S/PV.8393 Security Council

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations; Ms. Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan; Mr. Awalé Abdounasir, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mr. Serge Therriault, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti; and Ms. Tuesday Reitano of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The intention of this meeting is for us to be as interactive as we were during the same briefing in November 2017 (see S/PV.8086) and during our dialogue with the Force Commanders. We are looking forward to questions from Council members to the Commissioners, and from the Commissioners to the Council. I now give the floor to Mr. Zouev. Mr. Zouev: I would like to thank the Security Council for convening this briefing on the role of United Nations policing in peacekeeping operations. I am especially pleased to be joined by our Police Commissioners working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and South Sudan. This year, we celebrate 70 years of United Nations peacekeeping, and this annual event is an opportunity to reaffirm the vital role that the United Nations police play in linking the United Nations work, from prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding. Today we will hear several examples of how United Nations police officers perform their mandated tasks while advancing the Secretary-General’s vision of a transformed United Nations police that is people-centred, mission-oriented, modern, agile, mobile and flexible, specialized and definitely rights-based. (spoke in French) Central to that effort is gender-responsive policing. As Ms. Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa, Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), will tell us in a few moments, a more reactive approach to gender parity in policing makes us more efficient at what we do because it helps us to reach the whole population — men, women, boys and girls. Recruiting more women police officers can support our efforts in that regard. In addition, women police officers can help to mentor and inspire future women police leaders, increase access to justice for women and children at risk, and improve information-gathering and analysis by building bridges to vulnerable groups. If we are to reach our full potential, we must bring more women police officers into the fold. In line with the Secretary-General’s system-wide strategy on gender parity, Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations gender-parity strategy, the United Nations police have stepped up efforts to increase the participation of women police officers. More specifically, the Police Division has developed an action plan that sets out specific targets for female representation in contracted and seconded posts in field missions and at Headquarters by December 2028. The efforts of the Police Division are already bearing fruit. The number of female heads of police components in United Nations peacekeeping operations has reached 40 per cent. Increases in the number of female personnel at all levels of professional posts have also been noted. Unfortunately, despite those gains, women continue to be underrepresented in senior-level posts with the United Nations police. To address that situation, the Police Division has organized female senior police officer command development and training courses. These courses have made it possible to identify over 140 female officers eligible for the aforementioned posts. That initiative is part of the Police Division’s ongoing work to establish a roster of women and men police candidates for senior posts. Police components in field missions are expected to develop and implement their own gender-parity strategies. Shortly, Commissioner Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa will share more details with the Council about UNMISS and the efforts of her team and the Mission to make progress on the issue of gender parity within the framework of her protection of civilians mandate. (spoke in Spanish) It is also important for us to recruit officials with the ability to connect with the local communities by using their language. The ability to communicate effectively remains a crucial aspect of our work. That includes being able to communicate our mission and the intentions behind our actions. I appreciate the commitment of Member States to multilingualism, and I ask that they ensure that we always have police officials who are genuinely centred on people and the communities where they serve, including when it comes to how we are able to communicate. (spoke in English) Secondly, we will hear how United Nations police components are increasingly called upon to assist their host-State counterparts in addressing serious and organized crime. The growing risks posed by such crime have been recognized at the highest levels of the Organization, as evidenced by various resolutions of the Council and reports of the Secretary-General. It is no exaggeration to say that it strikes at the very heart of the United Nations core business. Often characterized by porous borders, scarce socioeconomic opportunities, weak State authority and prevailing corruption, countries in conflict or emerging from conflict are particularly vulnerable to organized crime. By compromising the integrity of public officials and institutions through corruption, intimidation and violence, organized criminal groups erode the State’s long-term capacity to provide for the public good. That hurts national dialogue and reconciliation, entrenches positions of power and endangers the entire peacebuilding process. Historically, organized crime has been a matter for the police, while the military responded to violent conflict. The rise of asymmetric threats and non-State actors has blurred the lines between the two. For example, in West Africa and the Sahel, routes for the illegal trafficking and smuggling of people, weapons and drugs go through areas controlled by terrorist groups, with smugglers and traffickers paying for the right of passage. In Nigeria, Boko Haram has been involved in the trafficking of drugs, people and natural resources. This new normal  — where networks are looser and alliances of convenience are forged — requires a holistic response rooted in a coherence of practice and approach. Our police components in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali, among others, assist their host-State counterparts in setting up criminal intelligence systems and utilize modern technology to prevent and investigate serious and organized crime. They also help to improve host- State police interactions with the public through community-oriented policing initiatives that have proved successful in Liberia, Abyei and other mission settings, thereby contributing to situational awareness and early warning. Commissioner Abdounasir will share more details about the support of the police component of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Congolese authorities in this area. (spoke in Russian) As we demand more from our police officers, we must for our part do more to create the necessary conditions to ensure their safe, smooth work, to the extent possible in these challenging environments. The report authored by former United Nations Force Commander, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, entitled Improving security of United Nations peacekeepers, laid bare some of our shortcomings in this area, and we are committed to correcting them. As one example, the Police Division has been taking steps to standardize the assessment and evaluation of formed police units to improve operational readiness and to ensure the proper performance of their tasks. Lastly today, we will look at strengthening the rule of law through police reform. I would like to quote the research conducted by Chuck Call and Michael Barnett of 1999, as published in Peacebuilding and Police Reform: “[T]he transition from civil war to civil society is inextricably linked to the development of civilian... police forces that... uphold the rule of law and help to maintain order with the minimum”  — I emphasize “minimum” — “amount of force”. We have seen many positive examples of this transition, for instance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, Sierra Leone and other countries. Almost exactly one year ago, our peacekeeping operation in Haiti transitioned to a rule-of-law mission. The United Nations police — as the largest component, with almost 1,300 uniformed personnel  — is the lynchpin in our effort to improve Haiti’s rule of law institutions and promote human rights in Haiait. In this way we are closing the circle. The United Nations police has helped to design and train a new police force in Haiti, while the mandate of the very first United Nations operation included from the outset the task of launching police development. We are all interested in hearing from Commissioner Therriault from the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti about how police reform efforts are helping to strengthen the rule of law in the country. (spoke in English) The Action for Peacekeeping initiative launched by our Secretary-General aims to refocus peacekeeping on realistic expectations, make peacekeeping missions stronger and safer, and mobilize greater support for political solutions and for well-structured, well-equipped and well-trained forces. It is an acknowledgement that politics and peacekeeping are intertwined. United Nations police already know that there can be no such distinction, not when organized crime groups can infiltrate and influence the highest levels of Government and not when they remain some of the greatest spoilers of peace. We recently shared with our Member States the Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which is an affirmation of collective responsibility among the Secretariat, partner organizations and Member States in their various capacities as peacekeeping host countries, Security Council members, troop, police and financial contributors and donors. As of 5 October, 150 Member States had endorsed the Declaration. The breadth of this high-level political support is a strong endorsement of the Department as we move forward. This gathering of our heads of police components will provide critical impetus to the realization of the ideals behind Action for Peacekeeping in the field. As part of the Action for Peacekeeping consultations, we heard Member States loud and clear. They would like to see peacekeeping forge greater unity of purpose and work together across the United Nations system to ensure greater coherence. United Nations policing has helped to lead the way in this regard, as it has been a founding member of the Global Focal Point for Police, Justice and Corrections, an arrangement that has helped us to break down silos and work towards greater horizontal cooperation among all pillars of the United Nations. In conclusion, this event presents us with an opportunity to take stock. Over the past year, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support have completed eight independent strategic reviews of different peacekeeping operations. The reviews have proved impactful in supporting the increased efficiency and effectiveness of operations by both the streamlining of functions and the realignment of resource allocation. The reviews will help us to strengthen the recommendations of the Secretary-General ahead of the deliberations of the Security Council on mandate renewals. This is absolutely essential if the United Nations police are to fulfil their role in not only keeping the peace, but also creating the space for political dialogue and preventive diplomacy. It is my hope that today’s discussion will help us to further mobilize international support for a United Nations police service that is built for purpose and built for the future.

