Statement by Ambassador Masood Khan Permanent Representative of Pakistan at the UNSC Open Debate on Peace Operations: the UN-AU Partnership and its Evolution (16 December 2014)

Mr. President,

Let me begin by thanking the Secretary General, the Foreign Minister of Chad and members of the Security Council for their condolences and sympathies on the horrendous terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar this morning. It was a heinous, unconscionable act of savagery that has been condemned universally.

The Government and the people of Pakistan are committed to fighting terrorism and promoting and protecting the right to education.

Families in Pakistan are devastated and the entire nation is in a state of shock. Your words of sympathy, condolence and solidarity have touched the hearts of the people of Pakistan. We are a resolute nation. We will overcome this menace.

Mr. President,

The United Nations-African Union partnership is an important constituent of the UN-led peacekeeping operations. This partnership is in conformity with Article VIII of the UN Charter, which creates space for cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations to maintain and bolster peace and security.

Today's debate, convened by you, comes at an opportune time, as what we discuss here will feed into the ongoing strategic review of peacekeeping operations commissioned by the UN Secretary General.

We welcome the strong institutional linkages established in recent years between the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council in order to determine causes and drivers of violence, resolve conflicts, support joint planning exercises and develop UN-AU operational models.

Financing for AU peacekeeping operations should be predictable and sustainable. In this regard, we agree with you that recommendations of the Prodi Panel should be seriously considered for implementation; and a fresh drive should be launched to generate indigenous resources.

The UN-AU partnership becomes most critical in managing drawdowns and transitions. Successful transitions usher in peace-building and pave the way for national, subregional and regional ownership.

The African Union brings with it complementary resources, expertise and insight. The Secretary General’s initiatives like the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, and the Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, have built upon such complementarities.

It is important to have clearer mandates and to take preventive measures to stem relapse to conflict in fragile states. Moreover, the AU's involvement at early stages of the UN Security Council deliberations on conflict resolution and conflict-management would help in adopting the right course of action.

The Security Council is increasingly mandating peacekeeping missions in volatile security environments. In view of the fast developing crises and conflicts in Africa in the past year, rapid response and deployment have become imperative. Pakistan has also recently decided to deploy a rapid deployment battalion in MONUSCO.

It is also important to improve and harmonize the working methods of the two Councils through better communication.

Mr. President,

It is true that the more political involvement of the African Union and African countries is there, the more they will contribute to the security initiatives, as your concept paper argues.

In this debate, we may also bear in mind the following general points.

    • One, when authorized by the Security Council, African peacekeeping operations should be supported, from planning and funding to equipment, logistics and training. Regional organizations and countries bear part of the responsibility for securing resources. In addition, resourceful countries and regional organizations should contribute more to AU's capacity building projects and programmes.
    • Two, lessons learnt from recent transitions must be collated and utilized for future missions. Interoperability is a major priority. We encourage the Secretariat to continue to develop exercise and training policies with regional organizations, aimed at improving interoperability.
    • Three, Africa is the locus of the bulk of UN, regional and hybrid missions. Communication, consultation and coordination between this Council and the AU PSC should be enhanced to further build mutual trust and confidence.
    • Four, increasing regional capacities should not lead to parochialism or regionalization of peacekeeping. While drawing upon regional expertise, focus should remain on training, professionalism and performance of peacekeepers. Emphasis on regional deployments risks peacekeepers becoming prone to taking sides and the UN subcontracting its responsibilities. Regions and subregions should not be removed from the international mainstream simply because they are not of strategic interest.
    • Five, regionalization should not lead to disparity in professional levels. The UN should strive to evolve and maintain uniform standards in training, equipment and technology.
    • Six, to cement their partnership, both the UN and AU should invest in peace-building.

Mr. President,

Pakistan is deeply committed to collective efforts to strengthen peacekeeping through regional partnerships.

Since 1960, Pakistan has always demonstrated a strong commitment to peace and security in Africa. The bulk of our troops are deployed in Africa. Our experience in Africa has further enhanced our appreciation for the value of regional partnership and cooperation. We will remain a steadfast partner of the African Union.

I thank you.