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STATEMENT H.E. DR. N. HASSAN WIRAJUDA
"PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA"
Mr. President, At the outset, allow me to express my appreciation to you, for your initiative in convening this thematic debate on an issue of tremendous importance to the maintenance of international peace and security. Prior unavoidable commitments prevent the President of Indonesia, H.E. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to personally participate in today’s deliberation. However, his support for your effort is unwavering. Let me also assure you of our utmost support for your stewardship in ensuring a fruitful and productive outcome of this debate. Mr. President, Before I proceed, I wish to reiterate Indonesia’s long standing and irrevocable commitment to Africa. The then newly independent Indonesia, though still at its infancy, had little hesitation in promoting the cause of African independence struggle through the seminal Bandung Asia Africa Conference in 1955. Since then, we have contributed actively to United Nations peace keeping operations in the continent; in the Congo in 1960 and, more recently, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and the Sudan. Mr. President, Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as conflict prevention, are both long standing and recognized in the Charter. It is a subject matter that has been gaining momentum and relevance. And rightly so. Our increasingly complex and inter-connected world—marked by proliferation of actors and variables—requires us to look at issues in an ever more holistic and integrated manner. We simply do not have the luxury to remain insulated or indifferent, as the destinies of all are intertwined and conflicts in one region of the globe will sooner or later affect other regions. Given such challenges, and indeed, opportunities, Indonesia values the recommendations of the Secretary-General as outlined in his latest reports on the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations as well as on conflict prevention. We believe that those recommendations and proposals deserve our serious consideration, including in ascertaining their viability and implementation. Mr. President, Indonesia is an avid supporter of regional cooperation. We are convinced of the transformational potential of regional cooperation – in preventing and settling conflict, and in bringing in its place regional peace and stability. Such conditions are prerequisites for economic development to take place. Our own region’s experience attests to this fact. By ensuring peace and security in Southeast Asia for more than the past 4 decades, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has contributed immensely in shouldering the burden that would otherwise fall on the United Nations. Indonesia is also a strong advocate of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. Of course, such cooperation is invaluable in strengthening and empowering regional organizations. This is not, however, a one way process. We believe that the United Nations, too, benefits from such cooperation. After all, it would seem only natural that in dealing with a particular conflict situation, the United Nations should benefit from regional knowledge, perspectives and experiences. No need to reinvent the wheel. Synergy and partnership should be promoted. Most recently, the United Nations and the African Union, as well as sub-regional organizations in Africa, have shown us that such cooperation can deliver tangible results. Challenges certainly remain. More support is obviously needed for the African Union to enable it to respond and deal more effectively, on behalf of the international community, with conflicts on the continent. The United Nations and the African Union must therefore enhance their capacity for confidence-building, preventive diplomacy and peacemaking, and to realize their full potential. The need for such an undertaking are self evident. For it is the undeniable reality of our time that conflict situations in Africa constitute significant portion of the Security Council’s agenda. The rewards for such an undertaking, therefore, is greater still. Collaboration between the African Union and the United Nations has the potential to transform conflict situation; bringing peace, stability and prosperity to the continent. We commend the African Union for taking the lead in Somalia through the deployment of AMISOM and to contribute to peace and security in that country. We call for more support for AMISOM by the international community. We also commend the African Union for contributing to peace efforts in the Darfur region of the Sudan, when upon the consent of the parties, it deployed the African Union Mission in the Sudan or AMIS. The transformation of AMIS into a hybrid operation provides us with important lessons. These are lessons that help us to strengthen UN-AU cooperation, which are also valuable for other regional organizations. We have also drawn on the experience of the AU and the UN in conflict prevention and peacemaking, to supplement our own experience in these fields. Mr. President, Consistent with the Statement of the President of the Security Council last November under Indonesia’s presidency, we recognize that regional organizations need to strengthen and increase cooperation among them and in that regard, the United Nations can provide its political support and technical expertise. Indeed, with you presiding over the Council today, I am particularly pleased to highlight the close collaboration which Indonesia and South Africa have forged in promoting inter-regional cooperation. I am referring here, of course, to our joint endeavours in promoting Asia-Africa strategic partnership launched at Bandung in 2005 during the 50th year commemoration of the historic 1955 Asia-Africa Bandung conference. I wish in particular like to highlight the Asia-Africa Sub-regional Organizations Conferences (AASROC) also in Durban and Bandung which preceded the Second Asia-Africa Summit in 2005. AASROC is significant in its approach by promoting cooperation among regional and sub-regional organizations in Asia and Africa. Cooperation between regional organizations or arrangements is an essential feature of contemporary international architecture. Indonesia itself has benefited from the virtue of inter-regional collaboration. The European Union and ASEAN has significantly contributed to our successful effort to restore peace and security in the Province of Aceh during the year 2005 – 2007; in particular by participating in a joint monitoring mission to supervise the implementation of the Aceh peace agreement. With regard to the current “hub-and-spokes” relations between the UN and regional organizations, we are in favour of its expansion into one of “hub and a network of spokes.” A network of spokes. It is a network of regional organizations working together to maintain peace and security, connected to each other, with the United Nations at the center. Mr. President, Let me turn to the topic of conflict prevention. We have a manifest interest in preventing a flame from expanding into a wildfire that will consume valuable time and resources as well as lead to senseless loss of life. At the same time, conflict prevention needs to be sensitive to and cognizant of the basic principles and norms governing relations between states in order to ensure its success. Conflict prevention is multidimensional in nature. It involves a complex set of measures, tailored to each specific context, and aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict. My delegation recognizes the important role that the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Human Rights Council can play in supporting the work of the Security Council in promoting preventive measures. Mr. President, Shifting to my own region of Southeast Asia and its regional organization, since the Security Council’s thematic debate last November, we, the ten members of ASEAN, have moved forward by signing the ASEAN Charter It is a charter that represents not only our shared values and shared vision, but also our commitment to progress in unison and to contributing to international peace and security. This is our contribution: the ASEAN Community. Our region can learn from the experiences and best practices of other regions. However, to us, the notion to receive is also tantamount to the notion to give; to provide; to confer. In a world of plenty, giving is a virtue to be embraced by all. Indonesia believes that ASEAN can also offer its experiences and best practices to other regions. ASEAN in its own way has contributed in fulfilling the spirit of the United Nations Charter. For many years, we have developed a habit of dialogue on a wide range of issues. This habit derives from our distinctive history and culture. It is a habit that creates a regional order based on shared values and a shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous region. Mr. President, To strengthen our outward-looking strategy, we have also cultivated dialogue-partner relations with some 10 countries and organizations. ASEAN’s reach extend far beyond its immediate sub-region. In East Asia, ASEAN has been central in promoting political and security cooperation through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) bringing countries in the region and beyond, including the United States, the Russian Federation, countries on the European continent and the European Union itself. ARF today constitutes the premier political and security forum in the region. ASEAN has also been instrumental in ushering a newly defined regional architecture to deal with contemporary challenges through the East Asia Summit process. Above all, Mr. President, we are strengthening our links with the United Nations. We signed an MOU on United Nations – ASEAN Cooperation last September with the purpose of establishing a partnership between the two organizations that will encompass the full range of cooperation based on mutual benefits. Institutional linkages between ASEAN and the United Nations should be promoted, and imbued with a spirit of synergy and partnership In closing, Mr. President, our participation reflects not only our wish to share our views and experience on the issues, but also our desire to learn the views, lessons, and best practices of other countries and other regions, which we can take home to our region. We also hope our experiences can be useful to other regions in the interest of a more peaceful world for all. I thank you, Mr. President.
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