I thank Mr. Zouev for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa. Ms. Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa: Allow me to start by thanking the Security Council for dedicating this meeting to United Nations policing. Affording protection to civilians is central to the implementation of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate. Since the establishment of the protection of civilian sites in 2013, the UNMISS police component has adopted various approaches that have enhanced protection for around 200,000 internally displaced persons living within these sites. In this regard, United Nations police (UNPOL) employs gender-responsive policing as one of the key approaches towards the special protection needs of girls, women, boys and men, and takes into account gender considerations in delivering on its mandated tasks. To enhance the protective environment through physical protection and to preserve the civilian character of the sites, UNPOL officers regularly conduct search-and-cordon operations, confiscate and destroy weapons, detain criminals and expel suspected combatants. UNPOL officers also visit checkpoints alongside the perimeter and regularly engage with the host State police, organize firewood and market escorts, and undertake random patrols. We mediate in minor conflicts, monitor and report human rights violations, raise awareness, promote reconciliation and recovery, and keep public order through the deployment of formed police units. These activities allow UNPOL officers to maintain a very visible and proactive presence, while ensuring that women and girls are engaged and consulted and that their needs and perspectives are included in all prevention and protection efforts. Recently, UNMISS piloted new measures that enhance protection and promote confidence and trust between UNPOL officers and the community, as part of its community-oriented policing initiatives. The protection-of-civilians site in Juba is divided into different zones. Each zone has been assigned dedicated UNPOL officers who are easily recognizable, approachable and accountable. Additionally, the Mission is exploring the establishment of police posts inside the protection-of-civilians site to further facilitate access for civilians to UNPOL at all times. To assist the displaced and vulnerable population in areas beyond the protection-of-civilian sites, UNPOL officers conduct regular high-visibility patrols. Such patrolling is aimed at increasing the confidence of civilians residing in these areas and has opened new sources of information. Notwithstanding these efforts, sexual and gender- based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, remains pervasive throughout the country and continues to be a challenge. The latest report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2018/250) reports 196 cases in 2017. The findings of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and recent reports of sexual violence perpetrated against children are deeply concerning and alarming. The police component of UNMISS champions a gender-responsive policing in how it implements the protection of civilians mandate set out in resolution 2406 (2018). This approach embraces a differentiated and special protection needs of girls, women, boys and men and takes into account gender considerations as a cross- cutting issue throughout its mandated tasks to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency. A specialized protection team on gender, children and vulnerable persons protection has been deployed to the Mission to assist and advise in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of initiatives aimed at combating sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, as well as to coordinate efforts with relevant United Nations agencies, host- State Government departments, international and national non-governmental organizations, women’s organizations and community-based organizations. The UNMISS police component works closely with the Police Division on restructuring the current specialized team into an enhanced sexual and gender- based violence specialized police team. This new team will remain embedded in the Mission headquarters but will adopt a mobile approach, covering protection-of- civilians sites in Malakal, Bor, Wau and Bentiu, as well as other areas of concern. To reinforce the efforts of UNPOL in addressing sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, a technical working group was established, comprising the South Sudan National Police Service and Immigration, the National Prisons Service and the South Sudan judiciary. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), along with UNMISS component,s including the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, the Human Rights Division, the Gender Affairs Unit, the Child Protection Unit and the Office of the Senior Women’s Protection Adviser are members of this working group. Initial discussions within the working group have outlined the need to build the capacities of the Special Protection Units of the South Sudan National Police Service in addressing sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence. This will also include the need for the creation of adequate support mechanisms for survivors, including a fully functioning referral pathway. UNPOL is also supporting UNDP in the development of a sexual and gender-based violence investigation manual intended for the South Sudan National Police Service, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the South Sudan judiciary. Through the Global Focal Point for Police, Justice and Corrections, UNPOL support for the South Sudan National Police Service will continue to be strengthened through the incorporation of a gender-responsive approach. UNMISS police recently deployed a mixed formed police unit (FPU), comprising 50 per cent women police officers. These police personnel provide security to unarmed individual police officers conducting community-oriented policing activities, such as awareness-raising and fostering community watch groups, in addition to providing force protection in situations where women and children converge in large numbers. Through participation in coordinated patrols, UNPOL officers support protection actors such as child protection officers and women’s protection advisers, and facilitate information gathering through specialized policing skills. FPU elements provide security and protection to displaced women leaders at national and subnational level consultations as part of the resolution 1325 (2000) Global Open Day on Women, Peace and Security initiative. This enables the inclusive and representative participation of women from all sections of South Sudan. Furthermore, evidence indicates that women police officers and mixed formed police units act as catalysts that promote confidence, encourage survivors of sexual violence to report incidents, and enable civilians to share strategic information that contributes to the early warning system of the Mission. The recently revised standard operating procedure on assessment of the operational capability of formed police units prioritizes the deployment of gender-integrated FPUs and calls for a minimum of 32 women officers, including at the command level. This positive development meets one of the 10 strategic areas agreed amongst the Heads of police components during last year’s United Nations Police Week Conference. I am pleased to share that, as of today, UNMISS has the largest combined deployment of women police personnel in any peacekeeping mission, including both individual police officers and formed police units. Collectively, women officers comprise 22 per cent of the Mission’s police component, including 33 per cent women in professional police positions. The UNPOL Women’s Network empowers women police officers within the police component and inspires women officers in the South Sudan National Police Service. In line with the vision of the Secretary-General’s gender-parity strategy and recently endorsed Department of Peacekeeping Operations uniformed personnel gender-parity strategy, I intend to continue collaborating with the Police Division to further engage police-contributing countries in deploying additional women police officers. The UNMISS police component remains committed to protecting civilians, preventing sexual and gender-based violence, and building confidence among civilians. We will continue in our efforts to foster a secure environment for the voluntary return of the displaced population, while ensuring that all policing activities complement and strengthen the overall efforts of the Mission. In conclusion, I would like to thank Security Council members for their continued support.

I thank Ms. Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Abdounasir.

It is an honour for me to stand before the Council to speak about the fight against organized crime in the context of peacekeeping missions on the occasion of the twelfth United Nations Police Week. First of all, I would like to emphasize that organized crime has become an international scourge that threatens the stability of many countries, thereby undermining international peace and security. In most countries affected by organized crime, weakened State institutions responsible for enforcing the rule of law are becoming increasingly powerless in the face of security challenges, giving free rein to criminal networks to engage in smuggling and all kinds of trafficking, including drugs, the illicit trade in minerals, money- laundering and the financing of terrorism. In order to support countries that have fallen victim to this phenomenon, from 2000 to 2017 the Security Council adopted 1,100 resolutions urging Member States and the relevant United Nations agencies to develop and implement relevant strategies and action plans to support fellow Member States in the fight against organized crime. Faced with this scourge, the international community, through the Security Council, has strengthened its actions in the various countries affected, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where peacekeeping missions have been deployed since 1999. The mandates of these missions have included the protection of civilians, the restoration of State authority and the fight against armed groups. As the Council is aware, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a vast territory of 2,345,409 square kilometres, shares 10,292 kilometres of border with nine other countries. The porous nature of its borders favours the circulation of and trafficking in arms, to the benefit of criminal groups. It is in this context that the United Nations has, through the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), focused its efforts to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo to better combat organized crime and the activities of armed groups. The MONUSCO police component, which has been mandated to accompany the Congolese National Police, has developed strategies to prevent and combat organized crime. In terms of prevention, MONUSCO police have developed a tripartite strategy, working alongside Congolese National Police units by providing highly qualified officers; strengthening operational capacities by training specialized services; and establishing a mechanism for monitoring procedures. In line with that preventive approach, in 2017 and 2018 the MONUSCO police component undertook capacity-building in forensics and organized crime for 2,711 Congolese National Police officers, which involved the use of new technologies in the collection of fingerprints and evidence for the preservation of crime scenes. With regard to the fight against organized crime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in support of military justice and the Department of Police, MONUSCO has set up a criminal network task force led by the police component and composed of investigators and analysts who continuously assist the local police in investigating the financing of armed groups and the illicit trafficking of natural resources. That ongoing support has resulted in the identification and arrest of some perpetrators of criminal acts. In the same vein, in 2016 the Mission, through the United Nations Police (UNPOL), established a support unit for structures combating organized crime composed of specialist UNPOL experts and investigators, which has provided technical and operational support to the Congolese National Police in nine major organized crime investigations. In order to overcome instability, Governments in most countries weakened by multifaceted crises, including organized crime, systematically seek to militarize their efforts, while it would be more appropriate to strengthen the judicial system through a criminal justice system with a more transparent and accountable law enforcement approach. I welcome the provision of support for State structures to combat organized crime as one of the priority objectives in the various mandates of the Security Council. In addition, I would like to underline the commitment of the MONUSCO police to continuing to work towards the implementation of the mandate by setting up performance indicators for units and individual officers.

I thank Mr. Abdounasir for his briefing. I now give the floor to Police Commissioner Therriault. Mr. Therriault: A capable and accountable police force is a key social and institutional asset for any society. When citizens see themselves in their police, trust their State institutions and see their dignity and safety in good hands, citizens trust each other, the social contract holds and, above all, peace holds. (spoke in French) United Nations doctrine is positioned to view the role of United Nations Police in the broader context of the rule of law and to ensure that the rule of law and human rights are fully integrated into its activities. Police services are a part of governance that aim to ensure that the rights of all persons, without any distinction, are protected, encouraged and respected and that personnel reflect the communities they serve. (spoke in English) The greatest comparative advantage of the United Nations Police may lie in the fact that it brings international legitimacy to efforts aimed at developing local police. Through its independence, impartiality, commitment to United Nations values and respect for international human rights standards, it contributes to building local confidence in the police and reaches into all spheres of society to promote the rule of law. The United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), which is the only peacekeeping mission without a military presence, is a perfect example of that. MINUJUSTH relies on its 295 individual police officers and seven formed police units deployed across the nation to promote safety and security through joint operations with the Haitian National Police as a united and professional critical mass of peace officers. Among other achievements, that arrangement has enabled the continuous development of the Haitian National Police’s public order management and its capacity, under the guidance of collocated international police advisers, to positively impact the security and stability perception, which is undermined when democratic protests turn into violence. In addition, the United Nations Police has the advantage of acting as part of a larger mission. Thus, it benefits from access to political influence and additional specialized services offered by other mission components. In accordance with its Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping and with a view to professionalizing the Haitian National Police, the police component of MINUJUSTH promotes the rule of law in Haiti in consultation with other actors on human rights, community violence reduction, gender and internal control mechanisms, to name a few. In fact, by continuing to support the development of the Haitian National Police General Inspectorate, the United Nations Police ensures that when it withdraws, it will be eventually replaced by a robust oversight mechanism that will be able to maintain internal controls, conduct audits, investigate human rights violations and provide recommendations for continuous improvements and the professionalization of the Haitian National Police. (spoke in French) In recent years, the fact that the United Nations Police has been an integral part of overall efforts to reform the security and justice systems has also been an advantage because it has enabled missions to address the issue of the rule of law in a more coordinated and comprehensive manner. Police reform has a multiplier effect as a vehicle for stability in every society and plays a central role in all approaches to conflict prevention. For the Haitian National Police, significant progress has been made as a result of the involvement of all stakeholders in the implementation of the reform and development plans from 2005 to 2016 and the implementation of the 2017-2021 strategic plan. In addition, there are now 15,735 members of the Haitian National Police force, 1,568 of whom are women. That is the police force that will ensure public security throughout the country following the departure of MINUJUSTH. In 2004, when the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti was established, the Haitian National Police had approximately 6,000 officers, which means that over time, and with the support of the United Nations, the Haitian National Police has increased its strength more than twofold. (spoke in English) Generations of United Nations police officers have served in different missions around the world to build the capacity of host States in preventing conflict and sustaining peace through the increased participation of women in peace operations, sharing their expertise and a policing approach centred on the core notion of a civilian police force built on professionalism, transparency and accountability. Those men and women, working in synergy, have risen to the challenge of supporting police reform in failed and fragile States to empower national authorities to protect their populations and create the conditions for the prevalence of the rule of law.

