President Mogens Lykketoft of the 70th session of the annual United Nations (UN) General Assembly said Monday that many member states have approved recent high-level reports on UN peacekeeping missions and promised procedures to ensure such missions "are effective as possible."
The work of the high-level independent panel on peacekeeping operations and the subsequent report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were welcomed by many as useful contributions on how to best assure the effectiveness of the UN peacekeeping operations, he said after the one-day debate which lasted until late in the afternoon.
"Today's debate is both necessary and timely," the president said. "The dramatic global refugee crisis and the other humanitarian as well as security dimensions of ongoing crises demonstrate just how complex today's conflicts have become."
Noting that peace operations are "at the heart of UN's global engagement," Lykketoft said they, like any tool, are in constant need of refinement.
"Evolving challenges and threats to international peace and security make it necessary for the UN to strengthen its role, capacity and efficiency and more particularly the effectiveness of field operations," Lykketoft said.
Ban said his report, accompanying the independent panel's report, set out what he called an agenda for action to translate his priorities into concrete steps over the next 18 months.
His agenda calls for bringing prevention and mediation to the center of international peace and security because "early action saves lives and money."
Ban said he sees a need to change the way UN peace operations are planned in order to become faster and more agile in limiting the spread of violence and seizing opportunities to resolve conflict.
He wants to move from a "template" approach for UN peacekeeping missions to a more tailored approach and "to work hand in hand with national actors and local communities."
Regarding several recent reports of sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers of civilians mainly in Africa, the secretary-general has instituted a "zero tolerance" policy for such abuse and alleged abusers have been repatriated.
"The United Nations cannot tackle today's challenges alone," Ban said. "We must strengthen partnerships to meet the growing complexity of conflict."
The panel's report highlighted the importance of political solutions, saying that political solutions should always guide the design and deployment of UN peace operations.
"When the momentum behind peace falters, the United Nations, and particularly member states, must help to mobilize renewed political efforts to keep peace processes on track," the report said.
Calling the report's overall tone "rightly optimistic and forward looking," Ambassador Dr. Maleeha Lodhi of Pakistan, the fourth largest troop contributor this year, endorsed the report and said its recommendations provide a pathway for much-needed reform endeavors including assessments of planning capabilities, leadership and training as well as more focused mandates.
Ambassador Asoke Mukerji of India said the most important issue is the way in which the mandates for peace operations are formulated by the UN Security Council.
Mukerji called on Lykketoft to take the lead in prioritizing the agreement on an early reform of the Security Council during this 70th session of the UN General Assembly in order to bring hope to millions of ordinary men, women and children disrupted by conflicts.
