CHALLENGES OF UNITED

NATIONS PEACEKEEPING
OPERATIONS REVIEWED BY
COUNTRIES WITH FIRST-HAND
EXPERIENCE

Press Release
GA/SPD/201 

CHALLENGES OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING

OPERATIONS REVIEWED BY COUNTRIES WITH FIRST-HAND
EXPERIENCE
 
20001109
Representatives of Sierra Leone, Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia Among Speakers as
Committee Continues Discussion of Panel Report

Delegates of several countries with experience of hosting United Nations

peacekeeping missions addressed the Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization) this afternoon as it continued its general exchange of views on
the comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations.

The representative of Sierra Leone said it was not surprising the Panel on United
Nations Peace Operations (the Brahimi Panel) had concluded that the need for
change in peace operations had been rendered even more urgent by recent
events in his country. But under the Panel’s recommendations, civilian
populations might have to remain under threat for months while the Secretary-
General continued knocking on the doors of potential troop contributors, and
before the Security Council took action to deploy peacekeepers.
He said that in complex and critical situations, every effort should be made to
complement United Nations peacekeeping operations with rapid reaction
capabilities contributed by individual States or groups of States, in consultation
with the United Nations and with the consent of the host country. In Sierra
Leone, the deployment of British forces had stabilized the situation. However,
that arrangement was not a substitute for United Nations operations, but it
provided a supplementary security blanket.

The representative of Rwanda said the failures of some United Nations missions
had shown similar characteristics, leading to the conclusion that the
Organization’s peacekeeping operations required reform. Besides adequate
logistics, clear mandates and trained personnel, peacekeeping required well-
equipped troops with the skills required to protect civilians and humanitarian
personnel as well as themselves.

Haiti’s representative said that while not minimizing the concerns of Member
States over interventions that did not respect national sovereignty, the principle
of non-interference in internal affairs should not bar operations meant to stop
such horrors as genocide. International consensus along clear principles must
guide such actions.

Fourth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SPD/201 22nd Meeting (PM) 9

November 2000

Pointing out that the root causes of conflicts were complex, he said that
peacekeeping action, in itself, could not resolve them. More attention must be
paid to socio-economic conditions, to engendering a culture of peace in the
population and to the promotion of educational programmes to combat racism
and xenophobia.

Ethiopia’s representative, referring to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and

Eritrea, said military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that
plans were under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The
Government of Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s
success. To that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the
draft “status of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

Also speaking in this afternoon’s general debate, Poland’s representative said

that as current chair of the Steering Committee of the Multinational Standby
High-Readiness Brigade, Poland continued to work with other participants to
ensure that the brigade became fully operational. It offered important
advantages in training and coordination between national contingents which
were useful in preparing the troops of participating countries to play a more
effective part in peacekeeping operations.
The representative of Turkey said his country played an increasingly prominent
part in peace-building and peacekeeping efforts, within both the United Nations
and regional missions. It had made training an integral part of its peacekeeping
commitments, with participants from around the world attending its Peace
Training Centre in Ankara.

Israel’s representative said his country had developed a training programme in

peacekeeping. The Israel Defence Forces would again hold its annual
International Liaison Course at the Israel Defence Forces Liaison and Foreign
Relations Division Headquarters in Tel Aviv next May. The course was designed
to stimulate professional dialogue in military liaison, and would include lectures,
field trips and simulations, as well as dealing with the theory and practice of
military liaison.

Also speaking this afternoon were the representatives of Ghana, Togo, Mongolia,
Jamaica, Colombia, Cyprus, Thailand, Canada, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Nepal and Algeria.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 10 November, to

conclude its general debate on the comprehensive review of the question of
peacekeeping operations in all its aspects.

Fourth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/SPD/201 22nd Meeting (PM) 9 November

2000

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon
to continue its general debate on the comprehensive review of peacekeeping
operations in all their aspects.