I thank Mr. Therriault for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Reitano. Ms. Reitano: It is a great pleasure and an honour for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime to address the Security Council today during this briefing on policing in the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations. In this statement, we would like to highlight three conclusions from our research and the experiences of our 350-person network of experts. We hope that those insights can potentially strengthen the strategic response of the Security Council to organized crime in conflict zones. Our first conclusion, which we think is now broadly accepted, is that organized crime is a global and accelerating phenomenon and a threat to international peace and security. In a collaborative project with INTERPOL and the RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses, we analysed over 1,000 major global smuggling and trafficking routes associated with environmental crimes, drugs and people. Those routes and flows represent a confluence of global illicit trade. Not only do they map across contemporary conflicts in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, but there also is often a link between those illicit trafficking routes and international terrorism. Based on our field research, we estimate that in the region of $31.5 billion-worth of illicit profits are generated annually in conflict areas. While there is obviously margin for error with this figure — as with any estimate of the illicit economy  — all evidence suggests that the scale of illicit markets is staggering and that their intersection with contemporary conflict is incontrovertible. The sources of revenue that fund non-State armed and terrorist groups are diversifying. They are increasingly based on criminal activities, and that phenomenon is sustaining conflicts worldwide. The illegal exploitation and taxation of gold, oil and other natural resources are sources of income that are overtaking traditional threats to finance sectors, such as kidnapping for ransom and drug trafficking. Our second conclusion, however, is that these non-State armed groups and combatants collectively receive only a very small fraction of the sum total of all illicit finance flows generated by organized crime in or near conflicts. By far the larger share of the $31.5 billion goes to political actors at all levels and associated transnational criminal networks. These, therefore, are the main beneficiaries of instability, violence and lack of State capacity for enforcement, and they thus retain an interest in the perpetuation of conflict. The nature of organized crime activity varies from conflict zone to conflict zone and criminal groups exist on a spectrum from loose networks that can include Government and external criminal actors to hierarchically organized armed groups that engage in criminal activity to sustain themselves and project their influence. In some cases, such networks may seek to control key transport nodes such as ports and landing strips. For others, the control of territory itself is essential, as it allows them to tax both licit and illicit activities in what could be termed criminal governance. Combating organized crime must therefore be considered a significant factor in conflict prevention and resolution, reversing ecosystems that enable criminal governance. Where crime thrives, there can be no sustainable peace. Our third conclusion is that while the Security Council has recognized the growing convergence of criminal activity, illicit markets and conflict, the response across the peacebuilding cycle has not always kept pace. In an analytical exercise undertaken by the Global Initiative, we reviewed each of the 1,113 Council resolutions that were adopted between 2000 and 2017. From that analysis, we found that 35 per cent of those resolutions made reference to some form of organized crime or illicit markets. Significantly, however, we also found that the proportion of such resolutions has been growing. In each of the past five years from 2012 to 2017, more than 60 per cent of the resolutions of the Security Council have mentioned one or more forms of organized criminality. Yet, we see a strong disconnect between a clear awareness of the problem, on the one hand, and a more limited operational response, on the other. For example, a project by the University of Edinburgh shows that of 1,500 separate peace agreements covering more than 120 countries between 1990 and 2016, only 21 mentioned organized crime. And in mandate design for the Organization’s 35 peacekeeping, special political missions and envoys currently in effect, only eight have operational organized crime functions, representing only 23 per cent. The few peace operations that do have mandates to respond to organized crime tend to address the problem exclusively within the mission’s policing function. But what global experience in addressing organized crime has clearly shown us is that while policing is critically important, it cannot alone successfully fight organized crime, address its drivers or mitigate its impact. The policing function needs to be part of an integrated response. However, as the 2016 external review of United Nations policing observed, in most contexts the police component has been insufficiently integrated with the political and other functions of the peacekeeping missions, and significant underresourcing hampers the division’s ability to perform a more integrated function. Furthermore, except in a few recent missions, the United Nations police have been seen as the bedrock of a mission’s exit strategy rather than as a critical part of the central planning and peacekeeping functions. Instead, the way in which criminal actors have become embedded in conflict zones suggests that policing must be a strategic consideration at all stages of a mission’s planning and deployment. Even if peace operations are not intended to actively fight crime, they need to be crime-sensitive and ensure that criminal groups do not threaten the security of the mission or become long-term peace spoilers. More regional approaches, including stable neighbouring States, can provide a buffer to respond to the cross-border, transnational threats posed by fragile and conflict- affected countries. In a peacekeeping setting, the United Nations system as a whole needs better situational awareness of criminal networks, organized crime and the illicit economy in order to provide a basis for policymaking and programming. Expanding the analytical capacities of peace operations by providing information-gathering task forces with sufficient resources is an essential first step towards accomplishing those aims. Integrating a political-economy approach  — one that extends into the political side of mission mandates and encompasses the illicit economy in its considerations— is a second step. A sustainable response must address the often- documented challenge of political actors at all levels who profit from illicit flows. Otherwise there is a risk of rewarding bad behaviour and allowing governance itself to become criminalized. There is currently no written guidance for peacekeepers or United Nations mission staff that has been prepared or provided by the system with regard to addressing organized crime. Similarly, there is no guidance module on organized crime for the United Nations system disarmament, demobilization and reintegration framework, although one is envisaged. Peacekeeping missions should also be able to draw upon the benefits of the experience of the whole United Nations system in understanding and responding to criminality in a conflict zone. but currently there is no systematic linkage between peacekeeping missions and the specialized agency for organized crime — the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime — or for others with expertise in specific forms of organized criminality. That may mean, therefore, that peace operations are working without the much-needed understanding of the forms of criminal governance or the criminal ecosystem in which they operate. As a result, they attempt to use structures and strategies designed for dealing with non-State conflict or engaging legitimate political actors without necessarily addressing the way in which organized crime underpins those theatres of operations. A poorly framed response to illicit markets can have highly detrimental impacts on human rights, the legitimacy of some local actors, the protection of civilians and the size and strength of criminal groups themselves. We therefore acknowledge and welcome those instances where senior, highly experienced police officials are working alongside or even replacing their military counterparts, who have traditionally taken a lead role in designing and, thereafter, implementing peacekeeping operations. In a context where peacekeeping is as much about introducing, reintroducing or reinforcing the rule of law as it is about keeping warring factions apart, the role of policing in these missions is critical. Tackling organized crime in conflict zones is an integral part of tackling organized crime holistically at the global level. The two are closely connected. From the Global Initiative’s perspective, there is little doubt that the United Nations system needs a more coherent, streamlined and strategic approach to addressing organized crime and bringing its tools to bear to counter its impact. Counter-crime initiatives need to be linked to and reinforced by interventions in the recovery and development space, which are required to address the socioeconomic underpinnings of the illicit economy. In conclusion, organized crime is a threat to the three pillars on which the United Nations system is based — human rights, peace and security, and good governance and development. If we are to prevent conflict more effectively and build sustainable peace, then we need a more comprehensive and effective response to organized crime. We therefore urge the Security Council, with its leadership, to move this issue from the margins to the mainstream of the United Nations work, and particularly its work in the field.

