Pakistan Mission to United Nations

Statement by Mr. Nabeel Munir, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan during Security Council Briefing on Secretary General’s Report on Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.(New York, 10 March 2016)

Mr. President,

We thank you for the opportunity to express our views on a topic, which is of great importance to us all. Views of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) would enrich this debate and lead to informed decisions.

Mr. President,

We appreciate the resolve of the Secretary General in pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation by peacekeepers. Pakistan, as a major TCC, fully supports zero-tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. Those deputed to defend must not be allowed to take advantage of the vulnerable with impunity.

We take our responsibility as a Troop Contributor extremely seriously and are fully conscious about the need for punitive action against perpetrators of such a heinous act – one that tarnishes the image of the United Nations as well as the TCC itself, and taints the good work of peacekeeping in general. We have taken strict action against perpetrators in substantiated cases.

While we agree that one case is a case too many, and that there is no justification whatsoever for such callous behavior, the Report of the Secretary General itself identifies factors that may lead to its increase, including: hurried reheating of troops; absence of pre-deployment training on standards of conduct; excessive length of deployment of contingents; living conditions of the troops, including lack of welfare and communication facilities to stay in touch with their loved ones; camps in proximity to and not properly separated from the local population etc.

Let me make a few comments on the Report and the process that we need to follow from here on:

• There should be no ambiguity in the minds of anyone that as a major TCC, we are committed to getting rid of this scourge.
• We all pay lip service to trilateral cooperation. It is important to consult TCCs in the process of developing effective guidelines and mechanisms to stem this scourge.
• Collective punitive action is against the concept of justice and fair play and merits careful review. In principle, a Member State or its contingent cannot and should not be held responsible for the criminality of an individual.
• Distinction between accusation and conviction is important and must be maintained. Focus of the narrative these days seems to be on ‘allegations’.
• Overly intrusive and prescriptive calls on Member States to review their criminal procedures and legislation should be avoided.
• Recommendations relating to compensation to victims and establishment of mechanisms for providing medical and legal assistance are appreciated. Establishing a Trust Fund for compensating the victims should, however be well thought through and implemented prudently to avoid its exploitation.
• Preventive steps must be taken along with the remedial measures. Addressing the issues of better planning in deployment and rotation of troops and providing them with better facilities would have a positive impact.
• And last but not the least, we firmly believe that the Special Committee of the General Assembly on Peacekeeping (C-34), which incidentally is compiling its Report at this moment, is the forum to discuss issues relating to conduct and discipline of peacekeepers. Recommendations in the Report of the Secretary General need to be discussed and analyzed in the C-34 in a transparent and inclusive manner.

Mr. President,

Our troops are deployed in dangerous and violent situations, shedding their blood for the common cause of promoting international peace and security. Their contributions should not be sullied by the acts of a few. Any action by this body that could lead to generic blaming of peacekeepers is bound to negatively impact the morale of the troops on ground. This, we feel, must be avoided.

I thank you.