Statements

SYLVESTER ROWE (Sierra Leone) associated his views with those expressed by
Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. He said that no one should be
surprised by the conclusions of the report of the Panel on Peace Operations --
the Brahimi report -- that the need for changes in peace operations had been
rendered even more urgent by recent events in his country. But, under those
recommendations, civilian populations under threat might have to wait for
months while the Secretary-General continued knocking on the doors of
potential troop contributors, before the Security Council took action to deploy
United Nations-led forces.
To prevent that, he suggested that whenever possible, in complex and critical
situations, every effort be made to complement United Nations peacekeeping
operations with rapid reaction capabilities contributed by individual States or
groups of States, in consultation with the United Nations and with the consent of
the host country. In Sierra Leone, such a deployment of United Kingdom troops
stabilized the situation. That arrangement was not a substitute for United
Nations-led operations under a unified command, but it could, in embattled
situations, provide a supplementary security blanket. Presently, as the
Secretary-General searched for troops to replace those of India and Jordan in
the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), any like effort of the
United Kingdom should be endorsed by the international community.

Apart from that, he said, the Panel’s recommendations of political support and a
sound peace-building strategy were welcomed. In fact, Sierra Leone and
UNAMSIL contained all the elements of a complex peacekeeping operation and
many of the recommendations could be tested there. Sierra Leone also
welcomed the recommendation that disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration programmes be brought into the assessed budgets of complex
operations for the first phase of an operation, in order to reduce the likelihood of
resumed conflict.

YAW O. OSEI (Ghana) said that the current system under which troop
contributors were required to deploy their contingents under wet lease
arrangements was clearly not feasible. It caused gaps in commitment and
undermined the cohesion of a mission. This was even more pronounced where a
troop contributor was participating in more than one peacekeeping mission. It
was becoming increasingly clear that any solution to the problem of the
commitment gap with regard to personnel and equipment for peacekeeping
operations would require the assumption by all Member States of their shared
responsibility to support United Nations peacekeeping. Equally crucial to
international peacekeeping was the provision of adequate resources for
financing peacekeeping operations. While this was the responsibility of all
Member States, the economically more developed countries were in a better
position to make larger contributions to peacekeeping operations.

Experience had shown that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration must

be integral parts of the peace process. As the situation in Sierra Leone had
shown, poor management at any phase could endanger that entire exercise with
serious consequences for the peace process and the stability of the country.
Incomplete disarmament and inadequate reintegration could result in the
rearming of the already disarmed, leading to banditry and armed violence. He
particularly endorsed the Special Committee’s recommendation that mission
planning for those aspects of peacekeeping should accommodate the special
needs of women and children. He also endorsed the Special Committee’s
proposal that the United Nations should establish minimum training, equipment
and other standards required for forces to participate in United Nations
peacekeeping operations.

Ghana attached importance to gender-sensitivity and its mainstreaming and so

he welcomed the appeal to Member States to put forth women candidates for
participation in all components of field mission, he said. He also commended the
current arrangement under which the Security Council and troop-contributing
countries meet to consult on pertinent issues arising from force generation or
mission operations. This process was helpful in fostering a common
understanding of mandates of missions and their implementation. He suggested
that these consultations not only be held at the request of the Security Council,
but also at the request of troop contributors whenever the circumstances
justified it.

ROLAND KPOTSRA (Togo) said that while the Brahimi Panel had been
established as a result of the tragedies in Rwanda and Srebrenica, the United
Nations had not been in a position to discharge its main responsibility of
maintaining international peace and security. This was because of an absence of
political will, a lack of financial resources and the complexity of recent conflicts.
Deep reflection was required in designing appropriate peacekeeping operations
with the means available to the Organization.

Associating himself with the statement of the Non-Aligned Movement, he said it

was essential that, in establishing peacekeeping missions, the same attention
be given to conflicts in all regions, particularly those in Africa. Although the
Security Council had recently undertaken to seek greater knowledge of African
conflicts through visiting missions and dialogue with the protagonists, the
African continent was not receiving the same attention as other regions.

