Pakistan Mission to United Nations

Statement by Ambassador Masood Khan Permanent Representative of Pakistan in the Fourth Committee Agenda Item 53: Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects (29 October 2014)

Mr. Chairman,

We are grateful to Undersecretary-General Herve Ladsous and Under Secretary General Ameerah Haq for their briefings to the Committee which have set the tone for our discussion. Pakistan appreciates their leadership and their strong commitment to peacekeeping.

We associate ourselves with the statement by the representative of Morocco on behalf of the NAM.

Mr. Chairman

Pakistan's commitment to UN peacekeeping is strong and consistent.

Since 1960, Pakistan has contributed 150,000 peacekeepers to the United Nations. As a leading troop contributor, Pakistan has a vital stake in the effectiveness of the strategic, operational and tactical decisions that influence the United Nations' intercessions to make, keep and build peace in conflict and post-conflict zones.

Pakistan participates in peacekeeping missions to help the United Nations deliver on its promise to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security. We continue to maintain our high levels of participation in peacekeeping despite the demands placed on our security forces.

As part of this continuing commitment, we have started deploying one infantry battalion, an en-gineering company and an aviation unit in the Central African Republic - an extremely challeng-ing theatre. A medical team arrived in Liberia last month to boost the capacity of the UN Mission in Liberia.

Our peacekeeping personnel have served with professionalism and distinction. Our women peacekeepers have also made sterling contributions to peace in different parts of the world.

A total of 140 Pakistani peacekeepers have offered the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of world peace. We pay tribute to Sepoy Fahad Iftikhar of Pakistan, who gave his life on October 9 while serving in MINUSCA.

Mr. Chairman,

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, along with leaders of Bangladesh, Japan and Rwanda, joined US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last month in New York to host a successful Peacekeeping Summit. Its objective was three-fold: recognize the ser-vices of troop and financial contributors; solicit new commitments; and prepare the UN to re-spond more effectively to new challenges.

At the Summit, we made a new commitment. We offered to the UN the peacekeeping compe-tencies of our Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), which was inaugurated by the UN Secretary General in Islamabad last year. The Centre offers training in addressing contem-porary threats faced by peacekeeping missions, joint peacekeeping exercises, exchange of in-structors and students with other peacekeeping training institutes, and holding specialized train-ing on emerging challenges. We are also ready to look into the combined deployment under the auspices of the United Nations.

Mr. Chairman,

Pakistan has been at the forefront of policy discourse on peacekeeping. Security Council Resolu-tion 2086, adopted during Pakistan’s Presidency of the Council in January 2013 on “UN Peace-keeping: a Multi-dimensional approach” provides a blueprint for handling complex crises.

We have seen two important developments during the 68th UNGA: the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations (C-34) transcended procedural wrangles to forge consensus; and the UN agreed to increase troop cost reimbursement rates, for the first time since 1991.

This is therefore most opportune time for the Secretary General's proposed Strategic Review. It is a timely exercise. We look forward to a constructive engagement with the Secretary-General's Panel during its work and with the Membership once the Panel has compiled its report.

I would make a few specific points outlining our vision for UN peacekeeping:

• The basic principles of peacekeeping, including impartiality and non-use of force, except in self-defense and in the defense of the mandate, underpin the success of peacekeeping. The UN keeps and builds peace; it does not seek military solutions.
• Peacekeeping is fundamentally different from peace enforcement. Venturing in-to grey areas will complicate the missions, erode their neutrality and undermine their credibility, besides endangering the safety and security of peacekeepers. This, of course, does not mean that we should shy away from robust peacekeep-ing to protect civilians. On the contrary, robust peacekeeping has been and will remain an important plank of peacekeeping in live conflict situations.
• We condemn attacks against UN missions and personnel in recent months. Most of these attacks have taken place in complex missions. Safety and security of peacekeepers is paramount. We must continue to look into causes of the mount-ing violence against peacekeepers to take and refine preventive and remedial measures.
• We support the combined strategic agenda of the DPKO and DFS for uniformed capacity development for rapid deployment, enhanced mobility, improved medical support, IED survivability, and improved information and analysis. More deliberation is required to develop an effective approach on how to deal with transnational crime.
• We support modernization of peacekeeping, and equipping missions with new technologies. Deployment and use of these technologies on a case-by-case basis should be guided by lessons learned; and this should be subject to the consent of the concerned states. The induction and use of new technologies should also conform to the basic principles of peacekeeping.
• The United Nations should invest more political capital and resources in preven-tive diplomacy and reconciliation processes to stem eruption and relapse of con-flicts.
• It is only logical that the rates of troop cost reimbursement match the current fi-nancial indices. We should have a calendar for their periodic reviews.
• Comprehensive strategies with the inclusion of regional and sub-regional organ-izations must continue to evolve. They bring in complementary political insights, resources and expertise.
• Drafting of the mandates of peacekeeping missions should be a two-phase pro-cess to allow for consultation with the TCCs, identification of the most appro-priate troop contributors and taking into account realities on the ground.

Mr. Chairman,

Contemporary conflicts are becoming complex, chronic and lethal. In addition, the environment in which peacekeepers operate has become complex, harsh and volatile.

The range and context of peacekeeping is evolving. Protection of civilians, supporting peace processes, peace-building, national capacity building and institution building are all interlinked facets of multi-dimensional missions. The review proposed by the Secretary General has to be conducted in this overall context. It should recognize the obligations of the TCCs as well as their entitlements. While the TCCs are required to provide well-equipped and well-trained personnel, they are entitled to due respect and recognition. Their counsel must be sought and heeded in mandate development and implementation.

Peacekeeping is a collective effort. All members of the peacekeeping community have to give their hundred percent support for success. Our commitment to peacekeeping remains unflinch-ing. Let us work together to make the noble mission of peacekeeping a success.

I thank you.