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Remarks by Ambassador Fu Cong at the UN Security Council Open Debate on UN Peacekeeping Operations

2024-09-09 18:10

President,


I thank Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix for his briefing. I have listened carefully to the statements made by the other two briefers. 


At present, the international and regional security situations are undergoing profound changes. UN peacekeeping operations are at a new crossroads. It is imperative for the Security Council to keep focused on the new situation and challenges, comprehensively review and take stock of lessons learned, and timely calibrate the direction of peacekeeping operations. I will focus on four points in my remarks today. 


First, the three principles of UN peacekeeping, namely, consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate, have been drawn up over many years of practice following some painful lessons along the way. They must remain our long-term guiding principles. Many of the challenges presently facing PKOs are related to the pivoting away from these principles in terms of mission mandate and its operation. In the current discussion of how PKOs should be transformed and reinvigorated, it is necessary to reiterate, first and foremost, the importance of adhering to the three principles of peacekeeping. PKOs should not interfere with the domestic affairs of the countries concerned, and should not get involved as a party to the disputes or conflicts. 


Second, PKOs, an initiative by the United Nations, have many success stories over the decades, but it needs to be recognized that peacekeeping operations are not a panacea. Peacekeeping operations require basic conditions for their deployment and success. Above all, there needs to be a credible and forward-looking political process. In other words, there should a peace to keep. The Secretary-General, in the New Agenda for Peace, notes that PKOs must be deployed based on and in support of a clearly identified political process. This should serve as an important guidance for peacekeeping transformation. Expecting PKOs to be a superman to stem the tide and save the day is unrealistic. Requesting PKOs to be a backup man with no regard to the specifics of a given situation is even more irresponsible. Here, I wish to point out in particular that the United Nations has deployed peacekeeping operations in Haiti on several occasions, but none of them has proven effective. We must fully learn the lessons, instead of repeating past mistakes. It is clear that Haiti, under the current circumstances, does not have the conditions for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation.


Third, peacekeeping missions should have a core mandate that enjoys overall stability. Multidimensional peacekeeping operation deployed in response to internal conflicts within a country should assist but not replace the host country’s own efforts. The operation’s core mandate must reflect the realities on the ground and be consistent with the priorities of the host country, not the political priorities or even political correctness of others. The Council should avoid expanding the mission’s mandates at each renewal, as this will only lead to inflated mandates that lack focus, thus making the implementation difficult. 


The long-term stay of a mission is not an end in itself. Such presence may bring new challenges and problems to the mission. Once the situation in the host country has stabilized, the Security Council should promptly formulate a clear and actionable exit strategy for the mission, so as to ensure a smooth and orderly transition of the relevant tasks to the government of the host country and other UN agencies. 


Fourth, on the basis of the three points mentioned earlier, I wish to point out the need for the performance of PKOs to be comprehensively improved. By performance, I mean not only the individual peacekeeper’s personal competence and performance, but also the overall quality and effectiveness of the work of the mission as a whole. The mission should maintain good cooperation with the host country. Winning the support of the government and the people of the host country is conducive to steering the country to gradually embark on the path of durable peace and security and sustainable development. Mission leaders should demonstrate leadership and ensure high morale and discipline among all mission personnel. In view of the increasing security risks faced by peacekeepers, the UN system as a whole should improve its emergency response mechanism to minimize casualties. It should be noted that peacekeeping assessments account for two-thirds of the total budget of the organization. This calls for the strongest financial discipline in all aspects of peacekeeping operations, from decision-making to implementation, in order to eliminate waste. There is a need to broaden supplier channels for peacekeeping material procurement, so as to effectively improve cost effectiveness. Where conditions permit, peacekeeping missions should focus on social impact on the ground and strive to leave a blue legacy even after their exit. 


President,


Enhancing Africa’s capacity to maintain peace and stability on its own and bolstering support for regional arrangements in Africa are important directions in the UN peacekeeping transformation. China supports the provision of adequate, predictable, and sustainable financial support for AU-led peace operations. We look forward to the framework arrangements set out in Security Council Resolution 2719 being operationalized at an early date. 


Last week, the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was successfully held in Beijing. The overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China will work with Africa in the next three years to implement ten partnership actions for modernization, which includes the Partnership Action for Common Security. China will take measures to support African countries in building military and national defense capabilities, provide training for military personnel and police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and carry out an “action for a mine-free Africa”. China will always be there for Africa as a good partner working shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of high-quality development and greater security.


Thank you, President.


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