4 May 2017
UN Discusses Peace, Security and Reform Plans
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
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UN Secretary António Guterres outlined nine areas for reform of the UN’s peacekeeping operations, ahead of the June 2017 deadline for his internal team to report on ways to improve the UN’s peace and security architecture.

The UNGA held a debate to discuss the 2016 annual report of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

The UNGA’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) resumed discussions on the peacekeeping budget.

1 May 2017: The UN General Assembly, Peacebuilding Commission, and Security Council have held several discussions on peace and security, peacekeeping, and the Sustaining Peace agenda. UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined nine areas for reform of the UN’s peacekeeping operations, ahead of the June 2017 deadline for his internal team to report on ways to improve the UN’s peace and security architecture.

On 20 April, the UNGA held a debate to discuss the 2016 annual report of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) (A/71/768-S/2017/76). Speakers cited the evolution of peacebuilding and the mandate of the PBC towards one of bridging UN entities and functions and pursuing an integrated approach to peacebuilding, following the adoption of the dual resolutions on “sustaining peace” by the UNGA and the Security Council in 2016. UNGA President Peter Thomson highlighted that the resolutions call for dissolving silos, and recognize development, peace and security, and human rights as interlinked and mutually reinforcing. He also noted the resolutions call on the UN Secretary-General to provide options for securing adequate, sustainable financing for peacebuilding in his upcoming report on sustaining peace in 2018.

Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya and former PBC Chair, presenting the PBC’s annual report, stressed importance of investing in peacebuilding and sustaining peace, and said the PBC had adopted the first gender strategy by an intergovernmental body. Cho Tae-yul, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea and PBC Chair, said the PBC must enhance partnerships with international financial institutions, regional and subregional organizations, and bodies within the UN system. He said the annual PBC session in June 2017 will focus on ways to ensure more predictable financing through stronger partnerships, including with the IFIs and the private sector.

Among other developments on peace, security and their linkages to the 2030 Agenda, the African Union and UN held their first-ever joint conference on 19 April, discussing the complementarity between the 2030 Agenda and the AU’s Agenda 2063. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also signed the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhancing Partnership on Peace and Security.

On 18 April, the UN Security Council held its first-ever thematic debate on human rights. Guterres said that the Council must account for human rights in all its deliberations, given their intrinsic link to peace and security. He expressed concern that the UN sometimes deals with peace, security, and sustainable development in separate ways, calling this fragmentation a major weakness. During the debate, some governments recommended closer collaboration between the Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). The US said the Council cannot be silent in the face of widespread human rights violations, and Uruguay said human rights should not be excluded from any forum. However, Russia said human rights violations are only corrected by settling armed conflicts, while Ethiopia warned against the Council “encroaching” on human rights work and noted the divergences that already exist among Council members on other issues.

On 6 April, the UN Security Council held a briefing on peacekeeping operations. Guterres recalled the 2015 findings of the UN High-level Panel on Peace Operations regarding the perception of UN peacekeeping as “overstretched and under siege.” He said the world’s confidence in the UN “has been shaken by appalling cases of sexual exploitation and abuse,” and that he has set out an approach to tackle sexual abuse in peacekeeping operations. He also said “we in the Secretariat” must be more effective, efficient and accountable, and that in addition to recent reforms made to peacekeeping, such as decentralizing key functions and strengthening performance management, there is a need for a “comprehensive strategy that … takes account of the entire peace continuum,” including prevention, conflict resolution and peacekeeping, peacebuilding and long-term development.

Guterres has established a team to examine how to improve the UN’s peace and security architecture, which will report to him by June 2017.

On what remains to be done as part of a longer-term reform agenda, Guterres outlined nine areas. First, he reported that he has established a team to examine how to improve the peace and security architecture, which will report to him by June 2017. He then explained the need for: greater efficiency and accountability, particularly with regard to the rules and regulations of the Secretariat; clear, realistic and up-to-date mandates for peacekeeping operations from the Security Council; a more active role for women in peace operations; more coordinated leadership of operations and strategy, for which an Executive Committee has been created, and he plans “further decentralization to empower my Special Representatives”; increased use of modern technology; awareness raising about the importance of and results by UN peacekeeping operations; deepened ties with regional and sub-regional partners; and basing these partnerships on predictable funding.

On 1 May, the UNGA’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) resumed discussions on the peacekeeping budget. For the 2017-2018, fiscal period, US$7.97 billion has been requested in budget requirements for UN peacekeeping operations. [UNGA President Remarks to PBC Report Session] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on AU-UN Joint Framework] [UN Summary of UN Security Council Debate on Human Rights] [UN Press Release on Peacekeeping Operations Discussion] [Concept Note for Peacekeeping Operations Discussion] [UNSG Remarks at Peacekeeping Briefing] [Security Council Meeting Summary, 6 April] [Fifth Committee Discussion Summary] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Internal Peace and Security Review]

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