“The forthcoming operation will bring UN peacekeeping efforts to an all-time high”, Ambassador Mona Juul stated to the Fourth Committee. She further reminded the audience Norwegian engineers are prepared to pack their bags and assist in the operation.
08/11/2007 :: Mr Chairman,
First of all I would like to take this opportunity to commend you and USG Jean-Marie Guehonne and the DPKO staff, including the staff of the DFS, for the tireless efforts to manage peacekeeping, a cornerstone activity of the UN.
It is still too early to make any assessment of the realignment of the Secretariat, but we look forward to the announced update on this issue. In this connection, I would like to underline the importance of appointing the head of the DFS as soon as possible.
The forthcoming operations in Darfur and in Chad/the Central African Republic will bring UN peacekeeping efforts to an all-time high. This surge in activity increases the pressure on member states to provide qualified personnel and trained units. It also underscores the need to improve the way operations are planned and managed.
Mr Chairman,
The Security Council’s high level meeting on Africa in September reminded us of the daunting peace and security challenges facing the continent, and also the UN. The UN is unable to meet these challenges on its own, and I would like to assure you that Norway stands by its commitments to Africa and the UN in this regard.
I would like to commend the AU for its efforts to develop its peacekeeping capacity, while at the same time taking on very demanding operational responsibilities in Darfur and Somalia. Norway will continue to assist the AU in developing the civilian dimension of the African Stand-by Force through “Training for Peace”. TfP is a long-standing Norwegian programme for civilian capacity-building in Africa.
The most pressing need in relation to the new operations in Africa is the enormous demand for all categories of personnel. This is a question of finding properly qualified personnel just as much as numbers. If the UN’s standards are not maintained, the credibility of the organisation will be undermined. This issue is all the more important as peace operations have increasingly complex mandates for increasingly volatile security environments – as in Darfur.
The joint UN/AU operation in Darfur will face a very demanding situation. But both organisations have substantial in-country experience, which will be a great advantage.
Mr Chairman,
Norway acknowledges the call for UNAMID to have “a predominantly African character”. But at the same time it is essential that non-African nations also take part, both to reflect the universal mandate of the UN and to provide key force enablers and multipliers.
Norway is prepared to contribute to a joint Nordic engineering unit for Darfur. The unit has been tailored to provide the surge capacity needed to pave the way for the deployment of the main operation. Our aim is to contribute to the early effect needed to convince the people of Darfur that UNAMID will make a difference.
We have responded positively to the DPKO’s request to train African police officers for UNAMID through the TfP. This will be done in cooperation with the Institute for Strategic Studies in South Africa, and the governments involved.
Meeting the expectations of the people of Darfur will be one of the major challenges for UNAMID. Experience from Southern Sudan points to the importance of engaging the civilian population in a dialogue on the mission’s mandate at an early stage. The objective is twofold: to prevent unrealistic expectations and to create local ownership.
Local ownership is a key part of the exit strategy of the operation. Norway welcomes the communications strategy developed by the UN and the AU in relation to the Darfur peace talks. This is an important initiative to engage civilian society, community leaders and Arab groups.
True local ownership depends on peacekeeping and peace building efforts being firmly anchored among both men and women in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325.
Mr Chairman,
Earlier this week, Norway hosted a high-level conference on UN multidimensional and integrated peace operations. It concluded a year-long process during which we invited a wide range of stakeholders to discuss issues related to the planning and implementation of integrated missions. We hope that the recommendations set out in the final project report will further develop the reform agenda including efforts to ensure a more coherent UN response on the ground.
But we need more than just a more coherent UN response. Above all we must continue to work together to improve the integration and coordination of multilateral and bilateral efforts in countries affected by war. With this in view, Norway supports a strengthening of UN relations with regional organisations. It is equally important that the direct relations between these organisations are enhanced.
Our recent experience from Darfur, where the EU and NATO have provided crucial support to the AU, as well as from the Balkans and Afghanistan, shows just how important this is. Our common aim must be to maximise impact on the ground. But we can only achieve this if we replace old habits and instutional protectionism with an open, transparent and flexible approach – adapted to the particular situation at hand.
In Afghanistan, Norway would like to see an enhanced role for the UN in coordinating efforts on the ground and between capitals. We believe this is necessary if we are to succeed.
In Chad and the Central African Republic we welcome the willingness of the EU to provide a military component to support the UN operation, without which the UN would be unable to fulfil its own mandate.
These examples illustrate the growing interdependence between the various international organisations. None of them can meet the full range of demands required for success on their own.
Mr Chairman,
Darfur is one of a growing number of conflicts in which sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war. It is therefore all the more important that UNAMID personnel comply with the UN’s zero tolerance policy.
We urge member states to contribute to the rapid finalisation of a comprehensive strategy on assistance and support to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel. We hope agreement can be reached at the meeting of the ad-hoc working group in December.
An important factor in the implementation of the UN’s zero tolerance policy is ensuring good working conditions for personnel in the field. Training and awareness-raising must continue. Member states should take all necessary measures to ensure that crimes perpetrated by UN personnel do not go unpunished.
Training and awareness-raising efforts in relation to gender must also continue. Effective peacekeeping means gender-sensitive peacekeeping.
Further training is also needed in the area of intelligence. Intelligence is key to the protection of personnel and to the effective implementation of mission mandates. Norway appreciates the progress that has been made, but there is still room for improvement.
Norway, together with the other Nordic countries, is currently engaged in discussions with the DPKO on the development of training programmes for personnel serving in functions where intelligence is a strategic component.
Mr Chairman,
Norway welcomes the fact that the DPKO is now in the process of finalising its capstone doctrine. We believe that the time has come for an up-date of one of the standard operating procedures that this doctrine will feed into: namely the force generation process. Norway proposes that an open-ended working group should be established to deal with this issue.
Before I conclude, I would like to reiterate Norway’s strong support of the UN and UN-mandated and UN-led peacekeeping efforts. My delegation also wishes to pay tribute to all the personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice to bring about peace in the conflict areas of the world.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.