at the 2008 Substantive Session United Nations New York
Mr. Chairman, Let me first congratulate you, and the members of your bureau, on your elections. I am positive that under your able leadership, the Committee will effectively discharge the important tasks assigned to it in this Session. We thank the Secretary General for his report. We also thank the Under Secretary General, Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno, and Assistant Secretary General and Officer in charge of the Department of Field Support, Ms. Jane Lute, for their briefings yesterday. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno for his contribution in supporting the DPKO and wish him success for his future endeavors. The courageous blue helmets represent the finest of the UN traditions in twenty theatres worldwide. In successfully achieving their difficult mandates, they not only create peace and stability for the people of those regions, they directly boost the image and prestige of the United Nations. They deserve our utmost backing. Indonesia has contributed actively to the UN peacekeeping going as far back as 1956. It is presently contributing in six peacekeeping operations, and very soon will also become part of the UNAMID. Thirty of our nationals have given the ultimate sacrifice for this cause. On the third of this month, Lt. Col Sondang, an Indonesian peace observer, was among the 10 peacekeepers who could not survive unfortunately when their UN helicopter came down in Nepal. We salute all UN personnel who have shown exemplary commitment and bravery, in upholding the ideals of UN peacekeeping. Before proceeding further, my delegation would like to associate with the statement made by the distinguished representative of Morocco, on behalf of NAM. I will be making a few additional comments. To maintain focus, I will present them under the five priority areas of 2010 Peace Operations reform agenda, namely; doctrine, organisation, resources, personnel, and partnerships. On Doctrine, we are convinced that the agreed basic principles of UN peacekeeping; consent of parties, impartiality, non-use of force except in self-defence and in the defence of Security Council mandate, remain essential for the conduct of peacekeeping missions. These capstone principles coupled with realistic, clear, and responsive mandates of Security Council, are crucial to the success of peacekeeping operations. We take note of the Secretary General’s remarks that “personnel in the field and at headquarters still lack clear guidance on a number of critical issues, such as the protection of civilians, civil-military coordination, mission integration, and risk management”. Any substantive discussion on these critical issues, and the guiding principles should be channeled through the inter-governmental process. The Secretariat could indeed publish its own internal documents, which should relate to the technical factors of planning, deployment, operations, and logistics. Second, on the Organisational aspect, Indonesia appreciates the efforts of Secretary General, and his staff towards making DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations), and DFS (Department of Field Support), truly responsive and field oriented departments. The six key principles in the restructuring of peacekeeping capacities are critical. However, we need to be mindful that the success of restructuring will hinge on not a new organogram, but a qualitative improvement in longstanding factors such as the improvement in headquarter capacity for planning and management, robust field support, clear communication, effective consultation, coordination and cooperation with the field and TCC (troop-contributing countries), equality towards all TCC, unity of command, sound safety systems, and regular training of peacekeepers. A well-coordinated, adequately resourced, and fully supportive UN system is paramount, particularly considering that an unprecedented 130,000 troops from 119 countries are now deployed in increasingly multidimensional peacekeeping operations. In this context, we very much value the work of the Integrated Training Service, and the training imparted at headquarters, as well as at the regional centres. However, we are concerned that the Integrated Training Service does not have the capacity to provide training beyond 100,000 personnel in the field. We expect that steps are being taken to equip the Service with the appropriate capacities. Similarly, other shortcomings in the areas highlighted above should be tackled properly. My delegation supports the idea to move towards the integrated mission planning process. Conceptually, the integrated mission planning is a sound model. However, we would flag that it should be evaluated carefully on a case by case basis. Regarding Resources, it is obvious that the resources, and their predictability, are a fundamental basis on which the DPKO and DFS are able to plan, and carry out their functions. We note that there has been some enhancement in the budget of DPKO, but regrettably it remains a paltry 0.5% of the global military spending. Comparative studies show that the UN peacekeeping is a very cost effective and potent tool in the hands of the international community for helping to realise global peace and stability. We must support the UN peacekeeping fully, and the member states need to pay their dues on time. The question of resources is profound not only in terms of the existing and planned UN peacekeeping missions, but also in the context of the broader post-conflict peacebuilding architecture in which other UN and non-UN agencies have good expertise as well, and need to be shared. On Personnel, I would reiterate that the brave men and women of UN peacekeeping, and the associated civilian cadre require the most efficient and targeted responses, and backstopping by the UN system. The safety and security of the peacekeepers is a major concern. My delegation looks positively at the proposals such as those contained in the Secretary General’s Report, for creating full time security focal points in the DPKO and DFS. These efforts are important. But we must also be cognisant that no amount of new posts and equipment can assure the safety of peacekeepers, if the UN is not perceived as a neutral party. Regrettably, this is a relatively new phenomenon encountered by the UN in some quarters. The UN needs to be perceived as judicious through its actions and policies. Unless that happens, the missions of blue helmets will continue to be imperiled. On Partnerships, there is a widespread understanding that complimentary international partnerships between the different relevant actors can greatly help in bringing in the much needed expertise and resources to the post-conflict environments. This allows the military and police personnel in UN peacekeeping to focus on their core expertise. Indeed, partnerships offer valuable comparative advantages, particularly when the peacekeepers are facing complex and multifaceted tasks. While all post-conflict situations are different, there is certainly benefit in modeling partnerships with relevant entities, including the BWIs (Bretton Woods Institutions) and the private sector, with the agreement of the host governments. At the same time, we have to be mindful that we approach the ‘partnership concept’ with caution. Too much emphasis on partnerships may risk fragmentation of the UN peacekeeping competence, which has been achieved with a great deal of inter-governmental process and agreement. The regional context of the causes for conflicts, and their resolution, is also vital to peace and stability. Indonesia’s experience as a founding member of ASEAN attests to the importance of regional organizations for peace and security. The regional actors can, and they often do play a positive role in peacemaking. Indonesia is supportive of the regional endeavours that are owned by the concerned national governments. It is also important that the UN system assists the regional organisations in increasing their capacities in peacemaking and peacekeeping. Mr. Chairman, The overwhelming evidence of world conflicts resolution has taught us that in the post-conflict context, not only is the Security Sector Reform important, but an equal emphasis on social and economic development is also necessary. Our experience at the PBC (Peacebuilding Commission) also highlights the connection that there is no security without development. The peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies should emphasise this connection. Furthermore, these strategies should reflect the priorities of the concerned governments, as only then the national ownership can be realised. In relation to the Report on ‘Role of the UN in supporting security sector reform’, our view is that there are some elements that need further consideration by the Special Committee in line with its mandate. We believe that the discourse on SSR should be mindful that the priorities for peace consolidation in the countries must come only from the concerned governments. The role of PBC is very important in this regard in which genuine interactions between national authority and international community can be observed comprehensively and transparently, and the issues of SSR and establishing foundation for socio-economic development are taken care of on the same footing. Finally, let me just say that the deployment of UN peacekeepers can only bring sustainable peace when the international community maintains close involvement in finding political solutions with the local and regional stakeholders, and helps national authorities with reconstruction and development. While the prime responsibility of nation building and maintenance of peace lies with the national governments, the UN and other relevant international entities need to fully support, particularly those states that have insufficient capacities and are prone to instabilities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman
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