I thank Ms. Reitano for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

My delegation welcomes these exchanges with Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Ms. Tuesday Reitano and the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). We congratulate them and commend them for the remarkable work they carry out in particularly difficult security environments. The relevant briefings that we have just heard, informed by daily experience on the ground, gives us a better idea of the decisive role of the Organization’s police forces and the many challenges they face in implementing their mandates. United Nations peacekeeping operations are not intended to replace the host State authorities, but rather to support them as part of a crisis-exit strategy that is based on an inclusive and credible political process. Each time United Nations peacekeeping operations have engaged with host State authorities and all of the stakeholders in a crisis, dynamic cooperation based on mutual trust and the pursuit of goals that are realistic and consensual has created the conditions for a successful transition, thereby paving the way for lasting peace and stability. The quality of collaboration among leaders is essential, especially between the police components of peacekeeping missions and all stakeholders in the crisis- resolution processes, primarily the host Government and the local population. That creates the conditions for strong national ownership of United Nations action. It is therefore my delegation’s view that that is an crucial, and even indispensable, condition to make the work of the United Nations police force more effective, particularly in the implementation of their obligations within the mandate that has been entrusted to them, namely, the protection of civilians, ensuring free access to justice for women and children and support for the host country in the fight against organized crime. The fact that United Nations missions are made up of a mosaic of contingents from different cultures and countries could suggest that there would be a negative impact on the perception of their obligations in the context of peacekeeping in difficult environments. The merit of the Force Commanders who have just delivered their briefings therefore lies in their daily efforts to maintain a sufficient level of cohesion and unity of action among the police forces so that, in spite of the many challenges, they can continue to be an effective instrument at the service of the peace continuum. In that regard, my delegation would like to seek the insight of the Police Commissioner of MINUJUSTH, Mr. Serge Therriault, on the status of the collaboration with the Haitian authorities concerning the capacity- building mandate of the Haitian National Police to help them take ownership of national security. How far along is the process of professionalizing the Haitian National Police in terms of achieving the goals of the MINUJUSTH exit strategy two years from now? Will the transference of tasks and responsibilities be completed within the established time frame? It is imperative that Haitians take ownership of the proposed fundamental reforms and implement them in order to ensure the success of the transition. With regard to the zero-tolerance policy on sexual violence, my delegation seeks clarification on the actions carried out within the framework of the three peacekeeping missions that are the subject of this meeting, with a view to the implementation of that requirement. In conclusion, my delegation would like to commend the thousands of men and women of the police forces deployed in United Nations missions and pay tribute to the soldiers who have lost their lives. Their sacrifice should lead us to further our efforts to translate into reality the hope of peace and prosperity held by millions of people in those countries.

We are grateful for the briefing by Assistant Secretary-General Alexandre Zoue, and for those by the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as that by Ms. Tuesday Reitano. The United Nations defines police work as a function of governance responsible for the prevention, detection and investigation of crimes, the protection of persons and property and the maintenance of public order and security. Two years ago, the Organization received a report of the Secretary-General (S/2016/952) that included 14 recommendations on the work of the police, which, within the framework of resolution 2185 (2014), stressed the ever-greater importance of police forces for international peace and security. The Secretary-General’s approach has made it possible to identify priorities and measures aimed at strengthening the work of the police detachments deployed in the various peacekeeping missions, with the aim of establishing a coherent and adaptable system to tackle new conflict and post-conflict situations. In addition to assisting in planning transition processes and developing integrated approaches on the rule of law in the countries where they carry out their activities, the work of the police also fulfils a wide range of tasks, including, inter alia, advising on the reform, restructuring and strengthening of police institutions, contributing to the training and mentoring of police forces in countries, law enforcement, providing assistance and security in electoral processes, disarmament and demobilization, community-based policing, patrolling, border management and the fight against transnational organized crime. The role and importance of that work has been demonstrated today in the briefings delivered. The roles of United Nations police in terms of levels of security are well established in practice and involve the strengthening of local police and Government institutions and access to justice. That is done through the promotion of dialogue and commitment and the creation of a secure environment. However, we believe that the role of United Nations police is not yet clear with regard to the physical protection of civilians. We value the efforts of the Organization to ensure that police-contributing countries meet the necessary standards, although there are still challenges regarding deployment, capacity and specific tasks. We believe that those difficulties must be overcome with the improvement of performance-management frameworks in the field, and that is not exclusive to military components, but also covers police and civilian components. On the other hand, within the framework of peacebuilding, it is imperative to reinforce the work of United Nations police with regard to the transition and transfer of full responsibilities to the police in the host State, in addition to ensuring mission exit strategies. In that understanding, and turning to our region, we commend the role of the police component of MINUJUSTH, which provides operational support to the Haitian National Police in terms of reducing crime and of activities related to law enforcement, having completed the first joint annual review of the Haitian National Police development plan for the period 2017- 2021, which focuses on improving the capacity and operational readiness of the National Police in the areas of prevention and response. We also welcome efforts to promote the incorporation of a gender perspective into United Nations police components, which reaffirms, assures and promotes the equal participation of women in the area of peacekeeping operations, including an active role in prevention, mediation and dialogue in order to achieve solutions on equal terms. In conclusion, Bolivia reaffirms its support and commitment to peacekeeping operations and is grateful for the work of United Nations personnel, as well as the personnel of police- and troop-contributing countries — men and women who risk their lives every day in order to consolidate a lasting and sustainable peace in fulfilment of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

We wish to express our gratitude for the convening of this meeting and for the important briefings by Mr. Alexandre Zouev, the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) and Ms. Tuesday Reitano. We also wish to highlight the important functions performed by Security Council- mandated police forces, as well as the great potential that their participation in United Nations peace operations represents for the maintenance, consolidation and sustainment of peace in the countries where they are deployed. We underscore the importance that peacekeeping operations, as appropriate, have in place guidelines for action, specialized administration, recruitment and training systems, capacity-building on human rights — especially on those of women and children — and mechanisms for performance assessment. We also believe that support is often required in countries affected by conflict in order to build and strengthen national and local institutions and capacities that are called upon to restore and maintain security and public order. We therefore underscore the importance of developing close coordination and cooperation with national authorities and local communities, as well as with United Nations country teams. That is so that United Nations policing in peace operations responds to national needs, circumstances and priorities and contributes to local capacity-building, which, in many cases, involves a high level of specialization where required. That is of the utmost importance — for example, in combating organized crime, as has been pointed out today, which erodes the institutional framework required to sustain peace, is often transnational in scope and, in many cases, favours the development of conflicts and establishes links with terrorism. In that regard, we would like to highlight the work done by United Nations police and the need to prioritize its action to establish and train local police. We stress that United Nations police have the capacity to build a close relationship with the local population, thereby contributing to conflict prevention, including mediation efforts such as those carried out by UNMISS in South Sudan, as its Police Commissioner mentioned. We also believe that it is important that law enforcement agencies, as well as the judicial and correctional systems, be trained on the principles and values of justice, including the rule of law and due process. Also, its action must be inclusive and its composition must reflect the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, as appropriate. We stress the need for the police to have the trust of the citizenry and to invest in its relationship with local communities, in particular with the youth. As Mr. Zouev rightly pointed out, that trust is augmented by the presence of women as part of United Nations policing. That trust is also essential for the proper functioning of the rule of law, early-warning systems, close monitoring and police intelligence. We therefore emphasize the importance of recruiting and training more women as police officers. In that connection, we highlight the efforts made by MINUJUSTH to that end and would like to know whether the expected levels of female participation in that process have been attained. We underscore the importance that, in order to effectively protect civilians, United Nations police guidelines also define police responsibilities to include preventing and responding to threats of physical violence, as well as the need for adequate training. That means recognizing that the police components of a mission are also responsible for fulfilling their mandates under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. I would like to conclude by paying tribute to the thousands of police personnel who carry out complex and important work for peace and security in various missions mandated by the Council in conflict-ridden countries. They have our full support.

On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the briefers — Assistant Secretary-General Zouev, Ms. Reitano and the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) — for their excellent and very concrete briefings. I think they have all highlighted different aspects of United Nations policing that are quite relevant to the discussion today. I realize that there are other Police Commissioners in the Chamber who did not speak, and therefore please allow me to thank them all and their teams for the very important work they do. They have our full support. Police officers are key players in the security architecture and the integrated approach, and they focus on other security aspects than the military does. Please allow me to focus on three important aspects of policing in United Nations peacekeeping operations: first, the need to strengthen the rule of law through policing; secondly, the role of United Nations police in preventing and addressing serious organized crime; and, thirdly, the importance of gender-responsive policing. First, strengthening the rule of law through police reform is one of the key tasks of United Nations police in post-conflict situations. Individual police officers play a vital role in capacity-building and contributing to reforms of the judicial chain. The effective deployment of United Nations police will have a positive impact on trust, inclusiveness and sustaining peace, which strengthens the sovereignty of the host country. Therefore, United Nations police have a vital role to play during transitions and in exit strategies. United Nations police also have a connecting role between the mission and the population. They help increase trust between the mission and the population, but also among the warring parties. We see that, for example, in the role United Nations police play during the elections-related activities in big cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The role of the United Nations police is essential in a people-centred approach. For that reason, the Kingdom of the Netherlands strongly believes that the Security Council should increase the relative percentage of United Nations police officers in peacekeeping operations. In order to strengthen the support of the United Nations in peace operations, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Côte d’Ivoire want to work together with Council members to adopt a draft resolution on police, justice and corrections. Secondly, with regard to the need to address organized crime in conflict, we often talk about the need to address the root causes of conflict. Financial gains from organized crime are a source of income that funds insurgent groups and terrorists, and thereby perpetuate the cycle of conflict. One way by which missions can address that is by developing sustainable host-State capacity to address serious crime and organized crime. For example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the illegal exploitation of natural resources directly funds armed groups. In line with the Action for Peacekeeping declaration, I would like to stress the importance of predeployment training of police officers, in accordance with the human rights due-diligence policy. The right people need to be deployed in the right place at the right time, while taking advantage of their specific police specialization. Thirdly, I want to emphasize the importance of gender-responsive policing. Gender-responsive policing increases trust within the population, including in their national police force. To build trust, both male and female officers need to be involved in day and night patrols. Having a good mix of female and male police officers is essential to addressing sexual and gender- based violence, support victims and help to ensure that the perpetrators are held to account. That is especially relevant in South Sudan, where the deployment of more female police officers is needed to mitigate the risk of sexual and gender-based violence in and around internally displaced-persons camps. In conclusion, United Nations police have a vital role to play in establishing long-term stability and sustaining peace in peacekeeping settings. Therefore, we look forward to receiving the Secretary-General’s report on policing requested in resolution 2382 (2017), exactly a year ago today. Policing needs to be mainstreamed in the United Nations system. It is an indispensable dimension in peacekeeping missions, as well as its integrated role, together with justice and corrections, in the broader justice chain. That should be a common interest and responsibility of all. I highlight the need for the appropriate positioning of United Nations police, including the Police Adviser, so that it can be more adequately equipped to fulfil its key role in prevention and sustaining peace. Let me express my sincere gratitude to the Secretariat for its support; the Police Commissioners for their leadership; UNMISS, MONUSCO and MINUJUSTH for their invaluable and relentless efforts in supporting the people of those countries; and all police-contributing countries for their indispensable contributions.

