Mr President
Norway supports the Security Council in its efforts to promote closer and more comprehensive cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in the maintenance of international peace and security. We are actively engaged in such efforts through the UN, as well as through many regional and sub-regional organisations. Particular mention should be made of the African Union, which has taken on an increasing responsibility for peace and security on the African continent.
To stimulate a more comprehensive engagement of regional organisations we must replace old habits and institutional protectionism with an open and flexible approach, adapted to the particular situation at hand. Our experience with the AU Mission in Darfur – where the EU and NATO provide crucial support to the AU – shows just how important this is.
One lesson learned from AMIS is that co-operation in the field paves the way for a strengthened mutual engagement. The EU is on its way into Chad and the Central African Republic to provide military support to the UN operation there. NATO has signalled its willingness to provide strategic airlift in support of the AU’s mission in Somalia. NATO will also consider favourably a request to assist the AU in building peacekeeping capacity. Such co-operation builds confidence and enables a more comprehensive engagement.
Right now the UN and the AU are engaged in a joint endeavour to establish one of the UN’s largest peace operations ever: UNAMID. The political process lead to the establishment of a hybrid operation, thus ensuring its predominantly African character. The hybrid model of UNAMID provides a new model of cooperation between the UN and regional organisations. Many expectations are directed at the hybrid model. Its success will be measured by its impact on the ground and its ability to enable efficient cooperation between the UN and the AU. While it is too early to assess the hybrid model, our experiences with UNAMID will allow us to develop and improve cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.
UNAMID’s success is not only dependent on the co-operation between the UN and the AU within the mission. It will also depend on UNAMID’s relations with the UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and with the new mission that is about to be established in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT).
UNAMID is more than just a joint peace-keeping operation. It joins the efforts and experiences of two organisations, led by Mr Rodolphe Adada, as Joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur. For both organisations this may prove to be a strength as well as a challenge. The UN has the institutional experience for peace-keeping operations, while the AU has the regional anchoring and is still in the process of establishing its peace operational capacities.
I would like to commend the AU for its efforts to develop a peacekeeping capacity, while at the same time taking on very demanding operational responsibilities both in Darfur and in Somalia. Norway will continue to assist the AU in developing the civilian dimension of the African stand-by force through the “Training for Peace” programme, which trains African police and civilian experts for African peace support missions.
For any operation to succeed there must be a clear chain of command. The UN and the AU must work together. The UN/AU Joint Co-ordination and Support Mechanism in Addis Ababa will have a key function in that regard. These organisational complexities are just part of the setting. Ultimately UNAMID’s success hinges upon the outcome of the peace talks between the government of Sudan and the rebel groups. In that regard it is probably an advantage that these talks are led jointly by the UN and the AU.
Mr President
Norway stands ready to support both the UN and the AU in their important endeavour. We are prepared to contribute both military and police personnel to UNAMID. We are already contributing financial and human resources to the Darfur peace talks. UNAMID’s ability to fulfil its mandate – and to provide security for civilians and protecting humanitarian operations – will shape future UN-AU co-operation.
Thank you, Mr President.