Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations: Statement on behalf of CANZ

Delivered by Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN, H.E. Ambassador Bob Rae

New York, 14 February 2022

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Mr. Chair,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the CANZ group of countries: Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Firstly, we take this opportunity to recognize the commitment of all peacekeepers -- military, police, corrections and civilian -- to the cause of peace. We pay our respects to the peacekeepers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and we grieve with their families and loved ones.

We also recognize the resilience that peacekeepers have demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep host communities safe and mitigate the spread of the virus.

Peacekeeping remains a critical tool to help countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. We must do our part to ensure that UN peacekeeping is as effective as it can be, so it better serves the international community, and the populations it is mandated to protect.

CANZ commends the direction provided by the Secretary-General -- through the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and its subsequent Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P+) strategy -- to guide our collective efforts to make UN peacekeeping operations more effective.

This Committee has the important responsibility to provide clear recommendations to peacekeeping partners on ways to improve peacekeeping -- and we are up for the task.

Some members of the Special Committee recently conducted a field visit to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon to observe these missions first-hand. They are bringing to this Committee a better sense of the key operational challenges facing peace operations.

Mr. Chair,

Canada, Australia and New Zealand look forward to building on the gains made in prioritizing the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women in peacekeeping and peace processes, at all levels.

Expanding the contributions of women in peacekeeping and within the communities in which peace operations serve builds more sustainable peace. Recommendations from this Committee have taken an increasingly gender-responsive approach. However, there are still improvements that can be made to address barriers facing women.

We support the comprehensive and integrated approaches that UN peacekeeping operations increasingly adopt to protect civilians from violence. We are encouraged by the partnership efforts underway to strengthen early warning and rapid response systems. Yet, more can be done to protect civilians from harm.

The integration of new technologies, training and resources are key to providing the strong analysis and situational awareness needed to protect civilians and keep peacekeepers safe.

It is important that we continue to set a high bar for the conduct of peacekeepers to ensure that missions achieve their respective mandates and effectively serve local populations. The instruction and integration of the best practices in conduct and discipline are essential. 

CANZ strongly supports the UN’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel. Although the UN has taken concrete actions, much work remains to strengthen prevention, accountability, and assistance for survivors. We must also create an environment in which abusive behaviour, including sexual harassment and assault among personnel, is prevented and addressed within peacekeeping missions. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that any peacekeeper who commit acts of misconduct is ineligible for future deployment.

We would also like to see more accountability to peacekeepers. CANZ supports the calls for more action to address impunity for crimes against peacekeepers. Peacekeepers deserve and demand a process that fairly and promptly investigates and prosecutes perpetrators crimes and attacks against them.

Mr. Chair,

Peacekeeping relies on strong partnerships. We encourage the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral partnerships for training and capacity-building for military, police and corrections capabilities, including through the Triangular Partnership Programme and the Light-Coordination Mechanism

Canada, Australia and New Zealand welcome the increased emphasis on technology and data-driven peacekeeping as set out by the Secretary General’s Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping. Its implementation will ensure that each mission can harness the right capabilities and improve performance. Greater innovation is essential to the future of peacekeeping, but its success demands a shift in mindset and accountability, at all levels. 

Finally, in order to better support efforts by local actors to build and sustain peace, we encourage peacekeeping missions to continue to strengthen efforts to engage local communities as well as coordination with UN Country Teams through mission transitions and drawdowns.

We also encourage Member States to ensure sustainable and adequate funding for missions.  It is crucial that peacekeeping continues to pave a way for stability and lasting peace, with a clear pathway to transition and to achieving sustainable peace.

Mr. Chair,

We look forward to working with all members of this Committee, through productive negotiations, to provide clear guidance to peacekeeping partners. CANZ will remain focused on recommendations which will ultimately have a direct, positive impact in the field

Together, we can make peacekeeping operations more effective for affected populations and the international community.

Thank you.