Mr. President,
Please accept our congratulations to you and to all members of the Bureau on your election. We wish you every success in the performance of your duties.
My delegation associates itself with the statements made by Morocco, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and by Venezuela, on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter.
Mr. President,
The primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security rests with the United Nations. In the formulation of concepts, policies, doctrines, strategies and budgetary matters related to peacekeeping, the primary role falls on the General Assembly.
The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations is the only forum of the United Nations with the mandate to examine, comprehensively, the question of United Nations peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, including measures to enhance their management by the Organization.
In this context, we reiterate the call to respect the basic principles established for the conduct of these operations, namely: the consent of the parties, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in cases of legitimate defense.
Peacekeeping operations must be carried out in strict observance of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Respect for the principles of sovereign equality, political independence, territorial integrity of States, and non-intervention in matters essentially within their domestic jurisdiction must prevail.
We face a complex and challenging global scenario marked by the continued violation of those principles, an escalation of conflicts, militarization, the weakening of multilateralism, and the selective application of the norms governing relations between States. To this is added the imposition of the imperialist doctrine of “peace through force,” which seriously threatens international peace and security.
Our unwavering commitment to peace demands the rejection of coercion, blackmail, threats and hostile, interventionist rhetoric. We strongly condemn the aggressive escalation unleashed by the Government of the United States against Cuba, as well as the extreme measures to intensify the blockade, whose clear purpose is to destroy the political, economic and social system sovereignly chosen by the Cuban people.
Mr. President,
The establishment of new and more complex peacekeeping operations cannot substitute for addressing and resolving the root causes of conflicts. These operations cannot be an end in themselves, but rather a temporary measure to create a security framework that enables the implementation of a long-term strategy for sustainable economic and social development. Otherwise, it will prove impossible to break the vicious cycle of new conflicts and new operations, with their attendant high human and material costs.
The use of new technologies in peacekeeping operations must be assessed on a case-by-case basis and carried out in strict observance of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States, and must fully adhere to the principles of peacekeeping operations, in particular the indispensable and full consent of the host country.
The legal, operational, technical and financial aspects related to the use of modern technology must be clearly defined. Such use may complement the work of troops on the ground, but it cannot replace it.
It is essential to continue fostering cooperation between troop-contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat. Troop-contributing countries must have a genuinely active role in all stages of the decision-making process for peacekeeping operations.
We agree on the need to further develop effective security and protection arrangements for participants in these operations, as well as to ensure permanent and timely medical care for deployed personnel.
In conclusion, I reiterate Cuba’s readiness to contribute to the success of the Committee’s work. We trust that constructive dialogue and consensus will lead to the adoption of best practices with regard to peacekeeping operations.
Thank you very much.