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Distinguished delegates
Who could have predicted that some 110 Member States would be contributing military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations? These 110 Member States include first-time contributors as well as Member States re-engaging with troops and police deployments to UN peacekeeping. Contributions are not only in boots but in boats: in 2006 deployments for UN peacekeeping now include a naval component of some 14 vessels. Who would have foreseen public demonstrations in cities around the world demanding the deployment of UN blue helmets? Or that the annual consolidated UN peacekeeping budget would be almost $6 billion? This level of UN peacekeeping activity, and the international attention it receives, is truly unprecedented. Today I would like to reflect here with you today on the meaning of this demand, what it might imply for global peacekeeping, and how we can best use the investments you are making in UN peacekeeping operations. I. However, this collective approach must be implemented in a way that is targeted to the specific conditions of each mission on the ground. Over the past decade UN peacekeeping has demonstrated its capacity to respond flexibly to very diverse environments. This latest surge was no exception. In a space of approximately eight weeks, two very different peace operations were planned and launched: in Timor-Leste we have a mission with a large police component and a law-enforcement mandate. That mission was deployed in response to the outbreak of internal conflict. At the same time, in southern Lebanon, a substantially expanded military force was deployed to monitor and assist in the implementation of an interstate ceasefire. Simultaneously, the largest UN elections assistance effort ever was taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is ongoing as I speak. In parallel, the mission in Haiti was assisting the newly-elected government in establishing its recovery and reform priorities, while the UN mission in Kosovo began planning for the transition from a UN to an EU peace operation. These are a number of missions going on in tandem that have to continuously adapt to their environment. The eighteen operations we currently have around the world are striking in their breadth. But a flexible approach does not mean an inconsistent response. We must always strive for a consistent global engagement, and specific implementation will always be a challenge. We must focus on ongoing operations, while devoting sufficient time and resources to new missions. Our record in balancing these challenges gives some grounds for confidence but no room for complacency. A second reason for sustained high demand is undoubtedly due to the fact that you, the Membership, are showing greater confidence in the capacity of UN peacekeeping to carry out its mandated tasks. The nine operations launched in the past thirty-six months are tangible proof of the improvements that have taken place in planning and deploying peacekeeping operations. The speed of deployment of UNIFIL troops in the weeks after Security Council resolution 1701 clearly demonstrates how swift and effective UN peacekeeping can be when backed by strong political will. Other examples of rapid and effective action by UN peacekeepers in 2006 deserve mention. I would like to refer to:
The success of these operations is the direct result of capabilities and processes we have put in place since the Brahimi report. A third reason for today's unprecedented level of activity is because we have a better understanding today - and when I say "we", I mean both Member States and the Secretariat - of what UN peacekeeping can and cannot do. UN peace operations are an instrument to support the highly political effort of transitioning from conflict to sustainable peace. But clearly, UN peacekeeping can not substitute for a political process. Nor is it ever an alternative to national leadership that can lead a country to lasting stability. The advances that Liberia, supported by the second largest UN peace operation, has made this year testify to this. Under the leadership of Africa's first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the country successfully completed a disarmament and demobilization process. At the same time, UNMIL is leading the establishment of a new police service, and reforming the prisons and criminal justice systems. State revenues have increased by 19% in less than a year since the introduction of a national-led economic governance programme in Liberia. Of course Liberia still has a long and difficult way to go. But it clearly and convincingly demonstrates the potency of partnership between local leaders, committed international support, and UN peace operations. Partnership extends to other international actors too. UN peacekeeping is in demand because we have become better at working with others. We have a better appreciation today of the imperative of a multi-actor, multi-sector effort at all phases of post-conflict. Transition is not about replacing troops with development actors but rather calibrating our cooperation according to the changing needs and the perspectives of each country. The integrated office in Sierra Leone and that currently being planned for Burundi, point the way to a coherent UN model for sustained peacebuilding support, which must build upon regional peacebuilding efforts. With regional organizations too, deeper mutual understanding is leading to more demand for joint action. The Department's partnership with the African Union is the clearest example of this increased engagement. The Department continues to support the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) through the UN Assistance Cell in Addis Ababa. In June, I had the privilege of leading, with Ambassador Said Djinnit, a joint UN-AU assessment mission to Darfur. We were united in our assessment of the catastrophic humanitarian and security situation there and of the urgent need for a comprehensive international political effort to pave the way for the deployment of a larger peacekeeping force. Events in Sudan have dominated the UN-AU peacekeeping partnership. They have also reinforced our