In most cases, he said, the deployment of missions in African conflict areas had
not taken place in a reasonable period, but had always been a reaction, leading
to a radicalization of the situation on the ground while a search was mounted for
contributors to a peacekeeping operation. At the same time, more complex
missions were deployed elsewhere to resolve domestic conflicts.

He said the humiliation of United Nations peacekeepers in Sierra Leone had

demonstrated the need for troops to be able to defend themselves. Mandates
should be adopted only when they had adequate financing and means. A mission
without deterrent credibility could not carry out its mandate in the field,
resulting in situations like Sierra Leone.

He said delays in reimbursing troop- and equipment-contributing countries posed

a serious problem to contributors from African and other developing countries.
Similarly, it was imperative that under-representation of African and other
developing countries in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations be rectified.
The field knowledge of such personnel would be essential in the preparation and
establishment of peacekeeping missions.

J. ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) said he agreed to the need for well-conceived and

clearly defined peacekeeping mandates, without which peacekeeping operations
would not be effective. The question of symbolic presence, credible military
deterrent and war-fighting, as well as many other questions needed to be
addressed. The Brahimi report could be a useful basis for tackling those and
other similar issues of both policy and operation.

The comprehensive nature of the report was demonstrated by the fact that it
included conflict prevention and early warning, peacekeeping doctrine,
mandates and resolutions, personnel and deployment, peace building, as well as
expanding headquarters support. He welcomed the report as a frank analysis of
the prevailing situation and as presenting forthright recommendations for
change. Mongolia was committed to making practical contributions to
peacekeeping operations. To that end, it not only signed a memorandum of
understanding with the United Nations and communicated to the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations its first candidates, but also took an active part in the
recent training exercises held in Kazakhstan for central Asian countries.

DAVID ZOHAR (Israel) cited his country’s statement to the General Assembly on
28 September that Israel supported initiatives to modify the scale of
assessments, so as to share the burden of peacekeeping operations more
equitably. It would also support efforts to introduce a 25 per cent ceiling on
individual assessments. Israel had decided to forego the 80 per cent reduction it
had previously enjoyed, and to pay its full assessment to the United Nations
peacekeeping budget.

Apart from its financial contribution, Israel had developed a training programme
in the field of peacekeeping, he said. The Israel Defence Forces would again hold
its annual International Liaison Course at the Israel Defence Forces Liaison and
Foreign Relations Division headquarters in Tel Aviv next May. The course was
designed to stimulate professional dialogue in military liaison, based on the
Israel Defence Forces’s own experience with foreign organizations. It would
include lectures, field trips and simulations, as well as dealing with the theory
and practice of military liaison. The course was designed for officers holding the
rank of major and lieutenant-colonel. Applications could be addressed to the
Israel Defence Forces through military attachés and embassies accredited to
Israel.

PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica) said that Jamaica associated itself with the
statement of Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. She said that,
coupled with the paradigm shift in United Nations The plight of refugees and
displaced persons, the spread of diseases, and the protection of vulnerable
groups could not be ignored. Gross violations of human rights could not be
tolerated.

She underscored the recommendations of the Brahimi report relating to clear

and credible mandates, robust rules of engagement, and regular consultations
between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council, among others.
Conflict prevention, addressing the root causes of conflict and involving women
in all stages of a peace process were also important. Systematic training of
peacekeepers and civilian police was equally important. Finally, she underlined
the need for greater coordination between missions and Headquarters and the
need to review the so-called “wet lease agreement”.

ALFONSO VALDIVIESO (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said his
States members recognized the need to strengthen the structures and the
functioning of peacekeeping mechanisms in order to make them more efficient.
That would enhance the credibility of the United Nations and its promotion and
maintenance of international peace and security in different areas.