We commend the Chinese presidency for convening this important briefing. We also thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev, the Police Commissioners of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Ms. Reitano, for their informative briefings. Reflections from those three field missions and Ms. Reitano on the role of the United Nations police are very important for us to move forward our collective effort to promote peace and security. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to offer the following observations and recommendations. First, we see the world as a family of United Nations States Members that lives interconnected in a globalized world, meaning that no country can feel safe if there is strife and conflict in another country. The problems encountered by one country in the form of, for example, illegal migration, trafficking or terrorism, can have a spillover effect. Those effects are transnational and cross-border, therefore ensuring that our common security and well-being are basic pre-requisites for regional and global stability. Our actions with regard to the police component of peacekeeping therefore have to be focused on enhancing the capacities of host nations, which bear the primary responsibility for strengthening their national security, police and justice and correctional institutions, as well as holding them accountable. Secondly, even though our efforts may be multilateral, the concept of national ownership is imperative. The priorities identified by host nations have to be given the highest consideration. Our efforts should be consistent with their cultures and legal traditions, yet non-contradictory to international norms, which would provoke greater tensions and therefore worsen the humanitarian situation. Thirdly, restoring and maintaining peace and stability in countries that undergo conflict are long-term processes that require consolidation and cooperation among all the relevant stakeholders, such as Parliament, political and religious leaders, the private sector, academia, civil society and the media — all of which have a great impact. Community outreach and addressing issues on the ground are necessary through confidence-building measures on our part. Fourthly, in the light of the overall United Nations reforms, and especially in peace operations, we need to develop clear mandates and directives for police contingents, with strong units for the rule of law, security sector reform, the protection of civilians and human rights and the empowerment of youth and women, especially by ending all impunity for gender- based violence. Only then will we have national stability in host countries and direct strategies to build capacity in order to prevent new conflicts, as well as relapses or recurrences of existing ones. Fifthly, collective actions require unity of effort and close collaboration. Today’s peacekeeping operations involve concurrent operations by military and police units, especially with regard to the protection of civilians. They also call for new modalities and approaches of coordination between the police and the military in various overlapping protection situations, based on the type of violence and other community- based variables. In that regard, we would like to learn from the reflections of the briefers, especially those from the field missions, about the mechanisms and operational strategies that must be instituted between the police and military components on the various aspects of the mandates. Sixthly, we will also need to address the broader capability and training gaps by expanding the number of police-contributing countries with high capabilities for a larger deployment of women in their forces. We believe that the capabilities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization could strengthen United Nations policing in terms of proper training and capacity-building. We also agree with the speakers who mentioned that increasing the presence of women in the United Nations police strengthens the force’s ability to establish trust with local populations and also contributes to creating a safe environment for the victims of sexual violence to report crimes. Finally, let me reiterate that Kazakhstan will work with the United Nations to achieve stability and peace and is always ready to engage in reaching higher standards and capabilities for United Nations policing, which is an integral component of peacekeeping operations.

