Statement by at the Meeting of the Security
Council on the New York. January 31, 2007 Mr. President, We are grateful to you for convening this Meeting, and would like to felicitate you on your very able presidentship of the Council during the month of January. Indonesia associates itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Jamaica on behalf of the NAM Caucus of the PBC. The Peacebuilding Commission is truly a unique platform, in that it brings together all concerning entities on how to best address the difficult requirements of the post-conflict phase in a formal manner for the first time. This serves to bridge the current critical gap in the international post-conflict peacebuilding system. We also regard PBC as a necessary component of the UN’s Reform agenda. If the PBC is able to function in an effective, inclusive, and balanced manner, it will clearly show that the UN is flexible, and can adopt to the challenges of the new century. While the Commission still passes through the teething stage, the expectations from it are high. It is the view of my delegation that this public debate should be intended as a forum for exchange of views among the stakeholders, in order to explore practical ways for strengthening the PBC, and enabling it to perform its work in an effective and efficient manner. Enhanced interaction and complementarity between the various UN organs, geared to support the work of the PBC will be beneficial. In this context, we look forward to the expected debate on PBC in the General Assembly, which will provide important input on how to better assist the Commission in its tasks. Mr. President, While the Commission is expected to contribute in the advancement of global peace and stability, we are of the view that the PBC can be particularly impactful in its role as a ‘coordinating body’ that leverages the international and national expertise. An inclusive and well-coordinated approach will systematically synergise the peacebuilding efforts at both national and international levels. It is our opinion that the work of the Commission will be more result oriented if the integrated peacebuilding strategies fully reflect the priorities of the countries concerned. The integrated strategy needs to be broken down into manageable phases laying out a credible set of tasks and identification of concerned actors. It should have a degree of flexibility to incorporate the changes on the ground. The priorities have to come from the national governments, and the ownership of the post-conflict recovery process is paramount. We feel that a better coordinated, coherent, and organised international support system through the Commission, would facilitate better access and response for the countries in need. Here, we would like to underline that the work of the PBC should not create a separate layer of complexity for the existing processes, and not try to micro-manage the activities being carried out in the countries concerned. We must be mindful, however, that we should not end up creating a donor-recipient culture in the PBC. Due care must be exercised so that the donors to the PBC should not be perceived as controlling it, as then it would draw only unnecessary criticism towards the UN. My delegation takes note that the resolutions establishing the PBC do not clearly provide modalities for the involvement of regional and sub-regional actors. We, therefore, feel that there is also a need to provide practical tools and guidance for engaging regional and sub-regional actors in the country specific configurations The positive role of the relevant stakeholders is crucial to the successful transition from the post-conflict phase to the normal process of peace and sustainable development. Hence, we are pleased to see the participation of the various important entities in this discussion. Their contribution is useful, in not only providing the Council with additional ideas on how to support the work of the PBC, but the work that they do on the ground for the people ravaged by conflict is indeed very valuable and appreciated. My delegation is also of the view that the civil society, NGOs, including the women organisations, should play their constructive role in the post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction. In light of this, we would like to underline the necessity of formulating a modality that would allow them to participate actively in the peacebuilding activities Mr. President, We are particularly encouraged by the last Country Meetings on Burundi and Sierra Leone, which saw a greater action-orientation. We look forward to the presentation of the Work Plans on both by the respective Chairs of these Country Meetings in the near future. The progress on key elements contained in the Chair Summaries such as the Funding Envelopes, needs to be evaluated through more frequent meetings of the PBC. Finally, my delegation, would like to state that we need to strike a balance between the work of the Organisational Committee and the Country Specific format configurations, as success in one aids the other. A properly empowered and robust Committee will serve to strengthen the work of the Commission. We are hopeful, and expect, that the PBC will build on its work done with even greater vigour. Indonesia, as a member of it, stands ready to shoulder its responsibility with others, to contribute in generating more concrete and practical outcomes of the Commission. Thank you,
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