He said the Group also recognized the importance of prevention and peace
building in the Organization's work. The recommendations contained in the
Brahimi report on which the Special Committee had reached agreement should
be implemented as soon as possible. It would be necessary for the Committee,
however, to consider in greater detail at its meeting in February 2001, the
recommendations in the report which required more discussion.

He said the Group attached great importance to respect for the principles of
consent of the parties, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in self-
defence, in peacekeeping missions. The Group also hoped that, as the
Organization continued to strive to improve its operations to ensure peace and
international security, initiatives would be undertaken to strengthen its efforts in
the field of development. He hoped that the implementation of peacekeeping
reforms would not be to the detriment of resources allocated to development.

GEORGE KASOULIDES (Cyprus) said that Cyprus was a very relevant case
demonstrating the pros and cons of peacekeeping and the necessity to combine
peacemaking and peace-building to avoid stalemate and stagnation. The United
Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) did not have the necessary
mandate and backing to prevent The latest effort -- still in progress -- had raised
hopes again, but one need only read of the Turkish insistence for creating two
separate States on the island to realize Turkish objectives.

Only a few months ago, the Turkish occupation army advanced its positions
along the ceasefire line in the area of Strovilia, resulting in what the Secretary-
General described as a "clear violation of the status quo". The inability to this
day of UNFICYP to return the situation to the status quo ante eroded even
further the credibility of the United Nations. Peacekeeping that continued for so
many years was a real disappointment to the people of Cyprus and the
international community, and the inability of the Organization to find a solution
to the problem was a real failure for peacekeeping. As long as this effort was not
based on the Security Council resolutions, and intransigence and non-
compliance with international law was condoned and tolerated, the problem
would remain unresolved.

Effective peacekeeping operations must rest on a sure and stable financial

footing, he said. Cyprus, therefore, reiterated the need for prompt payment of
contributions and without conditions attached. In relation to the financing of
UNFICYP, the Government of Cyprus voluntarily contributed one third of the total
cost of the Force. This was a considerable and extremely heavy burden.
Furthermore, Cyprus currently voluntarily contributed an additional one third
more than its assessed contribution to all United Nations peacekeeping
operations. Cyprus had also made a commitment to give up voluntarily the
discount to which it was entitled under the present system.

JANUSZ STANCZYK (Poland) associating himself with France’s statement on

behalf of the European Union and associated countries, said that as current
Chair of the Steering Committee of the multinational Standby High-Readiness
Brigade, Poland continued to work with other participants to ensure that the
brigade became fully operational.

He said that Brigade offered important advantages in training and coordination

between national contingents which were useful in preparing the troops of
participating countries to play a more effective part in peacekeeping operations.
The contribution to it of developing countries from outside Europe, both as
members and observers, would significantly enrich, diversify and enhance the
Brigade’s functioning and effectiveness.

As a major troop contributor to peacekeeping operations, Poland had designated

troops for SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for KFOR in Kosovo, he said.
Altogether, more than 2,300 Polish troops, military observers, civilian police and
other civilian specialists served in various missions. In addition, a special 115-
strong police unit had just been deployed in the United Nations Interim
Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK).

That effort in the field was paralleled by the importance Poland attached to
discharging its financial obligations in full and on time, he said. Given the
country’s limited resources, that effort posed a considerable burden. Thus,
timely reimbursement of costs borne owing to participation in peacekeeping
operations was increasingly important.
ASDA JAYANAMA (Thailand) said his country attached great importance to
peacekeeping and was contributing to it, notably in East Timor. With the Brahimi
report, the United Nations could adapt to the post-cold war era. Agreeing with
the report on many issues, he added, however, that reconciliation between
warring factions was a top priority task in a complex, intra-national
peacekeeping operation.

In addition, he found it unfortunate that countries commanding abundant

resources did not contribute their fair share of troops to peacekeeping
operations. When they did contribute, their troops remained outside the
command of the United Nations. Reimbursement and safety of personnel in
peacekeeping operations were important issues, but they were not included in
the Brahimi report. He suggested creating a trust fund for that, which would be
replenished from the United Nations budget when needed.

