THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
STATEMENT TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL
ON THE ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING IN DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILIZATION AND
REINTEGRATION
New York, 23 March, 2000
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, and the Members of the Security
Council, for your decision to convene today's meeting.
As this Council is well aware, peacekeeping today bears little resemblance to
its original character. Many of today's peacekeeping operations seek not only
to bring stability to areas of conflict, but also to address the root causes
of conflict.
This means tackling a wide variety of needs, ranging from the political to
the social and the economic. In many conflict situations, the processes of
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are at the heart of these
efforts.
That said, let me emphasize at the outset that no efforts of ours can be a
substitute for the political will of the parties to commit themselves to
peace. Still, the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation has
frequently made a crucial contribution, not least by helping to create an
environment where this process can succeed.
We are here today because we are united in our will to strengthen the UN’s
ability to play an effective role in helping societies address the complex
issues of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
I hope that today's discussion can lead to a renewed determination to provide
those peacekeeping operations that are supporting these tasks with the
mandates and resources they need. I will briefly address some of the larger
issues concerning this process, but urge you to review carefully my report
which covers the challenges in this area more broadly.
Mr. President,
If peacekeeping Operations are to support DDR processes efficiently, it is
essential that provisions for DDR be integrated into any peace agreement that
is reached. My report before you suggests that, where feasible, the
arrangements for the disposal of arms and ammunition should be decided as
part of peace negotiations, so that the question of how to dispose of the
collected arms and ammunition does not subsequently become a stumbling block.
In addition, it is clear that an operation aimed at addressing the issue of
demobilization may require a considerable deterrent capacity, which should be
provided early in its deployment.
It is also often essential that arms issues be considered in a regional
context. Prerequisites for a successful regional approach include bilateral
decisions to share intelligence and information; cooperation by relevant
regional organizations; and continued support from the Security Council.
Responding to arms trafficking may also require a focus on financial flows,
including information on where faction leaders are obtaining funds, where
they are holding them, and how they are spending them.
While primary responsibility for reintegration falls outside peacekeeping, I
believe that peacekeeping operations can nonetheless play a key role in this
important element of post-conflict reconstruction.
In particular, peacekeeping operations can help ensure that all factions view
the political process as one in which they can reasonably hope to compete,
and that it provides a fair and legitimate alternative to violence.
Mr. President,
In order to succeed in confronting this key challenge, however, we need to
extend the range of tools available to peacekeeping operations. We need, in
particular, to continue and strengthen our special focus on the needs of
child soldiers.
That means following up on our most recent decisions to include in two United
Nations operations -- in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo -- a Child Protection Adviser who can identify child-related concerns
in the planning, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration phases.
We also need to see a more flexible approach by the Security Council to the
use of assessed funding for critical elements of disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration, so that the process can go ahead even while funding
through voluntary sources is being mobilized.
These elements include the destruction of weapons; the provision of seed
money for "quick impact projects"; and special measures for child soldiers,
including girl soldiers.
Finally, we need to improve our ability to locate experienced disarmament
experts and trainers for service within peacekeeping operations in the field.
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has worked over the past year to
develop training materials in this area for the use of Member States, and
will continue these efforts.
Today's peacekeeping operations engage a wide spectrum of partners within the
United Nations system in DDR activities, including the World Bank. More and
more, however, they also need to look beyond the United Nations system.
Regional organizations as well as local and international NGOs can contribute
to disarmament and demobilization, and, as we have seen recently in Kosovo,
may assist in rebuilding the social and political infrastructure that permits
reintegration.
Mr President,
Allow me to conclude by urging the Council to view DDR processes as only one
part of the multifaceted approach necessary if we are to succeed in
peacekeeping in the 21st century.
We must also renew our efforts in the political sphere, where we can do more
to channel differences peacefully through the rule of law; in the military
and security sphere, where we can do more to help armed factions transform
themselves into political civilian organizations; in the humanitarian sphere,
where we can do more to alleviate the suffering of civilians as the first
victims of war and the last beneficiaries of peace; and in the socio-economic
sphere, where we can do more to link post-conflict reconstruction with
assistance for lasting development.
Only within such a broad framework can the international community make a
meaningful contribution to the success of this crucial element of
post-conflict peace-building.
Thank you.
* *** *
hkanteh
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
