H.E. MR. YUKIO SATOH
Permanent Representative of Japan
At the Meeting of the Special Comittee on Peacekeeping Operations
19 June 2001
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your re-election. My delegation looks forward to working on this important issue of peacekeeping operations under your able chairmanship.
I also wish to thank the chairman of the Working Group, Ambassador Duval of Canada, for his strenuous efforts to attain a consensus on this committee's response to the Brahimi Report at the last session of the Working Group.
My thanks go as well to the excellent work by the Department of Peace-keeping Operations under the very able leadership of Under-Secretary-General Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno.
And finally, let me take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the Secretary-General for his long-awaited report on "Implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations" (A/55/977). I am pleased to note that the report, or Comprehensive Review, is now available for consideration by the members of this Committee.
Mr. Chairman,
As we are all aware, the UN peacekeeping operations are now undergoing significant changes: they are increasing in terms of the total number of personnel deployed and the total budget required; and more importantly, their mandates are becoming broader.
This development requires new thinking on how to organize peacekeeping operations. The Brahimi Report is indeed valuable in this context as it contains many useful insights and recommendations with regard to the general direction in which UN peace operations should develop in the future.
The Comprehensive Review is also valuable, Mr. Chairman, for it contains some candid criticisms of the peacekeeping capacity of the United Nations and suggests well-considered ways to improve it. The Review will no doubt serve as a solid basis for our discussion.
It would be useful if the consultants’ report were also made available to this Committee as it considers how to prioritize and implement the constructive proposals put forward in the Review.
Mr. Chairman,
Among the issues touched upon in the Review, those relating to the management and planning capacities of the DPKO should be given highest priority. In this context, enhancing the mobility of personnel, especially between Headquarters and the field, is crucial, and I have to say that this is an area where the Secretary-General can take immediate actions along the lines of the General Assembly resolution on the reform of human resources management (A/RES/55/258). It might be useful, for example, to consider such steps as introducing a regular rotation between Headquarters and the field and more frequent exchanges of personnel among various departments of the Secretariat and UN organizations.
Improving intra- and inter-departmental communication is also critically important in order to strengthen the function of the DPKO. A number of steps the Review proposes, such as the creation of the position of Director for Strategic Planning and the active utilization of Integrated Mission Task Forces (IMTF) and other forms of inter-agency working groups, will be constructive for the mid- and long-term enhancement of the UN peacekeeping capacity.
More broadly, we welcome the approach the Review takes in recommending cooperation among relevant departments and organizations rather than the incorporation of other bodies' functions into the DPKO.
Mr. Chairman,
The requests for 150 additional personnel must be examined carefully, particularly in terms of whether they are truly necessary. I also have to add here that we remain unconvinced of the need for a third Assistant Secretary-General in the DPKO.
Given the significantly increased costs that the recommended steps for enhancing rapid deployment capability would entail, it is important for the Committee to examine the costs and benefits of the suggested options before we make a decision on their adoption. To this end, it is essential that member governments be provided with a more detailed explanation of how the recommended options would work and what are their financial implications.
Mr. Chairman,
As we have repeatedly emphasized, the safety and security of personnel remains a matter of serious concern for all of us. We therefore appreciate that the Review devotes special attention to this issue.
We are also gratified that the results of the seminar on personnel safety held in Tokyo last March are reflected in the Review. A summary of that Seminar's discussions has been distributed to Member States for their reference as UN document (A/55/950), but I would like to underscore the following two points here: that all staff must receive pre-mission and in-the-field training on safety and security; and that they should be dispatched with adequate equipment.
We intend to submit a proposal to the Committee on the safety and security of personnel, and would appreciate the cooperation of our colleagues of the Committee.
Mr. Chairman,
Ensuring close cooperation between the Security Council and those Member States which contribute to peacekeeping operations is another important task before us. We would therefore like to reiterate here that while we acknowledge the essential contribution that troop-contributing countries make to peacekeeping operations, consultations between the Security Council and contributing countries should not be limited to these countries. Given the multi-faceted nature of many recent peacekeeping operations, such consultations could be made more productive by including the countries which either provide civilian personnel in a significant way or make major financial contributions.
Mr. Chairman,
That the UN peacekeeping capacity should be strengthened is beyond dispute, for peacekeeping operations will continue to be one of the most important tools available to the United Nations in its pursuit of international peace and security in the coming years.
It is in this recognition that my delegation will remain engaged in the discussions in this Committee on the Comprehensive Review and other matters. |
