Protection of civilians in armed conflict – Recommendations of SecCo working group to Sp. Cttee on Peacekeeping Operations – GA President letter

Letter dated 7 April 2000 from the President of the General Assembly addressed to the President of the Security Council

  I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a letter dated 1 April 2000 from the Chairman of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations containing the reply to the request of the President of the Security Council contained in his letter dated 14 February 2000 addressed to me.

(Signed ) Theo-Ben Gurirab

 Annex to the letter dated 7 April 2000 from the President

of the General Assembly addressed to the President of the

Security Council 

  On behalf of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, it is my pleasure to offer this reply to the request of the President of the Security Council contained in his letter dated 14 February 2000 addressed to the President of the General Assembly (S/2000/119). The report adopted by the Special Committee on 10 March 2000 (A/54/839) contains a number of recommendations that bear on aspects of the report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/1999/957), and may provide the following guidance.

  One of the four recommendations made by the Secretary-General and noted in the letter of 14 February was on the United Nations rapid deployment and planning capacity. This issue figured prominently in both the Special Committee’s general debate and in the deliberations of the Committee’s working group. As a result, the report contains a number of recommendations and proposals related to that issue, which can be found in paragraphs: 47, 67, 77, 85, 86, 93, 95, 131, 140, 142, 144, 146 and 147.

  Paragraphs 65, 66 and 82 of the report of the Special Committee touch on another issue raised in the letter of the President of the Security Council, namely, the recommendation that troop-contributing countries report to the United Nations on measures taken to prosecute members of their armed forces accused of violating international humanitarian and human rights law while in the service of the United Nations.

  In regard to the two remaining issues raised in the letter of the President of the Security Council, which were concerned with establishing a public ombudsman and mobilizing international support for national security forces, the Committee’s schedule did not allow for substantive discussions on these issues. The Special Committee will endeavour to take up these questions during its session in 2001.

  The report of the Special Committee contains a large number of proposals, conclusions and recommendations, which go well beyond the scope of the four issues highlighted by the President of the Security Council. Once these proposals and recommendations are approved by the General Assembly, I hope they will prove useful to the work of the Security Council.

(Signed ) Chief Arthur C. I. Mbanefo

Chairman

Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

___________