CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Statement by the representative of Cuba, first secretary Rebecca Hernandez Toledano, at the general debate of the 2011 substantive session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. New York, 23 February 2011.

Madam Chairman,

Cuba associates itself with the statements made at this debate by the representative of Morocco on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and by the representative of Chile on behalf of the Rio Group.
We thank the Secretary-General for the presentation of the Report contained in document A/65/680 and its supplemental matrix contained in document A/65/680/Add.1.
Madam Chairman,
The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) undertaken by the Organization in the last 10 years have been characterized by increasingly complex and broad mandates, entailing new challenges.
Such challenges must be addressed by Member States and the Secretariat, on the basis of the strict respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter, particularly those referring to the respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States, as well as the non-interference in their internal affairs.
The principles governing the general framework of PKO, including consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defense, are fully in force and their observance is a basic condition to strengthen the legitimacy and efficiency of the United Nations in this field.
Madam Chairman,
Amidst the current situation, where the capacity of the Organization to meet the demands for new and more complex PKO is stretched, the role of this Special Committee becomes especially relevant, as the only UN forum entrusted with the comprehensive review of these questions, including the steps aimed at improving the Organization’s capacity to lead the operations. 

Cuba reiterates that the General Assembly has the primary responsibility in the formulation of concepts and policies on PKO. In this respect, we consider that any guideline or doctrine elaborated by the Secretariat, which has an impact on the way the Member States participate in the PKO, must be previously agreed upon through an intergovernmental negotiation process.

Madam Chairman,

For PKO deployments to be more efficient, the quality of the mandates to be adopted must be taken into account. These mandates must be clearly defined, bearing in mind the existing reality in the field. They must also include concrete goals and the necessary resources for their implementation.

A phase-by-phase approach when establishing the mandates would be more effective. Cuba considers that the practice of the Security Council to keep the resolution establishing the mandate of an operation as a draft, until Member States have undertaken firm commitments on the contingents to be deployed and there is a clear estimate of the necessary resources for their deployment, must be institutionalized

The interaction among PKO host countries, troop-contributing countries, the Secretariat and the Security Council must continue to be strengthened. Host countries and troop-contributing countries are not always given an actually active participation in all stages of the PKO decision-making process. PKO efficiency and the credibility of the Organization depend on the development of this interaction.

Madam Chairman,
The United Nations must take due account of the conditions existing in the countries where PKO are deployed, particularly their economic and social conditions. A lasting and sustainable peace cannot be achieved, unless serious efforts are made in order to fight poverty, hunger and underdevelopment. Otherwise, any effort is doomed to fail.
While most of UN Member States will not be able to meet the modest Millennium Development Goals because they do not possess the necessary resources, annual UN expenditures in PKO are on the rise, and already amount to around 7.26 million dollars; that is, 1.35 times the UN regular budget.
Cuba reiterates that the establishment of new and more complex PKO cannot supersede the addressing and resolution of the root causes of conflicts. These operations cannot be an end in themselves, but rather a temporary measure to create a security framework enabling the implementation of a long-term strategy, towards sustainable economic and social development. Otherwise, the vicious circle of new conflicts and operations bringing about high death tolls and huge material losses could not be broken

Before their authorization and deployment, PKO must have a clear exit strategy. Cuba considers that peacebuilding operations carried out from the early stages of a PKO constitute a fundamental tool to assist countries emerging from conflicts in developing and strengthening their sustainable development national strategies.

Every peacebuilding strategy must be based on national experience and be planned in an integrated, coherent and comprehensive manner, so that it can meet the country’s needs, pursuant to the principle of national ownership and according to the priorities set by their authorities. The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) must play a key role in the entire coordination process within the United Nations system, in order to formulate priorities and implement activities aimed at this objective.

Madam Chairman,

Cuba attaches importance to the Global Field Support Strategy, which must improve the quality and efficiency in the services provided by the Department of Field Support to the PKO missions.

As we appreciate the report by the Secretary-General contained in document A/65/643, concerning the progress in the implementation of the Global Field Support Strategy, we stress the need to continue holding permanent consultations with Member States on different aspect of the Strategy, particularly in areas such as modularization, acquisition and creation of Service Centres, with the purpose of concluding its implementation in the time agreed on by Member States.

I would like to conclude, Madam Chairman, by reiterating to you the full willingness of the Cuban delegation to contribute as possible to the success of the Special Committee’s work. We are confident that, under your leadership, we will have a successful session.

Thank you

(Cubaminrex-Misión ONU)