September 9, 2024
Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to Slovenia for hosting this important discussion, and to our distinguished speakers for their interventions.
Colleagues, this discussion comes at a time when peacekeeping is under intense strain. This strain is due to unprecedented fracturing of the political support that UN peacekeeping missions have traditionally enjoyed.
Unnecessary divisions within this Council have weakened support for peacekeeping, the ability of missions to implement their mandates effectively, confidence and support for the UN among host governments and parties to conflicts, and the ability of civilians to reap the benefits of peace.
Many host governments, with the support of some Security Council members, have politicized mandates, cherry picking certain tasks and undermining others that have enjoyed longstanding support, including those related to human rights. As a result, mandates less accurately reflect and respond to the conflict, and disappointment grows.
This Council has faced moments of deep division many times in its history. Yet, even in those difficult periods, peacekeeping has been an area where we could come together and cooperate in order to address some of the most concerning threats to international peace and security. In that spirit, the United States continues to look for ways to strengthen and refine UN peacekeeping and bolster our collective support for this vital tool. We do not agree with those who have lost faith in it.
The United States believes we should be improving the peacekeeping models we have today while expanding the menu of options, to ensure that the response is well suited to conflict dynamics and political environments. We should also be vigilant to preserve institutional expertise and frameworks regarding UN peacekeeping.
Multidimensional peacekeeping has proven effective at achieving difficult objectives: protecting civilians, supporting peace agreements, bolstering the capacities of responsible host governments, and preventing the recurrence of conflict. We continue to believe in this tool and will continue to support current and new multidimensional missions, as appropriate. At the same time, we must also explore other models that may be needed in different scenarios.
In some cases, a more targeted mandate, focusing on a more specific and limited set of objectives, may be better suited to the context and more successful at securing broad support from the Council.
In some cases, it may be more appropriate and effective for the AU or a regional organization to lead the response, and with the historic adoption of Security Council Resolution 2719, we now have a mechanism for the UN to support AU peace support operations authorized by the Council.
As we explore new models and consider the range of tools, we must maintain focus on key factors that are important to the success and the integrity of UN peacekeeping missions, old and new.
First, we must remain committed to the core principles of peacekeeping, including impartiality. UN missions do not exist as service providers to host governments – they are impartial actors whose mandate is to address threats to international peace and security regardless of the source of that threat.
Second, missions must operate free of obstruction in order to effectively implement their mandates and to ensure the safety and security of their own personnel. When peacekeepers encounter obstruction or access restrictions, this Council has a duty to act swiftly to support the mission and ensure its free operation in accordance with its status-of-forces agreement.
Lastly, we should always bear in mind that missions exist to serve populations – to create a safer and more secure environment for civilians whose lives are torn apart by conflict. Civilians expect peacekeepers to protect them from violence. We learned this lesson the hard way, after the tragedies in Rwanda and Srebrenica. Whether in current models or new models, protecting civilians and creating a more peaceful and secure environment for them should be at the core of peacekeeping.
Relatedly, peacekeeping operations create the space for durable political solutions, which requires genuine inclusion of women, youth, and other marginalized groups.
Colleagues, in closing let me emphasize again that UN peacekeeping is an invaluable tool with a long history of responding effectively to prevent and mitigate conflicts. The United States looks forward to working with our fellow Council members to protect and strengthen this extraordinary tool.
Thank you, Mr. President.