I thank the presidency of the Security Council for convening this important debate. I would also like to thank all of the briefers for their very informative input on today’s discussion. We value Assistant Secretary-General Alexandre Zouev’s remarks regarding the strategic priorities of the United Nations police components. And we appreciate the fist- hand experience provided by the Police Commissioners, including Ms. Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Mr. Awalé Abdounasir from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Mr. Serge Therriault from the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti. I ask that they please convey our sincere words of appreciation to all policewomen and policemen who bravely perform their duties. We also welcome to the Chamber the representative of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. That organization proves how civil society initiatives are significant in facilitating debate and innovative approaches as the cornerstones of building an inclusive global strategy against organized crime. We all agree that the main role of police in peace operations is to detect crime, maintain public order and safety and protect life and property, not to mention the much-needed capacity-building for the host nation’s police. All of those measures performed by police during peacekeeping operations significantly contribute to building the resilience of the host State. However, all of those objectives cannot be achieved without effective conflict analysis and early-warning and prevention efforts, especially in enhancing conflict- prevention, which saves people from needless suffering and requires an understanding of the drivers of conflict at all levels. United Nations police, which benefit from a presence on the ground and are trained to interact with people in local communities that are sometimes very distant from the capital, should contribute to early-warning mechanisms. That can be achieved through the timely identification of elevated risks of tensions. We believe that that aspect of the police’s role in the peacebuilding process should be further studied, developed and implemented on the ground. As a strong advocate of the increased role of women in peacekeeping, we would like to draw attention to the significance of their operational contribution. From the police perspective, the participation of women in peacekeeping, in particular in community policing, provides the indispensable sense of security among the local population. The aspects of United Nations policing that I mentioned cannot be achieved without well-resourced police officers and, needless to say, United Nations police are a clear reflection of what police-contributing countries (PCCs) commit to global peace and stability. In that respect, I would like to refer directly to the role of the United Nations missions represented by our briefers. I must also highlight the efforts of MONUSCO in the implementation of a performance evaluation system that is based on objective criteria for both individual police officers and formed police units. It is worth pointing out that no performance issues have been identified so far for individual police officers, while one formed police unit needs reinforced capacity. That is of particular importance, as protecting civilians in urban areas is one of the capabilities assessed. Another point that I would like to touch upon is the indispensable role of the police in the transition process in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The significant role of specialized police teams — which are responsible for providing support for rebuilding the capacities of the host State police — needs to be underlined. We have been following the work of the Police Division on that matter and we express our strong support for the concept. The current deployment of five specialized police teams is already a promising sign of interest among the PCCs. We encourage the Police Division to put emphasis on the further development of those units, while taking into account the experience already gained from the first stage. We consider that sharing with the PCCs the lessons learned from that process would improve and foster the implementation of the specialized police team concept, in particular to support the implementation of a targeted mandate. The President of the Republic of Poland, in his speech during the high-level meeting on Action for Peacekeeping held on 25 September, reiterated our commitment to the UNMISS police component. That is clear and tangible confirmation that Poland is engaging in initiatives that help to restore and strengthen the rule of law. In conclusion, let me highlight that the operational and resource limitations serve to underscore the need for a holistic approach that leverages the advantages of each component and the numerous institutional actors and agencies that are present in the mission area. The police component, as an important instrument contributing to the resolution of a crisis situation, should be considered part of a systemic approach. That would help utilize limited resources in a more effective manner by benefiting from the synergy effect.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev, the Police Commissioners and Ms. Reitano for their briefings. The United States welcomes this opportunity to commend United Nations police personnel for their commitment to implementing peacekeeping mandates. United Nations police are making critical contributions to peacekeeping across the globe, and our Government is committed to strengthening United Nations police, as evidenced by our extensive capacity-building efforts to empower police-contributing countries to deploy well-led, well-trained police to a range of United Nations missions. When the United States talks about institutionalizing a culture of performance in United Nations peacekeeping, we are not just talking about troops; we are talking about police as well. To that end, we believe that resolution 2436 (2018), which was adopted unanimously on 21 September and is aimed at enhancing the performance of peacekeepers, is a big step forward. The resolution calls for timely, transparent reporting of performance failures to the Security Council and to Member States concerned. It also calls for accountability measures for failures of performance and concrete incentives for stronger performance. Finally, it recognizes the role of data in improving performance by matching the right troops and police with the right roles. We encourage applying those considerations to peacekeeping police components and urge the Secretary-General to employ performance data to inform decision-making related to police deployments and to provide that data to donor countries that provide training and equipment in order to better channel their assistance. We share the Secretary-General’s commitment to peacekeeping performance across the board. We welcome efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General through his Action for Peacekeeping initiative, including by developing an integrated performance policy framework based on clear standards for all personnel. We urge the Secretary-General to include police more deliberately in this process. United Nations police components often operate in complex environments and make an important contribution to the protection of civilians. We commend the work of the more than 1,350 police serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). With elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo just over a month away, MONUSCO’s police face the considerable challenge of preparing to provide security support for the elections. We are also pleased to see the success of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti in training the Haitian National Police, despite a challenging environment. One of the key principles that has guided our efforts to make United Nations peacekeeping more effective and efficient is that peacekeeping missions must have an exit strategy. That requires building an integrated security architecture that seeks to ensure the safety of civilians. Police have a critical role to play in making that vision a reality, as evidenced in places like Haiti and Liberia. To that end, we support better integration of the police into all aspects of mission planning and ensuring the United Nations Police Division is empowered to properly assess, plan, deploy, manage and support peacekeeping missions. Police expertise should be consistently considered and integrated into the mandates and decision-making structures of United Nations peace operations.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev and the Police Commissioners for their valuable briefings today. I also thank Tuesday Reitano for her important contribution and perspectives on transnational organized crime. It is very encouraging to see so many representatives of United Nations police in the Chamber this afternoon. Although I realize that most of the Blue Berets are behind me, it is very nice anyway that they are at this meeting. I would like to take this opportunity, as some of my colleagues have already done, to thank them so much for the invaluable work that they do for all of us in their respective missions every day. They really make a crucial contribution to conflict prevention and sustaining peace, which are at the very core of the United Nations work. I thank them again. We are very proud of their accomplishments. Imagine our societies without policing  — cities, towns and villages without any objective authority to uphold the rule of law. The chaos that would reign under such circumstances is obvious. Accountable, transparent and effective policing is central to peaceful and stable societies. Strong institutions that are trusted by their citizens are crucial for responding effectively to violence and crime. Where governance and institutions are weak, on the other hand, organized crime is more likely to take hold. Transnational organized crime finances and fuels conflict, reinforces corruption and undermines institutions. That erodes confidence in society, and criminal groups can challenge the State’s ability to control its own territory. The breakdown of law and order, the violations of human rights and the lack of the rule of law are often at the heart of the problem in the countries where the United Nations is engaged, as illustrated today by our briefers from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. That is why Sweden has for decades been a consistent contributor to United Nations police. Policing is an important function in all phases of conflict. From prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding and sustaining peace, there is always a need for structural capacity and institution-building that contributes to stability and the rule of law. Conflict prevention is supported through direct operational actions and through supporting international norms, as well as mechanisms, to combat transnational organized crime, illicit arms flows and human trafficking. In numerous resolutions, the Security Council has included mandates or references to combating criminal flows and networks. As we heard from the Police Commissioner from the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, to feel hope and confidence for the future, tangible investments in the rule of law is important for people in vulnerable situations. Building responsive and representative institutions is therefore key, which is also why Sweden contributes both police and corrections personnel to United Nations missions. The Global Focal Point arrangement is one useful vehicle for making a comprehensive contribution to both the rule of law and other development work. For the United Nations to be more effective in designing adequate responses to different situations we must further strengthen the role of police in our approach, as our briefers also highlighted today. Protecting the human rights of civilians, addressing organized crime, combating sexual and gender-based violence, fighting impunity, upholding law and order and building the rule of law cannot be accomplished without effective policing. The centrality of policing to the United Nations response should be improved through joint analyses and by taking a broad view of security. The decision-making process must be informed by relevant policing expertise, and we need adequate platforms for delivering policing advice. To make full use of United Nations policing and for the Police Division to be able to provide strategic direction on police issues to the Council, the Secretariat and other elements of the United Nations system, the Police Division must be adequately placed in the structures and the United Nations Police Adviser must have the right level to ensure access to relevant decision-making discussions. Sweden strongly supports the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative and will continue to be involved in the work going forward. Ensuring an adequate reflection of the different components of peace operations will be important. Inclusive and responsive peace operations also require a gender-balance in the cadre of peacekeepers. More than one third of the police officers Sweden today contributes to United Nations peace operations are women. It is equally important to ensure the participation of women in local outreach and projects, as also highlighted in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan briefing on gender-responsive policing. In addition, to ensure an effective policing response, it is important that all our officers be well trained and held accountable for their conduct. We look forward to the forthcoming report of the Secretary-General on policing and to continuing the discussion on mainstreaming policing in the United Nations prevention activities and in the peace and security pillar. Finally, United Nations police will continue to carry the dual role of providing security and protection, as well as supporting the reform, restructuring and development of rule-of-law institutions. The protection of civilians is crucially important. As the Organization is set on moving from conflict response to conflict prevention, the capacity-building role will be further highlighted. It is high time that we act in support of increased police expertise in the United Nations decision-making processes. By making the best possible use of the different instruments that United Nations policing can provide, we will be one step closer to sustaining peace.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev and the Police Commissioners present with us here today, as well as Ms. Reitano, for their briefings. I would like to begin by asking all the Blue Berets at today’s meeting to pass on to their colleagues the United Kingdom’s thanks and admiration for their service and bravery. Their work and sacrifice in fragile and post-conflict States is a vital part of peacekeeping operations. In countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Haiti, the men and women of United Nations policing put their lives on the line to protect the most vulnerable as their communities emerge from conflict. Their presence allows people to rebuild their lives, communities and livelihoods. They also help to embed longer-term stability by promoting the rule of law and human rights and by helping build capable and accountable national security institutions. In the light of the important role played by United Nations policing in peacekeeping and the maintenance of international peace and security, it is vital for the Security Council to have the opportunity to hear at first-hand from Police Commissioners about what the Security Council can do to support them and their offices. If United Nations policing is to remain effective, then we  — whether Council members, police-contributing countries or police commanders — need to listen to the experiences of police on the ground and consider how reform can make a practical difference. That is why the United Kingdom was a strong supporter of resolution 2382 (2017) and the 2016 external review. We look forward to the full implementation of the resolution and those recommendations of the external review that remain outstanding. We believe that the forthcoming report on policing by the Secretary-General will provide an opportunity to take stock of the various strands of reform and set out a clear plan for the future. There are two particular areas I would like to highlight. First, the United Kingdom would like to underline the full integration of policing advice into mission planning processes, ensuring that policing expertise is included in decision-making through the life of the mission. That needs to be underpinned by a strong and analytical capability that can undertake the continuous assessment necessary to ensure that policing activity remains appropriate to the needs on the ground. Secondly, it is vital that United Nations missions continue to support the development of law enforcement in host States and do so based on assessment of the host State needs and capacity. The United Kingdom believes that, to maximize impact, United Nations police need to be in a position to deploy sufficient numbers of specialists in those specific disciplines that are relevant to a particular mission. The United Kingdom would like to encourage the Police Division to improve efficiency in recruitment and subsequent deployment into police components so that the relevant expertise is available when needed most. United Nations police are present throughout the continuum of conflict. The Blue Berets are usually the first and the last members of the United Nations family that a local population meet during any intervention or response to a crisis. Therefore, in order to succeed in their mission across the duration of their deployment, officers need to establish a relationship with the population  — one that must be one that is founded on trust. That trust is more readily formed if United Nations police officers reflect the diversity of the world that they are sent to protect. Allow me, therefore, to conclude by expressing my support for police-contributing countries that are addressing the obstacles preventing more women from entering United Nations police. I also wish to encourage even greater efforts within United Nations police components to consult with communities, including women, and ensure that their views and needs are fully part of their day-to-day work and are reflected in their reporting to the Council.

My delegation would like to thank the briefers and acknowledge the quality of the work they carry out. In addition to the difficulties faced by the various peacekeeping missions, they must combat organized crime  — in many cases financed by the illegal exploitation of natural resources — as well as ensure the safety of civilians, where the fight against sexual exploitation and other great scourges also become daily components of their task. However, our delegation is interested in knowing whether there are any conflicts with local police with regard to competencies when it comes to investigating or designing operations? Moreover, in relation to the terrorist groups that are fuelled by the sale of narcotics and the payment of ransoms, is there no method of effective international cooperation that would allow us to cut off supplies from third countries more easily, thereby hindering the livelihoods of such groups? In addition to coordinating with a country’s local police when dealing with terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram and others, we believe that there should be better coordinated cooperation with the police of the countries of the subregion in order to guarantee successful and more sustainable operations.

We express our appreciation to the Chinese presidency for organizing this briefing meeting on the activities of United Nations police forces in peacekeeping operations. We thank Assistant Secretary-General Alexandre Zouev for his briefing. We are also grateful to all the three Police Commissioners —from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti — for sharing their field experiences, as well as Ms. Reitano for her briefing. Ethiopia recognizes the important role that United Nations police plays in promoting stability and long- term development in countries affected by conflict. The landscape where United Nations peacekeepers are deployed today has changed dramatically. The significance of United Nations police has never been so critical, in the light of the corresponding change in conflict dynamics, the transformation in the scope and complexity of peacekeeping mandates and the evolving trend towards multidimensional peacekeeping. United Nations policing has become a vital component of peacekeeping, particularly in carrying out mandated tasks related to supporting the capacity of host State law enforcement institutions. The role that United Nations police components play in facilitating transitions from peacekeeping to development and peacebuilding is also crucial. Past and recent experiences, such as in Liberia, among other places, are examples of the demonstrable success of United Nations police in peacebuilding and sustaining peace. In particular, United Nations policing functions in supporting host States through monitoring and restructuring local police forces, training and advising other law enforcement institutions, restoring and promoting public safety and safeguarding the rule of law have been indispensable. We believe that national ownership should be the guiding principle for United Nations police when supporting host States in building and developing the capacity of local police forces. Host State national capacity gaps should also inform the composition of United Nations police components, particularly during planning and recruitment and in the provision of guidance and training. Where mandated, the managing of civilian tasks that United Nations police undertake in the context of conflict and post-conflict situations, including in preventing and addressing violence against women and children, also remains vital. In that regard, the deployment of women police officers will have a practical and positive impact in winning the trust of local communities. That is why increasing the participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping is very important. It is a source of pride to us that Ethiopia is one of the leading contributors in that regard. Peacekeeping mandates related to police activities need to be clear and achievable. Police-contributing countries should also ensure that the forces they deploy  — whether individual police officers, formed police units or specialized police teams in the field — are well-trained and equipped in order to implement their mandates. Furthermore, the Secretariat has a key role to play, including through enhancing the effectiveness of the strategic generation of police personnel with better planning, appropriate expertise, language skills and operational readiness. Strengthening the operational and policy coherence on United Nations police within the United Nations system therefore remains very important. In that regard, we believe that the triangular cooperation among the Security Council, troop- and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat in policing is key to strengthening the effectiveness of United Nations police in peacekeeping. Ethiopia has made a very modest contribution of police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping and is exerting every possible effort to enhance its participation, including through the deployment of formed police units. I want to conclude by reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to enhancing its participation and contribution to United Nations Police in the years ahead.

We thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s meeting on policing issues in United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions. We are grateful to Mr. Alexander Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, and the Police Commissioners of the Missions in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti for their thorough and useful briefings. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all police peacekeepers for their selfless service and conscientious execution of their duties, at times in extremely difficult circumstances. The importance of police work in United Nations peacekeeping today is clear to us all. As one of the agents of peacekeeping work, police officers carry out major tasks. They do not just help to keep public order and support national Governments’ efforts to protect civilians in the countries where they are deployed, they also play an important supporting role in reforming law-enforcement institutions and building national capacities in host States. More and more often they have to provide assistance in addressing issues such as combating organized crime, the illegal trade in narcotics, human trafficking and other security threats. It is often the police who serve as a link between the people of host States and their Governments as well as between the people and the peacekeeping presence. When their work is successful it can strengthen citizens’ confidence in State institutions and create conditions conducive to a return to normal life while establishing the preconditions for lasting peace and national reconciliation. In providing such assistance on behalf of the entire international community, the police, like all United Nations peacekeepers, must unswervingly fulfil the Security Council’s mandates and uphold the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping — the consent of the parties, impartiality and refraining from the use of force except in cases of self-defence and defence of the mandate. Establishing constructive and trust-based relations with the host country and taking their nationally determined priorities into account are extremely important components of effective mandate fulfilment. It is a condition of success in this area that the principles of national ownership and respect for national sovereignty be observed. One can hardly speak of effective international support if a United Nations mission presence of many years has merely substituted the efforts of United Nations officers for those of the local police. Nor should we forget that it is local police who have the primary responsibility for ensuring the protection of civilians. The mandates of police components deployed in peacekeeping operations must be precise and realistic as well as taking into account country specifics and realities on the ground. The aims and scope of their deployment must also be able to be adjusted rapidly based on changes that occur in their host States. In that context we encourage constant dialogue between the Security Council, troop- and police-contributing countries and host States on every aspect of the work of peacekeeping operations, including the planning and mandate-design stages. It goes without saying that for police to do their jobs effectively the necessary material, technical and human resources should be in place. Missions must improve their planning and management, increase their efficiency in using the resources they have and avoid unnecessary expenditures and duplication of functions. Where those processes are concerned, it is important that the Secretariat carefully consider the opinions and recommendations of police-contributing countries. As a police-contributing country, the Russian Federation has continued to expand its contribution to United Nations peacekeeping activities and to deploy officers with the relevant skills to missions. Since 1992 more than 500 employees of various bodies in Russia’s Ministry of the Interior have become police peacekeepers, and it is important to us that United Nations representatives have frequently noted their great professionalism. We were pleased to note that following the first United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit in 2016, Russia fulfilled the commitment it had made to doubling the number of its police peacekeepers. Today Russian police officers are active in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Kosovo, Haiti and Cyprus, and 20 per cent of them are women. The contribution of women to police work is also growing steadily in Russia itself, and in 2017, as promised, we trained a group of women officers to participate in police components of United Nations missions. Altogether, 35 women from Russia and a number of African countries participated in the course. The Russian Interior Ministry’s United Nations- certified training centre is training police peacekeepers, including foreigners, on an ongoing and professional basis. Since 2000 it has trained more than 1,600 Russian officers and 500 foreign police peacekeepers, including commanders, from more than 50 countries. Russia has unique experience in the area of peacekeeper vocational training that we are ready to share. We are also ready to deploy experts to participate in the work of specialized police groups in United Nations missions and to consider the issue of Russian police officers’ participation in such groups’ projects, including jointly with other countries, in anglophone missions.

I would like to thank our briefers, Mr. Alexander Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, the Police Commissioners of the Missions in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti, and Ms. Reitano, of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. Today I would like to address three topics, the protection of civilians, the rule of law and peacebuilding. First, with respect to the protection of civilians, the work of United Nations Police is an essential pillar in the implementation of peacekeeping mandates. Most peacekeepers, including police, work in missions in order to protect civilians where there is a mandate to do so. They communicate with communities with a view to strengthening and promoting political settlements, and their work is first and foremost people-centred and designed not to undermine States’ primary responsibility to protect their citizens. Where the presence of uniformed personnel is concerned, the United Nations Police spend the longest periods of time on the ground, and their work sometimes includes deployment to special political missions. Their presence, whether as individual officers or within formed police units, makes a significant contribution to building trust among civilians and preventing relapses into conflict. In that regard, we want to emphasize the importance of adequate training for United Nations police officers, including in terms of linguistic skills, compliance with the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, the handling of cases of gender- based violence in conflict and the protection of children. Secondly, with regard to the rule of law, the police also have a role to play in strengthening legal institutions in host countries, in security-sector reform and capacity-building of institutions for consolidating the rule of law and preserving stability, as well as in ensuring that host countries have the capacity to address the challenges that they face, including organized crime and the various rogue groups that operate outside the law. The police should help to address such challenges while ensuring respect for State sovereignty and commitment to the Security Council’s mandates. Thirdly, with regard to peacebuilding, the continued presence on the ground of United Nations Police, as opposed to other uniformed personnel, makes them responsible for ensuring a smooth transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding and for cooperating with local and international organizations and partners to implement exit strategies for peacekeeping operations, based on successful political solutions and integrated national responsibility, in which all elements of society have a key role in ensuring lasting peace and empowering women to be peacemakers. In conclusion, the reforms undertaken by the Secretariat, including of the peace and security pillar, will undoubtedly make police action on the ground more consistent in all peacekeeping operations, within a context of unified leadership based first and foremost on Security Council resolutions and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We also look forward to the forthcoming report of the Secretary-General on police activities, and we once again thank you, Mr. President, and the delegation of China for highlighting the importance of peacekeeping during your presidency of the Council.

I would first like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this annual and always very useful meeting. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Alexandre Zouev, who is a remarkable polyglot, the Police Commissioners here today and Ms. Reitano for their briefings, which enable us to better understand the challenges facing United Nations police forces on the ground. Like my colleagues before me, I would also like to pay a warm tribute to the men and women police officers and gendarmes, who are sometimes deployed in very difficult security conditions, for their critical work and contribution to peacekeeping and the protection of civilians. The new challenges to peacekeeping efforts also raise questions about the role and activities of the United Nations Police in peacekeeping. In that regard, I want to fully endorse the statements by the representatives of the Netherlands and Sweden, particularly with regard to the role of the police in enforcing the rule of law and the importance of a gender approach tailored to the protection of women. The Action for Peacekeeping reform initiative launched by the Secretary-General, which France firmly supports, must also be implemented in United Nations policing. To that end, I would like to draw the Security Council’s attention to three areas. The first is improving police performance in peacekeeping operations and special political missions. Police officers must be given the means to take action at every stage of peacebuilding. Collective, proactive, long-term action is needed in order to establish the indicators for evaluating police action and improving its effectiveness in combating acts of violence or transnational crime. Training issues are key, of course. The contributing countries have to train police contingents, but they must also train the police services in the countries hosting United Nations peacekeeping operations. The people must be given the policing services they need, a condition essential to successful transitions and to ensuring peacekeeping operations’ orderly departure. The second area is encouraging the representation of women in police forces. I particularly have in mind ensuring increased numbers of women in contingents and police personnel, which is happening but needs further progress. The Secretary-General’s goals are ambitious but attainable. Police forces must ensure respect for human rights and equal treatment before the law for all. They must also be able to communicate with the populations they protect. Strengthening linguistic capacities suited to deployment areas is crucial in that regard. The third area I want to emphasize is the importance of placing the United Nations Police in a framework that matches the importance of their role. The police presence is there at every stage of peace operations, from prevention to consolidation. The police must therefore have the right skills, whether for planning, force generation, crisis management or leadership. Against that backdrop, we have high expectations of the Secretary-General’s report on the police, which we called for last year through the adoption of resolution 2382 (2017). Now seems a perfect time to embrace the reforms that the Secretary-General has called for. We must set the United Nations Police ambitious targets. France intends to be a willing and constructive partner in that project. You have encouraged us to be interactive, Mr. President, and I therefore have some questions for the Police Commissioners. My first is for Police Commissioner Therriault. The police component clearly plays a central role in the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Support of Justice in Haiti. With less than a year to go before a transition to a non-peacekeeping United Nations presence, what lessons can he draw from the Organization’s efforts to strengthen the Haitian National Police, and what kind of impact will that have on the Haitian judicial system? I also have a question for Police Commissioner Abdounasir on the French-speaking world. We know it is important for Police Commissioners to be able to communicate effectively with the people on the ground and with host countries’ national forces. Do the various relevant missions have enough French-speaking police personnel? Finally, I have a question for Police Commissioner Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa. She spoke of the great efforts and progress made by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in combating sexual violence in conflicts. What does she still need in order to make better progress in that regard?

