Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

– As delivered –

Address by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, to Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34)

Thank you very much – good morning.

Excellencies, Mr. Chair, Distinguished Delegates,

About five minutes from here, outside the gift shop, there is a blue helmet on display. People from all over the world take photos wearing it.

Because, for many, these blue helmets represent what the United Nations does. And what it stands for.

And that is why this Committee has such a key role. Your work has a direct impact on the quality and effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping. Therefore, your work has a direct impact on the reputation of the United Nations around the world.

And, as you head into your negotiations, I would like to make four main points.

First, I want to stress that we need a stronger focus on conflict prevention.

The United Nations was created to save people from the horrors of war. Not to react once those horrors are in motion. We can never lose sight of this. And we need to do more to translate it into everything the United Nations does – from the work of UN country teams, in the field, to discussions between delegates in New York.

Here, I want to address a common misconception. More conflict prevention does not, necessarily, mean less peacekeeping.

Yes, earlier action for prevention could, in some cases, avoid the deployment of military missions. However, in others, it could mean sending our blue helmets to less hostile environments. It could give them a chance to keep peace, while it is still there, rather than to respond to its loss.

I want to address another misconception. Prevention and peacekeeping do not have to be distinct, or separate, activities.

When it comes to conflict prevention, our focus is often on Special Political Missions, mediation teams, or the UN’s good offices. But, prevention must be a UN-wide activity. And peacekeepers play a crucial role. They often work in support of political, or mediation, processes. They have key relationships with national actors. They can help to flag early warning signs of conflict.

And, the fact is: prevention is already part of our peacekeeping.

We saw this in Liberia. In the run up to last year’s elections, the UN Mission mobilised to calm tensions and prevent an upsurge in violence. UN blue helmets were instrumental in Liberia’s peaceful transition of power.

And, we can see this, today, in Abyei. UN personnel in this border region, between Sudan and South Sudan, are doing innovative work. They are engaging closely with local communities, to prevent conflict. And this has allowed the area to remain relatively stable, despite the volatility surrounding it.

We need to see even more of these best practices. We need a stronger prevention focus throughout all missions. This will mean ensuring that they can rapidly deploy, and adapt, in response to warning signs of conflict. It will mean developing tools for conflict mapping and analysis, including at the local-level. And it will mean strengthening capacity for prevention and mediation, across the board.

My second point is that we need a more inclusive approach to peacekeeping.

When it comes to gender, some progress has been made. In late 2016, half of all UN peacekeeping missions included military gender advisers. And, these advisers reported directly to the highest levels of mission management. Furthermore, many countries have made public commitments to increase their deployments of women.

But this cannot distract us from the reality. Which is that, when it comes to gender, peacekeeping is in a bad state.

We do not have enough women troops. We do not have enough women police. We do not have enough women military observers. And, we do not have enough of a gender perspective mainstreamed throughout our peacekeeping work – neither in the field, nor at headquarters.

We need to ask ourselves why. We need to talk frankly about this issue. And we need to take proactive steps towards a new reality.

Inclusive peacekeeping is not just about gender. It is also about ensuring more participation, and more partnerships, with actors outside UN missions. This includes regular liaison with UN country teams. It also involves greater links with regional and sub-regional organisations, particularly on the African continent. And it means more engagement with civil society, and local communities – with a particular focus on young people.

This is how our missions will strengthen their situational awareness. It is how they will gain expertise and insight. And it is how they will build trust among the people they are sent to protect.

My third point will focus on sexual exploitation and abuse. And, on this issue, I want to speak strongly – but briefly. Because, we will not eradicate this problem by merely talking about it.

Protectors must protect. They cannot rape. They cannot abuse. They cannot exploit.

If they do, they cannot get away with it. And, if they do, we must act.

We owe it to the people around the world. And we owe it to the rest of our peacekeepers, who work to uphold the United Nations’ values and principles.

A series of steps have been taken – by both the United Nations and national governments. But we need to take more. Because zero tolerance must be reflected in actions – not words.

Finally, I want to focus on the peacekeepers. The men and women who are serving, overseas, to implement a United Nations mandate.

We associate them with their distinctive blue helmets. But they cannot be reduced to guns or armour.

They are delivering training on the rule of law. They are building the capacity of whole security sectors. They are monitoring human rights. They are protecting civilians from atrocities. They are participating in townhall meetings. They are engaging with local communities. They are working to tackle the root causes of conflict.

And, they are taking great risks. More, and more, UN peacekeepers are facing the bombs and bullets of non-state or terrorist groups. And, in the past five years, over 300 have died from deliberate attacks. That is a huge number. It is more than the amount of people sitting in this room, today.

I know that the issues you deal with, here, are very technical:

Technology.

Intelligence.

Critical enablers.

Ordinance disposal.

Command and control.

Induction and training.

But they are all crucial to the effectiveness of a UN mission. And, for peacekeepers in the field, they can also mean the difference between life and death.

Excellencies, dear colleagues,

In 2015, we took three big steps. We reviewed the UN’s peacekeeping operations. And we looked at how this Organisation builds peace, and implements the Women, Peace and Security agenda. These three reviews were just the start.

We have taken even bigger steps since then. The latest was in December, when the General Assembly requested a detailed report from the Secretary-General on the reform of the peace and security pillar.

We are already going in the right direction. And I am confident that the work of this Committee will keep us on course.

Good luck in the discussions ahead – and thank you for your attention.