In line with other recommendations of the Brahimi report, he believed there was
a need for good entry and exit strategies for every peacekeeping operation. But
peacekeeping should never become a permanent feature of the global political
landscape. More work needed to be done on the root causes of conflicts.

MICHEL DUVAL (Canada) said that the Brahimi report was the beginning of an
important process -- which aimed to critically evaluate the United Nations, and
thereby making it a stronger and more effective Organization. It was also an
invaluable tool which provided proactive and pragmatic mechanisms aimed at
improving United Nations peacekeeping.

He commended the integrated approach taken by the Panel and its recognition
that, in today's security environment, the United Nations needed the "tools" to
address any conflict situation. United Nations approaches to peacekeeping
should, therefore, better reflect the multifaceted nature of United Nations action
in countries affected by war. This meant it should become more proficient in
promoting the rule of law and economic recovery, by better integrating the
military, policing, institution building, reconstruction and civil administration
functions of peacekeeping operations, especially in regions where it substituted
for collapsed local government.

He added that Canada already had in place some of the initiatives called for in
the Brahimi report, including participation in the Standby High-Readiness
Brigade and an international standby list which provided a list of 25 military
officers available to deploy to international operations. It was also important, he
added, that the United Nations be able to deploy civilian police officers quickly
into complex missions. In this regard, Canada was refining its procedures to
ensure that its civilian police officers were dispatched to new peacekeeping
operations as quickly as possible.
NASTE CALOVSKI (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said it was
essential that all Member States supported the Secretary-General's request for
implementation of the Brahimi report recommendations, thus making the
Organization a truly credible force for peace. His country had been host to the
first United Nations preventive peacekeeping mission; the United Nations
Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP). It was praised as a success story of
the United Nations. As a kind of follow-up to UNPREDEP, the International Centre
for Preventive Action and Conflict Resolution had been established in Skopje, his
country's capital.

The experience had taught three important lessons, he said, namely: the spread
of regional conflict and the rise of domestic ethnic violence were averted by
timely action; international preventive action was not a threat to national
sovereignty; and the United Nations increased the effectiveness of its efforts by
working cooperatively with a regional organization, in this case, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

He said one of the common characteristics of United Nations peacekeeping

missions was that they lasted a long time. This illustrated the ineffectiveness
and irrelevance of the Organization and a lack of political will of Member States
to resolve the conflict. He suggested the General Assembly might decide to
consider all peacekeeping missions of more than five years' duration to
ascertain the future of those missions. Regarding the Panel's recommendations,
he said that preventive action and peace building required much more attention
as that style of operation would be much more dominant than the traditional
peacekeeping operations in the future.

SAFAK GOKTURK (Turkey) said his country played an increasingly prominent

part in peace-building and peacekeeping efforts within both United Nations and
regional missions. It has also signed on to arrangements such as the United
Nations standby system, and had made training an integral part of its
peacekeeping commitments, with participants from around the world attending
its Peace Training Centre in Ankara. It also supported efforts to rebuild the
socio-economic base of post-conflict societies.

He said members of the Security Council, when mandating missions, should act
as if they were contributing personnel from their countries. In addition,
resolutions mandating a mission should avoid prejudging the dispute, so as not
to help perpetuate the conflict. All consultations between the Security Council
and troop-contributing countries should be interactive and allow for modification
of the resolution texts.

While standby arrangements needed to be strengthened, he went on, the

inseparability of military contingents and hardware must be taken into account.
Contingent-training should be offered by Member States and coordinated by the
United Nations, which should also work with regional organizations to project
credible force and a workable transition structure. Special attention should be
paid to providing assistance in law enforcement and justice. Finally, the
restructuring of the Secretariat needed to go far beyond the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations, since peacekeeping had become multidimensional.
The Department itself needed to become the home of a truly specialized
workforce for establishing and streamlining missions. The recommendations of
the Brahimi Panel for integrated mission task forces point in the right direction.

