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New York, 26 October 2004
Allow me at the outset to convey our appreciation to Under-Secretary-General Jean Marie-Guehenno for his opening remarks. I would like also to take this opportunity to associate with the statement made by the delegation of Morocco on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Before I continue with my statement, permit me also to pay tribute to those United Nations personnel that have given their lives for the cause of peace. Indonesia would like to remind the international community of the importance of ensuring that the price that these brave men and women have paid for us all is never forgotten. Mr. Chairman Time and again, peacekeeping has been demonstrated to be an important tool in the hands of the United Nations, but as the USG has appropriately observed, there has been a great upsurge in the number of missions in recent times. While a great deal has been accomplished in the field of peacekeeping, for which we express our appreciation, peacekeeping has also become increasingly multidimensional, complex and highly expensive. It is because of this complexity that traditional peacekeeping is no longer viable. Only robust peacekeeping presence has any chance of success, but it must be backed up by adequate resources, including highly qualified personnel. In this connection, permit me to stress the role of training. In particular, we would like to stress that adequate and targeted training must be available. Indonesia believes training will not only will strengthen the level of readiness of peacekeeping personnel but training will also act as a catalyst for increasing force generation from new and emerging TCC’s. One way to provide training is through the Train-the-Trainer programme of the United Nations, or training from major troop contributors. This will distribute the cost of training peacekeepers while developing a pool of potential peacekeepers worldwide. Other possible ways of managing the increasing needs of peacekeeping include closing the commitment gap between developed and developing nations in this field. If peacekeeping is to continue to be viable and effective, the burden of must be shared equally and fairly between developed and developing countries. As a nation that has continued to contribute troops for peacekeeping missions, Indonesia believes that this must be resolved to encourage developing nations to continue to hold the same enthusiasm about United Nations peacekeeping. Strengthening the coordination and cooperation between UN peacekeeping operations and regional arrangements will also have a positive impact in managing the current upsurge. In this regard, the United Nations must take advantage of readily-available cooperation with regional organizations, but this must remain complimentary, and not be seen as a substitute for direct United Nations peacekeeping. In this connection, permit me to draw attention to the declaration made by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to create a Security Community by 2020 that would, among other things, assist arising United Nations peacekeeping operations in the region. Mr. Chairman, My delegation would also like to take this opportunity to stress the compelling need not only to be able to find the personnel for these missions, but also of enhancing their safety and security. The 19 August 2003 experience of the United Nations in Baghdad, where UN personnel suffered an unprecedented attack, leading to deaths and injury must never be repeated. In this connection, we are in full agreement regarding the need to re-examine the subject of measures to enhance the safety and security of unarmed civilian personnel deployed within peace operations. While Indonesia has always believed in the necessity of U.N. peacekeeping operations in the maintenance of international peace and security, we are also of the view that unless unarmed civilian peacekeepers can be kept out of harm’s way, it will be increasingly difficult to find appropriate personnel for them. Of equal interest, my delegation would also like to draw attention to the importance of civil-military relations within peacekeeping operations. If those working relations are not harmonious, they can inflict damage on the effectiveness of the entire mission. This should not be an option. Civilian and military peacekeepers must share the same understanding of the mission, in terms of its goals and objectives. Of equal importance, in this regard, is the Code of Conduct for peacekeepers. Every peacekeeper must be sensitized to the highest standards of behavior before he is sent to represent the United Nations. On the subject of Integration, to which USG Guehenno drew attention, my delegation feels that the key to success in peacekeeping is certainly to pay attention to the broad range of the needs of the people. We cannot expect success by imposing “peace,” while the capacity of the people to sustain it through development is ignored. The first business of peacekeeping is to ensure the control of conflict, so that political reconciliation and control can be turned over to the people. It is important that the entire United Nations system works as one in a given peacekeeping situation to ensure the best and most realistic work plan, and the best use of limited resources. In the light of these, the United Nations must continue to strengthen and enhance collective efforts both at Headquarters and in the field. Cooperation of UN funds, programmes and agencies, as well as with other relevant bodies and international organizations, is essential for purposes not only of avoiding duplication and stimulating integration, but also for sustaining the engagement of the international community to ensure the peace process will not backtrack to conflict. Similarly, the discrepancy between activities being funded through assessed contributions and those relying on voluntary contributions must be squarely addressed. Accordingly, Indonesia welcomes the indication from USG that the DPKO stands ready to work with member states and other partners, including within the context of ECOSOC. It is in our view that this will ensure the viability of the integration of peacebuilding into the overall peacekeeping strategy. Mr. Chairman, There is no doubt that a lot has been achieved in the effort to improve peacekeeping, but while we strive to review the principles, methods and mechanics of peacekeeping, towards even greater improvement, we must keep in mind that peacekeeping arises because of conflict and instability, not because there is peace to keep. As a result, the ultimate objective must be to accelerate the process of development. In order to do this, as we have always said, we must begin by focusing on the root causes of conflict in the world. A related subject that is also of continuing importance to my delegation is that of the creation of the “rapid reimbursement policy.” Given the difficulties that confront committed troop-contributing countries, something must be done, as suggested by several delegations during the March 2003 meeting of the Special Committee, to enable troop-contributors facing budgetary constraints to meet rapid deployment timelines. Finally, my delegation would like to conclude by reiterating the long standing position of Indonesia that peacekeeping operations should be implemented within the provisions of the UN Charter and basic peacekeeping principles. These include the consent of the parties; respect for the principles of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States; non-intervention in matters of domestic jurisdiction; the impartiality of the peacekeepers, and the non-use of force except in self-defense. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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