I will now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of China. At the outset, I would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev, the three Police Commissioners and Ms. Reitano for their briefings. I also want to thank all United Nations police officers for their contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. I would particularly like to pay a heartfelt tribute to the United Nations police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of peace, including the Chinese police officers who lost their lives in Haiti, and to their families. The United Nations Police is an important component of United Nations peacekeeping operations and has played an indispensable role in assisting host countries in maintaining security and stability, as well as capacity-building. Given the increasingly complex and daunting security challenges and operational environments we are seeing, we must strengthen United Nations policing. To that end, China would like to offer three recommendations. First, the United Nations Police should uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and abide by the basic principles of United Nations peacekeeping  — the consent of the parties, impartiality and refraining from the use of force except in self-defence or defence of the mandate. It is vital to fully respect host countries’ sovereignty and aspirations, and to heed their views and the input of police-contributing countries regarding mandate adjustment, performance assessment and day-to- day management. Secondly, the main task should be enhancing the security capacity of host countries. The United Nations Police should support host countries through measures such as systematic training and equipment transfer in order to ensure that they are capable of safeguarding their own security and stability and of achieving sustainable peace after peacekeeping operations have withdrawn. Thirdly, we must work constantly to improve the professionalism and capacity of the United Nations Police, who must strictly implement their selection criteria for personnel and equipment, strengthen management and performance evaluations, and improve operational efficiency so as to enhance their reputation and achieve better results. Priority must be given to the safety and security of United Nations police officers, and stronger protection measures and emergency medical response capacities are also needed. China supports Secretary-General Guterres’ Action for Peacekeeping initiative and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We hope that synergy can be achieved in the implementation of the Declaration, on the one hand, and the Secretariat’s peace and security architecture and management reform, on the other, with the aim of ensuring that all those endeavours contribute to improving the development of United Nations policing and United Nations peacekeeping as a whole. China is a significant contributor of police to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Since 2000, we have contributed more than 2,600 police officers to United Nations missions. In active fulfilment of the commitments made by President Xi Jinping at the 2015 Summit on United Nations Peacekeeping, China has established and trained two standby formed police units consisting of 330 officers and has trained more than 400 peacekeeping police officers from other countries. We are in favour of organizing a new summit on United Nations policing and will continue to fulfil our commitments to United Nations peacekeeping activities and make an even greater contribution to moving United Nations policing forward. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. The members of the Council have expressed their views, in addition to asking some specific questions. I would now like to turn the floor over to the briefers to respond to the questions posed or make further comments. I give the floor to Mr. Zouev. Mr. Zouev: First of all, I would like to thank all members of the Council for their thoughtful comments, strategic guidance and important questions. I will address some general issues, while the three Police Commissioners will briefly address mission-specific questions. I will start with the issue of the periodic review of the 14 recommendations, which many speakers mentioned. As we know, it is an external review. We convene periodic meetings with Police Adviser Luís Carrilho, who is here in the Chamber today, and with other senior Police Division staff, to review the recommendations’ implementation. We have had some success, as well as gaps that we are trying to fill. Overall, we can see that there has been a certain amount of progress. Secondly, there were several references to the functions, level and place of the Police Division. Here I would first like to point to resolution 2382 (2017), adopted under the Italian presidency of the Council in 2017, which calls on the Secretary-General to prepare a special report on United Nations policing before the end of 2018. We are making good progress and are in the final stages of the report’s preparation. I am sure that it will be submitted for the attention of the Council and the wider membership on time. We will meet that deadline. At the same time, as we know, with regard to the functions, structure, capacity and level of the Police Division, that General Assembly resolution 72/262 C clearly called on the Secretary-General to make a special assessment on those four areas. I do not want to pre-empt the assessment’s findings right now because it will be submitted at the next session of the Assembly. So there will be one report out before the end of the year, and the next will follow. (spoke in French) I would like to assure the Council that we will continue to increase the role of women in United Nations policing. We are always in need not only of more women officers but of more French-speaking women. When I meet ministers and heads of police or gendarmeries, I always raise the issue. It is not an easy issue, but we are making some progress on it and will continue to work to that end. (spoke in English) I want to assure all Council members, since the issue was raised, that the United Nations Police has always worked and will continue to work in full compliance with the mandates approved and endorsed by the Security Council in this Chamber. We also carry out our work in the field and at Headquarters with full respect for national sovereignty of host countries and in close consultations with host Governments that we organize from time to time.

I now give the floor to Ms. Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa. Ms. Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa: I would like to respond to the question about what I need to do better to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence. Resolution 2406 (2018) mandates us to protect civilians and at the same time gives us an opportunity to give technical assistance and advice to the South Sudanese national police on preventing and investigating sexual and gender-based violence. What that means to us, and what we are currently working on, is that we have some limited opportunities to work on capacity-building with the national police. Going forward, we may be able to transition from providing technical assistance and advice to building the capacity of the national police to take on the task of preventing and investigating sexual and gender-based violence. In addition to that, an issue we are also looking into is ensuring a consistent supply of female officers for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), something that the police-contributing countries can assist us with, so that we have women there on the ground working with the local police to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence. Those are the areas we are currently exploring, as well as strengthening the specialized police teams that we are now deploying into the Mission. Going forward, they will really help us to consolidate our approach to the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence. I would also like to address the question on protecting civilians from threats of physical violence and how we can work responsibly in that regard. We appreciate the fact — and we have heard it here today — that the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians rests with the local Government that we work with on a day-to-day basis. But then again, given the fact that we are there, and given the unpredictability of the security situation on the ground, our presence can be a deterrent to threats of physical violence against the civilians whom we work with on a daily basis. There was also a comment about how the police and military components work on the ground. In UNMISS, we have been consistently conducting progressive tabletop exercises that we do together. We have field training exercises, as well as joint planning exercises to enable us to work together on our approach to operations and so forth. We all understand the roles of the United Nations Police and the military force, and we know that they cannot replace each other, because we have very defined roles regarding the security situation on the ground. Working together on these regular exercises therefore really helps us to identify areas where we can work together to deliver a cohesive operation on the ground every day.

I now give the floor to Mr. Abdounasir.

On behalf of our colleagues, I would like to say that we are very grateful for the recognition expressed for our efforts. I would first like to speak about the French-speaking world and the units serving from it, particularly in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). As has just been said, it is our desire to have more women and francophone staff members, failing which we have created mechanisms to improve the linguistic abilities of personnel on the ground and recruited language experts for the formed police units in order to communicate with the communities. I also take this opportunity to respond to the concerns expressed by the Ambassador of the Netherlands with respect to the issue of organized crime. Much has been done but much remains to be done. I thank the Police Division for helping us to establish specialized teams on ground with all due speed. That is most important. I conclude by addressing the concern expressed by the Ambassador of the United States with regard to the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The size of the MONUSCO police contingent is less than 1 per cent that of the Congolese National Police. While we have many challenges ahead, that is not preventing us from preparing and drafting emergency plans in order to deploy to spots where we can be useful and make a difference.

I now give the floor to Mr. Therriault. Mr. Therriault: I thank all members for their expressed understanding of the important role of the United Nations Police and for their respective contributions either as police-contributing countries or as donors in support of the efforts that we are effecting in the field. (spoke in French) With regard to cooperation between the Haitian National Police and the United Nations Police (UNPOL), I must reassure Council members that the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti has evolved in a framework of assistance in which UNPOL is present in the 10 departments of Haiti and co-located with the headquarters of each department. Thus, in undertaking more targeted recruiting of senior officers of each contributing country, we are able to provide support in such a way as to maximize trust and support, to the extent that we have been able to transfer our assistance to Haitian mentors who will help to develop the police to that level. This is taking place in the context of the cadre support programme. With respect to professionalization and the transition, I can say that even before the earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian National Police were at a very high level of preparedness. After the earthquake, which did not undermine their spirit or their willingness to learn, we were able to pursue their development. Today, following the completion of two five-year development plans and the high-level review of those plans, we are confident that, in the light of the 2017- 2021 development plan and the vision for the future, the Haitian National Police is ready for the transition, even though it will continue to need a certain amount of support, as do a number of police forces throughout the world that benefit from bilateral assistance and the help of other national police organizations in support of their ongoing development. One remarkable milestone was reaching the threshold of 10 per cent women in the ranks of the Haitian National Police. With the recruitment we have undertaken for the coming promotion exercise, which should begin before the end of the year, we will reach the 11 per cent mark of women within the Haitian National Police by this time next year. We are therefore riding a rising curve, and I am confident that we will achieve the goals we have set for ourselves with respect to the integration of women in the Haitian National Police. The most outstsanding achievement is the fact that we have developed a general inspection system for the Haitian National Police, which will ultimately help to ensure that a measure of control remains after we leave. This example of UNPOL assistance to the Haitian National Police has been taken up by the judiciary. Perhaps the best example of the influence we have had is that the judiciary is now considering a long-term development plan for the judicial system and a robust general inspection mechanism within the judiciary so as to ensure the accountability of the system and those who come before it. That, to me, is of great importance, as is the legacy we will leave to the country’s transition. To conclude, I invite the donors and the troop- contributing countries to continue to help and support the Haitian National Police as they transition to a new form of assistance that will ultimately no longer involve a United Nations peace mission.

I thank our briefers for their very good interactive discussions this afternoon. On behalf of the members of the Council, I wish to thank Assistant Secretary-General Zouev, the Police Commissioners and other speakers for their oustanding contributions to the work of the Council. I wish them every success as they carry out their tasks.