HIRA BAHADUR THAPA (Nepal), associating himself with the statement on

behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, noted that the hasty deployment of a
peacekeeping mission with an inadequate mandate could lead to crisis, as had
been demonstrated by the recent events in Sierra Leone. The UNAMSIL
presented a case study highlighting the urgent need for closer consultations
between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council.

He agreed that it was imperative to equip the Secretariat in a manner

commensurate with its peacekeeping responsibilities, but stressed that
increased peacekeeping requirements should not be met at the expense of
development activities. There should be no diversion of funds from development
to peacekeeping in the name of additional resources for the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations.

The Brahimi Panel had vividly spelt out that peacekeeping operations should be
supported by all Member States, he said. Unfortunately, hesitation by some
countries, particularly those entrusted with the special responsibility of
maintaining global peace and security, sent a negative signal to other States,
discouraging them from committing their troops to peacekeeping missions. That
anomaly must be removed if future peacekeeping was to bring about the desired
results.

He said the fact that 77 per cent of deployed peacekeepers were from
developing countries using deficient equipment should not be allowed to
continue. The present arrangement of contingent-owned equipment, requiring
that troops be fully self-sustained, required proper review as it constrained the
participation of some willing countries. In addition, delayed reimbursement for
contingent- owned equipment put the least developed among the developing
countries at even greater disadvantage.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia), associating himself with the statement on

behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, stressed the contribution of regional
arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. He said
the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was actively engaged in the prevention,
management and resolution of conflicts in the region, including continuing
efforts to resolve the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in cooperation with
the United Nations and other interested States.

Referring to recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping

Operations, with regard to enhancing African peacekeeping capacity, he said
Ethiopia recognized that the United Nations and the OAU had continued to
cooperate over the past year. Nevertheless, much remained to be done in
implementation of the Special Committee’s recommendations and Ethiopia
looked forward to concrete action in that regard.

Turning to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, he noted that
military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that plans were
under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The Government of
Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s success. To
that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the draft “status
of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

BERTRAND FILS-AIMÉ (Haiti) said that without new commitment on the part of
Member States, the United Nations would not have the means in the future to
keep peace as desired by those Member States. The prevention of conflict and
promotion of development was, though, a better way of keeping that peace. On
the other hand, he would not want to minimize concerns of Member States over
interventions that did not respect national sovereignty and other principles of
the United Nations Charter. However, principles of non-interference should not
bar operations meant to stop such horrors as genocide. International consensus
along clear principles must guide such actions.

He appealed to Member States to fulfil their financial commitments fully and on

time. Some of the small developing Members, it was true, worried about the
financial implications of the Brahimi report’s recommendations. Such
implications should be openly discussed. He said that the roots of conflicts were
complex; peacekeeping operations alone could not deal with them. More
attention must be paid to socio-economic conditions, and me to combat racism
and xenophobia.

HIRA BAHADUR THAPA (Nepal), associating himself with the statement on

behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, noted that the hasty deployment of a
peacekeeping mission with an inadequate mandate could lead to crisis, as had
been demonstrated by the recent events in Sierra Leone. The United Nations
Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) presented a case study highlighting the
urgent need for closer consultations between troop-contributing countries and
the Security Council.

He agreed that it was imperative to equip the Secretariat in a manner

commensurate with its peacekeeping responsibilities, but stressed that
increased peacekeeping requirements should not be met at the expense of
development activities. There should be no diversion of funds from development
to peacekeeping in the name of additional resources for the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations.

The Brahimi Panel had vividly spelt out that peacekeeping operations should be
supported by all Member States, he said. Unfortunately, hesitation by some
countries, particularly those entrusted with the special responsibility of
maintaining global peace and security, sent a negative signal to other States,
discouraging them from committing their troops to peacekeeping missions. That
anomaly must be removed if future peacekeeping was to bring about the desired
results.

