthening our peacekeeping capabilities. We welcome this opportunity to restate our support to strengthening peacekeeping missions. Fiji’s Prime Minister has given his personal assurance to the Secretary-General that Fiji will commit to improving its peacekeeping capabilities. We are making sustained and solid progress in that regard.