외교부

Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

General Debate

New York, 11 February 2019

                                                                                                                                                       <As delivered>

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

Let me begin by paying tribute to all the peacekeepers around the world working tirelessly to maintain international peace and security, while protecting civilians from the scourge of violence.

Today’s blue helmets are deployed to complex and dangerous environments. The increase of fatalities alone bears witness to the magnitude of the challenges they are faced with.

Strong commitment is critical to make peacekeeping effectiveness in such challenging situations and this commitment should be translated into collective actions with the sense of urgency.

The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) is one important avenue towards this end. And allow me to highlight three areas that I believe the Special Committee should place its focus on this year.

First, implementing the A4P initiative.

The Special Committee should work on concrete ways to move this important initiative forward, taking into account the views of all relevant stakeholders, especially the major troop and financial contributing countries, regional organizations and host governments.

The Special Committee should also consider how to take advantage of the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference in mobilizing tangible support and commitments to ensure that peacekeepers, especially in high-risk environments, are well equipped and trained.

The Republic of Korea, as co-chairs of the Group of Friends of UN Peace Operations together with Norway and Ethiopia, will continue to work with the Secretariat and Member States to help maintain the political momentum in implementing the A4P initiative.

Second, enhancing the safety and security of peacekeepers.

The Special Committee should address not only the performance issues, but also consider at length how to provide adequate equipment, strengthen training and medical support, and introduce new technologies, among others.

The Republic of Korea, for its part, hosted the Training of Trainers Course on Protection last year and plans to host a Senior Mission Leaders Course later this year. We are also exploring ways to introduce new technologies and will host additional training courses to enhance peacekeeping capabilities.

The Special Committee should also consider engaging more actively with local communities through, for example, quick impact projects and CIMIC (civilian and military coordination) activities. The experience of Korean peacekeepers, currently deployed to South Sudan and Lebanon, tells us that such engagement contributes not only to enhancing the security of our peacekeepers, but also to facilitating the implementation of their mandate and maintaining a relatively constructive relationship of their mandate and maintaining a relatively constructive relationship with the host governments. This also resonates with HIPPO’s strong call for a shift towards a people-centered approach to ensure the effective operation of missions in today’s changing security landscape.

To move forward on this issue, we propose that the Secretariat shares more evidence-based information with Member States on the value of CIMIC activities. This will help raise awareness on the need for a common doctrine on local community engagement which hopefully can be endorsed later by Member States.

Third, strengthening partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations.

Regional organizations are becoming increasingly prominent partners in global security. The African Union, in particular, has been making significant progress in enhancing its capacity to promote peace and security in Africa.

The comparative advantage of the AU and sub-regional organizations vis-à-vis the UN has been particularly evident in peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations. A clear division of labor in these activities would allow the UN to focus more on its core mandate of peacekeeping rather than taking on contested responsibilities. We believe that the UN should work more effectively with these regional actors by providing targeted political, financial and logistical support, which is in line with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.

Going forward, the UN should work more closely with the AU on facilitating sustainable political solutions on the ground. Based on a joint analysis and assessment of the situation, the mandates of both UN and AU peace operations should be designed as part of a broader common political strategy that considers the entire peace continuum. In this regard, we welcome the proposal of the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the AU Commission to establish a joint process for analyzing threats and developing mandates, among others.

There is also a need to provide predictable, flexible and sustainable financing for AU-led peace operations, as recognized by the Security Council and the wider membership through the Declaration of Shared Commitments. As the tenth largest financial contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget from this year, the Republic of Korea welcomes the Security Council’s intention, as expressed in resolution 2378, to consider practical steps to finance AU-led peace operations through UN assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis, as long as it complies with standards that ensures oversight and accountability of African peace operations.

The Republic of Korea, for its part, will continue to assist AU’s efforts to strengthen its capacity to maintain peace and security across the continent, especially by increasing our financial contributions through the AU Peace Fund.

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to conclude my intervention by assuring you of my delegation’s commitment to engage constructively during the upcoming C-34 deliberations and play its due part in ensuring that UN peacekeeping operation remains an indispensable and effective tool for promoting international peace and security. I thank you. /END/