He said the fact that 77 per cent of deployed peacekeepers were from
developing countries using deficient equipment should not be allowed to
continue. The present arrangement of contingent-owned equipment, requiring
that troops be fully self-sustained, required proper review as it constrained the
participation of some willing countries. In addition, delayed reimbursement for
contingent- owned equipment put the least developed among the developing
countries at even greater disadvantage.

BERHANEMESKEL NEGA (Ethiopia), associating himself with the statement on

behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, stressed the contribution of regional
arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. He said
the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was actively engaged in the prevention,
management and resolution of conflicts in the region, including continuing
efforts to resolve the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in cooperation with
the United Nations and other interested States.

Referring to recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping

Operations, with regard to enhancing African peacekeeping capacity, he said
Ethiopia recognized that the United Nations and the OAU had continued to
cooperate over the past year. Nevertheless, much remained to be done in
implementation of the Special Committee’s recommendations and Ethiopia
looked forward to concrete action in that regard.

Turning to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, he noted that
military observers had been deployed in the two countries and that plans were
under way for the full deployment of up to 4,200 troops. The Government of
Ethiopia would continue to cooperate fully to ensure the Mission’s success. To
that end, Ethiopia was currently finalizing with the Secretariat the draft “status
of forces” agreement for its conclusion as soon as possible.

BERTRAND FILS-AIMÉ (Haiti) said that without new commitment on the part of
Member States, the United Nations would not have the means in the future to
keep peace as desired by those Member States. One prevention of conflict and
promotion of development was, though, a better way of keeping that peace. On
the other hand, he would not want to minimize concerns of Member States over
interventions that did not respect national sovereignty and other principles of
the United Nations Charter. However, principles of non-interference should not
bar operations meant to stop such horrors as genocide. International consensus
along clear principles must guide such actions.

He appealed to Member States to fulfill their financial commitments fully and on

time. Some of the small developing members, it was true, worried about the
financial implications of the Brahimi report’s recommendations. Such
implications should be openly discussed. He said that the roots of conflicts were
complex, peacekeeping operations alone could not deal with them. More
attention must be paid to socio-economic conditions, and to engendering the
culture of peace in populations, promoting educational programs to combat
racism and xenophobia.

JOSEPH MUTABOBA (Rwanda) said that wherever the United Nations had
deployed peacekeepers, the failures of some missions had shown similar
characteristics, leading to the conclusion that the peacekeeping operations of
the Organization must be reformed.

He said peacekeeping required adequate logistics combined with clear

mandates, trained personnel and well-equipped troops, with the skills required to
protect civilians and humanitarian personnel as well as themselves.

He said that the Brahimi report was clear on disarmament, demobilization and
rehabilitation. Peace could not be maintained for long if the enemies of peace
remained armed and active. The question was, who would do the job? It was
hoped that the new Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations would
lend his talents to enable the Security Council to maintain lasting peace.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) said his country shared the views,

expectations and concerns expressed by Jordan on behalf of the Non-Aligned
Movement. Concerning recommendations for the restructuring of the Department
of Peacekeeping Operations, he said a reorganization of available resources
would be, in that area, preferable to the creation of a new structure.

He said he agreed with many of the other recommendations of the Brahimi

report, such as the need for clear, viable mandates and the need to put in place
all conditions necessary for the success of a mission. Those conditions included
respect on the part of all parties for mandates and for the relevant peace
agreements. Peacekeepers should be in a position to defend themselves, the
peace and the populations.
It was difficult for him to accept the dwindling participation of developed
countries in providing troops, as well as delays in reimbursement of the
developing countries who have so provided troops. Algeria was also disturbed
that non-mastery of English would bar participation in peacekeeping operations,
when a majority of countries used other working language.