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I would like to thank the Netherlands for organizing this important debate and appreciate the briefers for their informative briefings this morning.
Madam President,
We also welcome the Action for Peacekeeping initiative announced by the Secretary General and broadly agree with its six priority areas. With the operating environments becoming ever more volatile, there are increasing calls to update our tools to face the contemporary challenges, respond to current threats and also to do our job better. Our discussion today, we hope, would provide valuable insights on these issues.
Let me focus, Madam President, on two specific questions: Peacekeeping as a shared responsibility and strategic coherence in pursuance of political solutions.
Negotiations in the C34 this year focused a lot on performance. And rightly so. How else can we gauge success?
However, performance cannot be evaluated solely in terms of what our troops on ground did or did not accomplish. It also depends on resources, capabilities, intelligence and many such factors that are not in the TCCs control. The TCCs have not, and will, not shy away from discussing performance, personnel, training and equipment. Performance policies however, need to be devised in consultation with the TCCs. Only a conversation that deals with performance in a holistic manner will yield results.
The Secretariat bears the responsibility of providing pragmatic and realistic analysis of the situation on ground, in terms of the political environment, resource gaps and possible exit strategies. This information then needs to be reflected by the Council in the mandates.
Rather than focusing just on cutting costs and troop numbers, operations must dictate logistics, and not the other way around.
Let me refer you to one example relating to the vital task of protection of civilians, which requires specific enablers and capacities. The recent pilot project on "Protection by Projection" in MONUSCO showed that it is extremely challenging to carry out POC tasks based just on projected show of power.
The Secretariat and the Security Council have to clearly articulate on specific tasks like the Protection of Civilians, in terms of expectations, requisite resources and capabilities. If resources are shrinking, expectations would need to be adjusted accordingly.
Madam President,
On strategic coherence in pursuit of political solutions, let me make three points.
Madam President,
The Secretary-General's reform initiatives envisage changes within the Secretariat's reporting lines. We hope this reform will provide better and quicker logistical support to missions. Reform should not just talk about performance and mindsets of troop and police contribution countries, it should also include a rethink of Secretariat's performance in bringing forth the true picture on the ground and as the Secretary-General said this morning the Council's mindset in putting together achievable and realistic mandates.
Madam President,
Since the 1960's Pakistan has contributed more than 200,000 troops in 43 missions and has lost 156 of its bravest in pursuit of peace. We are fully committed to UN peacekeeping and are ready to engage in any process or discussion, from political strategy to operational issues to help UN peacekeeping match changing conflicts and threats.
I thank you.