belief in the importance of investing in it. Our support for the AU's commitment to build and develop its peacekeeping capacity led to the recent agreement of a joint action plan between the Department and the AU's Peace Support Operations Division. In July, you - the Member States - have approved our proposal to create a dedicated integrated capacity for this purpose. We are now completing recruitment for this team, which will be responsible for this, and most of the members will be collocated with the AU in Addis Ababa, something that is a new innovation in our partnership arrangements. At the same time, cooperation with the European Union, meanwhile, continues to develop in ways that would have been difficult to conceive three years ago, when we first agreed to cooperate. The launch of EUFOR DRC, to assist in providing security during the elections period in the DRC, is one of the best examples yet of what can be achieved by active and sustained partnership. And this commitment on the part of the EU complements the valuable niche contributions that the EU is already making in that country, in assisting the establishment of integrated police units and supporting the reform of security payroll systems in the DRC. We are now building on these experiences, through joint lessons learning, to improve understanding of our respective systems and the effectiveness of our cooperation. In Kosovo and Afghanistan, our civilian peace operations - because there is no UN military presence there - have established practical cooperation practices with NATO-led military operations. II. We have grappled with this issue in the past. This year, however, the situation has taken on a new urgency. The current levels of activity and visibility place new demands on all of us. How we respond to them will influence the peacekeeping of the future. It will also impact on the authority and scope of the United Nations. Most of all, however, our ability to manage the demand for peacekeeping affects the lives of millions of children, women and men, among them the troops and police you have provided. To respond effectively to this immense demand, I believe that we must focus on two strategic priorities. The first priority is to run the machinery of peacekeeping effectively. Last year I presented to you a reform programme, Peace Operations 2010, to increase the professionalism, management and efficiency of UN peacekeeping. This latest surge demonstrates how essential this reform effort is. Let me briefly review with you the areas in which we have made progress in the past year. (Personnel) Equally essential, however, is the quality and baseline quantity of military and police personnel. The demand for police and specialized policing skills has risen exponentially. Recruitment of the Standing Police Capacity (SPC), the means by which we can better plan, launch and support police components is well underway, and 25 hand-picked professionals will be in place by mid-2007. As the General Assembly recognized, this initial capability is only the first step to putting in place the capacity to meet policing demands in our field operations. The detailed planning undertaken and the number of high-quality candidates we have identified in this first phase, indicate that a further expansion of the Standing Police Capacity at this point would offer savings in efficiency as well as economy of scale. The planned review of performance of the SPC would, of course, build into this process. I am particularly concerned at the demands currently placed on the military in UN headquarters. Under the leadership of General Randhir Mehta the Division has risen magnificently to the latest surge. But the burden is enormous. The United Nations operates the second largest global military deployment, with only twelve professional planners in headquarters. We have found short-term ways around this on a case-specific basis. But no temporary solution can replace a solid and robust military capacity in the Department, which can draw on the full range of UN mission experiences and institutionalize standards and practices. I believe that, over the course of this session of the General Assembly we will need to collectively address the reinforcement of the Military Division as a matter of urgency. We cannot expect our personnel to perform effectively without providing the training they need to contribute qualitatively. We made good progress this year, through the Integrated Training Service, and the creation of a Brindisi-based team, to accelerate the design and delivery of training courses. A key element in improving quality is to provide field personnel with high calibre leaders. In order to strengthen the selection and management of senior field leadership we have established a dedicated capacity to plan and manage appointments. This is the first step to expanding the pool of suitably qualified candidates for leadership positions through targeted outreach and improved consultation with you. One area where I remain concerned, however, is safety and security. 2006 testified to the reality that international peacekeeping is far from risk-free. 17 out of the 72 fatalities this year are the result of malicious acts in five operations. We are working closely with the Department of Safety and Security, and through the establishment of structures in the field such as Joint Operations Centres and Joint Mission Analysis Centres, to increase the security of your personnel. Another area we are exploring is how technical monitoring and surveillance means might be used to improve security in those areas too volatile for monitoring from the ground. We have are also worked with missions to assess the types of risks that they face and to identify, in advance, the type of reserve support that might be required to address them. Yet over 75 percent of fatalities are the result of other causes. 30 personnel have died this year of illness, a figure that must be a source of concern for all of us. And while improved transport safety has led to a decline in accidents, at 16 percent of total fatalities it remains a serious issue. There is still, however, no backstopping capacity in the Department to address the safety of personnel in the field or to investigate the causes of serious incidents in the field. (Doctrine)
