Mr. President,
Cuba associates itself with the statements delivered by the delegations of Morocco on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and by the Republic of El Salvador on behalf of the Community of Latin American States.
We appreciate the contribution to our work made by Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and Mr. Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support.
The exchange held on issues of interest to the Member States reaffirms once again the great importance of sharing with UN members not only the experiences gained but also ideas on how to improve the Organization's responsibility in maintaining peace.
The 22 briefings to this Special Committee during the intersessional period from September 2017 to January 2018 reflect the need for Member States, as requested, to be informed of the various aspects of the work such sensitive area.
We appreciate the Secretariat's efforts during these sessions and we support continuing efforts. In order to allow for a greater presence of Member States, we propose these sessions to be held within a shorter time-cycle.
Mr. President,
The delegation of Cuba reaffirms its full support for the position expressed by the Non-Aligned Movement on the primary role of the General Assembly in developing concepts, policies, doctrines, strategies and budgetary matters relating to peacekeeping operations. In this regard, Cuba emphasizes that the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations is the only UN forum with a mandate to comprehensively analyze the issue of PKOs in all its aspects.
For Cuba, the primary responsibility in maintaining international peace and security lies with the United Nations. Peacekeeping operations should be conducted in accordance with the purposes and principles set forth in the Charter and under the basic principles established to ensure the development of these operations, such as the consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in cases of self-defence.
In like manner, we emphasize respect for the principles of sovereign equality, political independence, territorial integrity of States and non-intervention in their internal affairs.
Moreover, the establishment of new and more complex peacekeeping operations cannot be a substitute for dealing and addressing the root causes of conflict. We reiterate that these operations cannot be an end in themselves, but a temporary measure aimed at creating a security framework for implementing a long-term strategy for sustainable economic and social development. Otherwise, it will not be possible to overcome the vicious circle of new conflicts and new operations, with the high human and material costs that this entails.
At the same time, we wish to note that the United Nations peacekeeping missions, given their composition and character, are not intended or equipped to engage in counter-terrorism operations. Therefore, in cases where a peacekeeping mission is deployed in parallel to forces operating in counter-terrorism missions, the role of each mission should be clearly established.
Mr. President,
The United Nations is at a critical juncture since the Secretary-General's decision to propose reforms in important areas of the Organization.
We therefore recognize the decision to take action within the authority of the Secretary-General to improve the Secretariat's performance in the pillar of peace and security. We hope that the report to be submitted to us on the reform proposals under this pillar, particularly on the establishment of a Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding and a Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will provide detailed information on the functions, structure and personnel requirements of both Departments, as well as on the collaboration between the regional divisions of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
Mr. President,
We acknowledge that efforts to protect civilians are designed to support, and not as a substitute for the efforts of national authorities. That is why we stress the importance of the fact that PKOs, when mandated to protect civilians, must support, build synergies and coordinate with the governments where these operations take place, including at the local level.
With regard to the so-called triangular consultations among the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop- and/or police-contributing countries, we believe that this is a very important tool to provide a shared understanding of the mandate, the conduct to be followed and the appropriate responses of a given mission. These consultations are also critical to plan operations and ensure that the staff involved has the capacity to face new challenges.
We are of the view that, although the issue has been addressed on several occasions, small use has been made of this tool, which is confirmed by the holding of only two meetings in the past year. We call upon all parties involved to give further impetus to the triangular consultation process and even to improve its functioning.
Mr. President,
Cuba recognizes, as provided for in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, the contribution that regional agreements and bodies and agencies can make to peacekeeping, as appropriate and as long as the mandate and capacity of regional agreements and bodies so allow.
Accordingly, we wish to recognize the African Union's contribution to peacekeeping efforts in that continent. This is an example of the prestige and respect that this regional organization has been able to gain among its members and at the international level.
Mr. President,
Our delegation is seriously concerned about the increased number of fatalities of peacekeeping personnel in 2017, which amounted to 56, highest volume reported over the last two decades.
We hope that the announced "action plan" contained in the recommendations of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, with concrete measures at all levels of the UN to ensure the safety of peacekeeping personnel, will contribute to reverting this trend. We reiterate that the operations must have clearly defined and realistic mandates, as well as concrete objectives and the resources required for their deployment and performance.
Bearing in mind the risks facing those involved in peacekeeping operations, we wish to extend our solidarity and respect to the governments and families of those who have lost their lives by honorably fulfilling their peace mission.
Thank you very much.