Statement by COL SIM TIONG KIAN, Military Adviser, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations, before the Fourth Committee of the 64th United Nations General Assembly on 28 October 2009

Statement by COL SIM TIONG KIAN, Military Adviser, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations, before the Fourth Committee of the 64th United Nations General Assembly on 28 October 2009

Mr Chairman,

1. The resounding message from the debate thus far is that UN peacekeeping is at a critical juncture. There are many shortcomings in the manner in which the UN conducts peacekeeping, and radical reform is needed or else we risk undermining the symbol of hope that is associated with the UN Blue Beret for more than 60 years.

2. We therefore appreciate the efforts of various member states and organizations this past year to address the myriad challenges confronting peacekeeping, and to enhance our collective understanding in the process. They include, among others, France-UK's review at the Security Council level; Canada's series of conferences; Australia-Uruguay's workshops on the protection of civilians; and Japan's steering of the SC Working Group on Peacekeeping. The United States' embrace of UN peacekeeping and President Obama's outreach to the top TCCs last month are also welcomed.

New Horizon

3. My delegation also appreciates the efforts of DPKO and DFS in distilling the challenges and proposing some useful ideas to address them in the form of the New Horizon non-paper. We are particularly pleased with USG Le Roy's and USG Malcorra's comprehensive briefings to this Committee, which have added a lot more flesh to the ideas expressed in New Horizon, and for laying out the priorities for the C34 and Fifth Committee in the coming year.

4. The Under-Secretary-Generals have accurately pinpointed the core issues that must be tackled now. To my delegation, it is secondary whether we continue to debate and refine the New Horizon paper. With limited resources and the urgency of the task before us, we support the Secretariat's pragmatic approach of channeling its energy to tackling the core issues head-on. These issues have been presented to this Committee as four priority areas and are clearly the result of extensive consultations with member states. Judging from the reactions so far, it is evident that this Committee endorses them. Singapore would like to contribute to the process by making the following observations and suggestions.

5. We believe that one of the major issues to be tackled in the coming year is protection of civilians (POC). After two years of discussion, we have a better understanding of the issue and urgency of the matter. DPKO's suggestion for a policy discussion in the coming months is not only timely but necessary. We all know that policy drives doctrine, which in turn shapes operational guidelines, capability development, training standards and resource allocation. In order to address C34's request for proposals to improve the ability of peacekeeping missions to carry out their POC mandates, there must first be agreement at the policy level on the concept itself. We therefore look forward to the DPKO-OCHA paper on this matter and to discuss DPKO's concept paper when it is ready.

6. Another major undertaking is the development of the concept of robust peacekeeping. As with the POC debate, policy agreement is also needed on such fundamental issues as the definition of robust peacekeeping and when to use force to enforce the UN's mandate. Only then can we identify the required capabilities, such as mobility, rapid reaction, intelligence gathering, risk assessment etc. Although POC and robust peacekeeping are separate matters, my delegation sees considerable overlap between the two initiatives. It therefore makes sense for the Secretariat to coordinate both endeavours in order to avoid duplication and confusion.

7. On the issue of peacebuilding tasks, my delegation fully supports the development of clear guidance and operating procedures for tasks such as rule of law (ROL), security, sector reform (SSR), and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR). We are also for benchmarks and exit strategies where appropriate. However, we note that these are not DPKO's responsibility alone but involve the wider UN system, in particular DPA, PBSO, UN funds and programmes, as well as other international and regional organisations. In that regard, we welcome the collaboration between the UN and INTERPOL during the INTERPOL General Assembly held in Singapore earlier this month, to highlight the growing importance of police in peacekeeping and to canvass international support in this regard. We look forward to the continued support of INTERPOL and other organizations for the UN's peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities.

8. While on the subject of peace transition and exit strategy, my delegation calls on the SG to re-energize the stalled political processes of many conflict situations. A "New Horizon" for political processes, if you will. We need more effective political processes to stabilize Darfur, DRC and Sudan; and effective exit and drawdown strategies for existing missions. The point is that we need more success stories and to show that UN peacekeeping does not go on forever. We believe this will go a long way in bolstering the UN's image and in attracting more political support and resources in the long run.

9. On the proposed capabilities-driven approach, my delegation calls on the developed countries and regional organizations, such as the US, EU and NATO, to do their utmost to bring their expertise and resources to bear on this initiative. In particular, we urge these countries to redouble their assistance to equip and train some of the existing and emerging TCCs, who have the will to contribute to peacekeeping, but lack the capacity. We also urge the closer examination of the Prodi Report in order to enhance the African Union's peacekeeping capacity and interoperability with the UN.

10. Related to the development of robust peacekeeping capabilities, my delegation suggests creating a "risk allowance" for peacekeepers deployed for such operations, in recognition of the heightened physical risks. In tandem, we should enhance the welfare and medical facilities in those mission areas that are harsh and onerous. This is the bare minimum that we must do for our peacekeepers operating under such circumstances.

11. On the DFS Support Strategy, my delegation eagerly awaits its release. As direct beneficiaries of the Strategy, the C34 must stay engaged in its deliberation and not relegate that responsibility to the Fifth Committee. In response to USG Malcorra's remarks on recruitment, I wish to reiterate once again my delegation's concern with the poor geographic distribution of leadership posts within DPKO, DFS and in the field. We look forward to a more detailed briefing and analysis of this matter at the next C34.

12. Turning to another issue that is close to our heart - safety and security - my delegation is pleased that DPKO is undertaking several initiatives to improve the security of our peacekeepers amidst the rising trend of attacks against the UN. We look forward to receiving an update on this urgent matter during the C34. On that note, we would like to suggest that these initiatives be wedded to the measures approved recently by the inter-agency Steering Committee tasked by the SG to develop a more effective system-wide security management system(1).

Way Forward

13. DPKO's and DFS' plates are clearly full. Besides the four priority areas presented, the Departments are also grappling with the ongoing restructuring of DPKO, strengthening of OMA and Police Division, and implementation of IMPP and IOT. The reviews of these initiatives are culminating in 2010, the tenth anniversary of the Brahimi report. Considering the limited time allocated to C34 and its format, my delegation urges the Secretariat to propose a realistic timetable to carry forward the above ambitious agenda, so that member states know what to expect and prepare accordingly.

14. Dedicated working groups or committees could be formed to deal with each of the priority areas in the run-up to C34 and after. Considering the limited resources available, we should not limit ourselves to "official" UN meetings, but include informal meetings and workshops in the process, such as those hosted by Canada, Australia and Uruguay. To ensure some level of "legitimacy" of the meetings though, my delegation suggests that they be held in New York, and be open to the participation of all interested troop and police contributing countries and stakeholders. We also suggest some rationalisation amongst the potential organisers, so as to avoid duplication and fatigue.

Mr Chairman,

15. 2010 is a crucial year for UN peacekeeping. We can continue to have more "dialogue" and stall urgent reforms, thus further undermining UN peacekeeping, or we can bite the bullet and resolve to truly make a difference for the UN's flagship activity. For the sake of the hundreds of men and women who lost their lives in the line of upholding the UN flag, and the thousands of voiceless civilians who look to the UN for peace and hope, let us make 2010 a year of real change.

(1) These measures are stated in the SG's report A/64/336 "Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of UN personnel". The Steering Committee was chaired by USG for Field Support, Susana Malcorra, with the participation of DSS and representatives of the UN Systems Chief Executives Board for Coordination.