STATEMENT BY MISS LIM MING JING, DELEGATE TO THE 69TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 52, ON THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, FOURTH COMMITTEE, 30 OCTOBER 2014

Mr Chairman,

1.                     Let me first extend my delegation’s congratulations to you and your Bureau on your election.  I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the excellent work of the Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Mr Hervé Ladsous and his team, and of the Under Secretary-General for the Department of Field Support, Ms Ammerah Haq and her team. 

2.                     My delegation associates itself with the statements delivered by the distinguished representatives of Morocco and Thailand, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations respectively.

Mr Chairman,

3.                     UN peacekeeping missions play a critical role in maintaining peace and international security. 

4.                     As a concerned and responsible member of the international community, Singapore fully supports the efforts of the United Nations in promoting international peace and stability, and in upholding the rule of international law.  In this regard, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) have served in 15 peacekeeping and observer missions since 1989 despite its constraints as a small conscript army.  Singapore was also the seventh country to sign up to the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), which is one of the three task forces operated by the Combined Maritime Forces that aims to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea. 

5.                     Singapore is currently chairing the Maritime Working Group for the UN Military Units Manual intiative (UNMUM), and participating in the Aviation and Engineer Working Groups as well.  This initiative is part of a capability-driven approach adopted by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to improve current peacekeeping standards and the safety of peacekeepers in the field.

6.                     Singapore may be small, but we will always contribute in niche areas that are relevant. 

Mr Chairman,

7.                     The peacekeeping environment has become more complex, and indeed will continue to become more complex, due to several factors – evolving mandates for peacekeeping operations, and the involvement of non-state actors, including terrorist groups, which worsens the security situation on the ground.  

8.                     Against this backdrop, my delegation would like to highlight two major challenges for UN peacekeeping operations in the way forward:

9.                     First, our immediate and paramount challenge is to ensure the safety of our peacekeepers.  The increased risk to our peacekeepers is a fact, as the recent kidnapping of peacekeepers in the Golan Heights and the ambush in the Central African Republic, amongst others, all too clearly show.  We must ensure that our peacekeepers are adequately equipped and trained to handle such situations.  We must ensure that they have the capacity to protect themselves, as they fulfil their mandate to protect the civilians in their areas of operation.  This means more and better training, better technology, better equipment, and better intelligence and information. 

10.                Second, the longer-term challenge for every peacekeeping operation is to ensure that peace and security are sustainable.  Peacekeeping operations are not meant to be permanent.    

11.                All operations therefore need to work together with their host countries or regions to build long-term peace and security.  There should be active coordination with host countries and close engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission, especially in the area of socio-developmental reconstruction, as reconstruction is vital in rebuilding security in conflict-torn areas. 

12.                While this is a longer-term challenge for every operation, consideration should be given to this goal from the outset of deployment, as capabilities will surely take time to build. Starting with this end in mind would help to facilitate a smoother transition to sustainable peace and security in the region.

13.                Given these complex challenges, my delegation agrees that a review of peacekeeping operations is timely, and we look forward to more details about the review panel recently announced by the UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon.  In this regard, my delegation would like to stress the need to involve all relevant stakeholders, including Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs), in the review, and that the C-34 should remain the sole UN body with the mandate to overseeing Peacekeeping Operations in all its aspects.  

Mr Chairman,

14.                In the words of Nobel Peace Prize awardee Ralph Bunche, the United Nations is our one great hope for a peaceful and free world.  UN peacekeeping operations are crucial to this vision.  On behalf of my delegation, I would like to end off by paying tribute to the commitment and sacrifice made by all the brave men and women who have served or are serving in peacekeeping operations, in particular, those who have regrettably lost their lives in the service of peace.

15.                Thank you. 

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