(Organization)
Before embarking on structural reforms, we sought the views of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which has carried out a substantial number of audits of the Department in the last year. OIOS has emphasized the need for strengthened management capacity and business processes if an integrated organizational framework is to be effective. We are taking steps to address both these elements. A department-wide business process review is being planned to identify those areas where attention is most needed. We are very conscious, however, that the current lack of dedicated management capacity is a significant obstacle to successful organizational reform and an area where we need to return to you with concrete proposals. An institutionalized culture of accountability is the other crucial component of a global organization. With close to 100,000 people in the field, an internal inspectorate function is essential for oversight and assisting management in identifying problems early in the process. Nevertheless, not even the best organizational system can avoid cases of misdemeanour. Over the past two years, we have devoted a substantial effort in building capacity to address conduct and discipline issues, and we have made substantial progress. Conduct and discipline teams are in place in Headquarters and in eight missions while additional teams are being established to cover all other missions. Thanks to these teams, there is greater awareness among field personnel of the standards of conduct expected of them. Guidance has also been issued to the field on the handling of cases of misconduct and, here in Headquarters, we now have a system in place to track and investigate cases. We are developing further standards and guidelines on conduct, in particular the revision of the draft model memorandum of understanding with regard to the provision of troops. Your cooperation is essential in this effort. And I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, which will meet in resumed session for the third time in eighteen months to consider the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, for their hard work in this crucial area. (Resources) Another efficiency measure is increased regional pooling in logistics, where we have had some good results, particularly in aviation support to field missions. Greater use of outsourcing, where appropriate, is an additional area that we are focusing on. Our base in Brindisi is much more than a logistics hub today and is helping us make savings in the delivery of essential services such as training and communications. One of the most essential tools for efficiency in a global organization such as ours is indeed communications and information capacity. It is also the vehicle for communicating the achievements of peacekeeping beyond the UN and for ensuring the continued support of your domestic populations behind it. A comprehensive review of the Department's approach to information management has been completed and is paving the way for the planned UN-wide technology system to be put in place. This will enable comprehensive data management and be a complement to our efforts to better communicate what we do to the world. It is clear that the reform agenda initiated last year is making progress. The events of the past three months have reinforced the imperative of Peace Operations 2010 and the goal of professional, effective UN peacekeeping. This goal is not a luxury but a necessity if we are to implement the tasks that you have given us. Running ourselves capably, nevertheless, is not enough in itself for this effort. Our second strategic priority is to run ourselves out of business, if I may say so. It is, quite simply, not possible to take on new demands without managing down our case load as we go. We have to enhance our capacity to create the conditions for withdrawal while ensuring that the exit of UN peacekeepers is a lasting one. In some cases, the quickest route to a sustainable exit is reinforced political engagement from international, as well as national, actors. One day of activity at the highest level of capitals can sometimes do more than one month of UN peacekeeping activity to break a deadlock in the transition process or to provide incentives to a faltering political process. In all cases, the management down of UN peacekeeping requires greater focus on our core business. We have proven quite effective in assisting the establishment of a basic degree of security and order after conflict. We have a clearer sense today of the role of UN peacekeepers in providing a secure environment and supporting basic law and order. Where we still need to improve, however, is in the degree and quality of our support to the establishment of sustainable national security institutions and processes. This goes beyond the disarmament and demobilization of former combatants, or the training and equipping of military and police personnel. Without the establishment of a security system that is administratively as well as fiscally sustainable, international assistance, as past experiences in Haiti have shown, may actually sow seeds for future instability. As we have seen this summer in Timor-Leste, and as we confront every day in eastern DRC and Afghanistan, efforts to reform parts of the security sector stand little chance of success unless they are part of an overall national security strategy. A holistic security sector approach, rooted in early reconstruction, effective governance, human rights and sustainability, is an essential component to effective peace operations. Some might argue that this is an area for attention only when longer-term peacebuilding processes are in place. I would point to Sierra Leone where the reform and development of the security sector is an ongoing activity. But in order to enable Sierra Leone get to that peacebuilding agenda, significant attention had to be given early on to security issues. Only when basic security and processes for its management were in place, could UN peacekeepers depart. Timor-Leste is the most recent sobering lesson in this regard. It is clear that holistic and sustainable