United Nations Security Council Debate on Peacekeeping Operations - 9 September 2019 - Statement by Canada (Check Against Delivery)

Mr President,

Thank you for convening today’s meeting. Our thanks as well to Under-Secretary- General Lacroix for his comprehensive annual briefing on the reform of UN peacekeeping operations. We stand ready to continue to support you in implementing this Council’s direction.

UN peacekeeping serves us all. It serves the rules-based international order. It serves states, regions, and the international community as a whole. But most of all, it serves the communities and people directly affected by armed conflict.

Effectively and efficiently serving them is unquestionably the ultimate objective of this organization. Canada chairs the Working Group of the Whole of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations -- the C34 -- in full support of this goal.

A subsidiary body of the General Assembly, the C34 is uniquely mandated to review peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. Moreover, this UN committee includes both troop- and police-contributing countries and major financial contributors, as well as host governments. It is precisely this diversity of experience that enriches the Committee’s capacity to contribute to our collective understanding of UN peacekeeping operations, and how they are evolving.

As Chair, we have been privileged to lead the negotiations of the C34’s annual report. In this capacity, we have seen first-hand the seriousness with which Committee members approach their deliberations. While many may dwell on differences of views, we are struck by a clear, common desire to improve the way peacekeeping operations are designed and delivered.

The Security Council, of course, determines when and where a UN peace operation will be deployed. As Council members, you determine the range of tasks assigned to UN operations. You also set the troop ceilings in support of those tasks. These are perhaps among your greatest responsibilities.

As UN peacekeeping operations become more complex, more multifaceted, and more dangerous, you stand to benefit from taking the views of the C34 into account. Like you, C34 members also understand how decisions taken here affect operations on the ground. After all, their nationals are the ones seeking to implement those decisions. That’s what gives the committee its credibility. That’s what makes its views so vital.

Mr. President,

This past summer, following nearly 3 months of inter-sessional consultations, the C34 reached an agreement in principle on a new structure for its annual report. Motivated by a shared, cross-regional desire to improve its output, the Committee chose to use the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative as the basis of its annual report. C34 members also committed to putting an emphasis on reaching agreement on clear, concrete and specific recommendations in its negotiations.

I would like to express my thanks to Nigeria, Chair of the Special Committee, as well as to the other members of the bureau, Argentina, Poland, Egypt and Japan for their support during the inter-sessional review. On behalf of the Bureau, I would also like to thank all C34 delegations for their constructive engagement. Our success this summer was based on a genuine openness to change, and a tremendous display of good faith by all delegations. We are confident that this outcome will produce a better product, accessible to all.

Mister President,

Allow me to add a few brief remarks in my national capacity. Beyond our work on the C34, Canada remains firmly committed in support of UN peacekeeping. For this reason, we pay all of our UN dues, in full, on time and without condition. We have done so consistently each and every year since the UN’s inception, including 2019. Indeed, I am pleased to report that we have already paid each of our assessed contributions for all UN peacekeeping operations in their entirety for this year as well.

In addition, our commitment was also recently demonstrated through the provision of an Air TaskForce for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The Canadian contingent undertook 11 forward aeromedical evacuations over the course of this deployment, treating some 40 casualties in what has proven a uniquely complex operating environment. I am especially proud that we worked hand-in- hand with our Romanian partners to ensure a smooth transition.

Canada is also dedicated to supporting UN operations by providing innovative contributions and addressing critical capability gaps. This includes ensuring the UN has reliable, flexible and predictable access to the kind of high-end military capabilities required to support peace and security in areas affected by conflict. Our C130 plane was deployed in Entebbe just completed its first rotation of tactical airlift support to the benefit of UN Peacekeeping operations in Africa. More flights are planned.

Mr. President,

This Council has consistently recognized that gender equality plays a critical role in creating lasting solutions to global challenges – including advancing the women, peace and security agenda. Translating that understanding into meaningful, measurable action can be hard. We need to better learn from one another on what works best, why, and how.

To do so, we helped to launch the Elsie Initiative Fund to help increase the number of uniformed women in UN peacekeeping with an initial contribution of $15M. More recently, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Jacqueline O’Neill as Canada’s first Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security. Ms. O’Neill will be here in New York a bit later this week at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly for high-level events on Women in Power and on the Culture of Peace. I encourage you to join for what promises to be stimulating discussions.

A readiness to learn and to share, a proven interest in innovating, a steady commitment to contribute, and unconditional financial reliability characterize Canada’s longstanding engagement in UN peacekeeping. You can rest assured, Mr. President, that if elected for the 2021-22 term on the UN Security Council, Canada will bring this approach to our work on the Council.

Thank you.