security sector reform requires many international actors. UN peacekeepers are only one of the elements in this picture: Member States, multilateral actors and international financial institutions are equally crucial. But I am more and more convinced that unless UN peacekeeping improves the rate and quality of its contribution to this wider reform effort, we are condemned to protracted, or worse, to returning peacekeeping operations. In a time of high demand for already limited resources, this translates indeed into a heavy additional price. The other dimension to managing down, is effective partnerships. Partnerships allow us to focus on our core business and to get out of those areas in which we are not equipped to support. In the past, we tended to identify our partners in terms of those who did the same thing as us - peacekeeping. As Peace Operations 2010 indicated, however, we are now coming to recognize that some of our most important partnerships are those that contribute the essential components of post-conflict peacebuilding for which we have no capacity, but on which the success of our own efforts depends. One example of a complementary function to UN peacekeeping is the assistance our development partners provide to economic regeneration and long-term reintegration. We understand now that this is not simply a parallel activity to UN peacekeeping but intertwined with our security and rule of law support. Coordination with our development partners is also a way of using our collective resources more efficiently. One of the operational examples of this new way of working is a move towards joint programming. In planning the transition from a UN peacekeeping operation to an integrated office in Burundi, for example, we are pooling personnel and programming resources with UNDP in areas such as support to civil administration. In Liberia, UNMIL engineering battalions are being used to support a $10 million World Bank-funded and administered project to build roads in the country, a project that is creating new jobs for Liberians. At present, joint programming is only at a nascent stage. In many instances in the field, such as in Haiti, its implementation is limited by the different rules and regulations under which we currently operate. If we are to institutionalize the capacity of the UN system to work jointly on the ground, we will need to revise those regulations that impede practical cooperation. We will also need to consider providing more incentives to UN partners, many of which are reliant on external funding, to systematically plan and implement coordinated programmes with UN peacekeepers in the field. A more stream-lined, a more integrated and operational partnership approach is the best support UN peacekeeping can provide to the newly-established Peacebuilding Commission and Support Office. These new entities can help address the current gap in early analysis and identification of the priorities in post-conflict countries. An early collective priority-setting process could go far in assisting the delivery of more efficient and effective international support from the outset of a peace process. Last week's meetings on Sierra Leone and Burundi gave a good indication of how this might develop. The translation of strategic peacebuilding priorities into an operational mission plan is the task of this Department. The interagency review of the Integrated Mission Planning Process (IMPP) which we carried out this year marks an important step forward in increasing the coherence of the UN's approach and in identifying opportunities for joint programming. The revised IMPP policy has been endorsed by the Secretary-General and, together with our UN partners, we are now developing guidance and training materials to support its implementation. (In conclusion)
The greatest impetus for more active, more effective UN peacekeeping, however, is the demand of peoples in disparate parts of the globe for the right to live in basic security and dignity. That you, and the women and men you have deployed to the field, respond repeatedly to these calls testifies to your belief in the capacity of UN peacekeeping to contribute to the realization of these rights. The task of the Secretariat is to carry out the responsibilities of implementation that you have entrusted to us. We must run UN peacekeeping efficiently and effectively. And we must run ourselves out of each peacekeeping mission responsibly and sustainably. Peace Operations 2010 is the road map that we believe we need to follow to achieve these objectives. We have made a good beginning in 2006 and I am confident that our reforms will indeed be materialized by 2010. But there is much to be done and the urgency for reform increases with each new peacekeeping challenge that comes our way. This is not the most obvious of times to present new initiatives to you. We are in the midst of a leadership change, and we will need to consult with the new Secretary-General before presenting more detailed proposals to you in the Secretary-General's report to the Special Committee of Peacekeeping Operations. At the same time, as I have indicated this afternoon, demands from the field do not afford us the luxury of standing still. I hope, therefore, that you will continue to support the broad strategic vision for UN peacekeeping that has been laid out. On behalf of my senior management team, I want to express my appreciation for the support and assistance you have provided to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in this past year. The fact that peacekeeping is a flagship activity of this Organization is the clearest demonstration of its impact. In conclusion, let me extend my deepest respect for the women and men serving in the field today, who carry out such tremendous work, in the most difficult and constrained of circumstances. My gratitude also goes to my colleagues here at Headquarters, whose talent, dedication and commitment continue to fill me with admiration and pride every day. UN peacekeepers everywhere are the expression of all that is most noble about this Organization. We owe them a debt of gratitude, and a commitment to support. Thank you.
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