Rising nationwide divisions, mixed with more and more complicated conflicts, pose a formidable problem to peacekeeping and the upkeep of safety, Jean-Pierre Lacroix advised ambassadors within the Safety Council chamber.
No ‘magic wand’
“Peacekeeping is just not a magic wand to assist a rustic return to stability, however with the assist of a unified worldwide neighborhood, political processes and peace agreements have been carried out,” Mr. Lacroix mentioned.
Mr. Lacroix emphasised that UN peacekeeping operations proceed to play an important function in defending civilians caught within the crossfire.
Safety mandate
“Even the place political options to conflicts appear distant, peacekeepers proceed to guard the lives of lots of and 1000’s of civilians in nations and areas by which we’re deployed,” he mentioned.
Peacekeepers additionally preserve civilians out of hurt’s means by preserving ceasefires and stopping additional combating, and their presence serves as a significant deterrent, he added.
Mr. Lacroix additionally highlighted threats towards UN ‘blue helmets’, noting that 18 peacekeepers had been killed by malicious acts since final September.
“The loss of life of 1 peacekeeper is all the time one too many”, he mentioned.
Girls, peace and safety agenda
Advancing the ladies, peace, and safety agenda stays a core precedence in UN peacekeeping, Mr. Lacroix mentioned, stressing the necessity to contain extra ladies in political processes to forge a sustainable peace.
He cited the instance of the MONUSCO mission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who’s energetic assist for girls’s participation within the so-called Nairobi course of, led to important illustration in consultations between the Authorities and armed teams.
Efforts to attain gender parity inside peacekeeping are additionally underway, with ladies constituting 25.6 p.c of particular person uniformed personnel as of Could. At present, 38 per cent of heads and 33 per cent of deputy heads of civilian-led peacekeeping operations are ladies, Mr. Lacroix added.
He reiterated his name for Member States to take away obstacles on the nationwide stage and improve the participation of ladies in peacekeeping.
Use of know-how
He went on to emphasise the function of know-how and knowledge in the way forward for peacekeeping, noting the continued implementation of the Technique for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping.
“Whereas we’ve made progress towards tech-savvy, data-informed peacekeeping forces, additional investments in knowledge capabilities amongst personnel is required to make sure that knowledge might be successfully leveraged for efficient decision-making,” he mentioned.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Underneath-Secretary-Normal for Peace Operations, briefs the Safety Council assembly on UN peacekeeping operations.
Dispelling falsehoods
Addressing the significance of strategic communication, Mr. Lacroix emphasised its function in managing expectations amongst host governments and populations.
He famous that a number of missions are conducting common notion surveys to higher perceive native attitudes and expectations.
He additionally emphasised the necessity to fight misinformation and disinformation, citing an instance the place a false on-line story was shortly debunked by the peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSCA).
He pressured the significance of getting the best abilities in any respect ranges to push again towards the scourge.
Addressing misconduct
Mr. Lacroix mentioned that the UN continues to take all mandatory measures to handle allegations of all types of misconduct, each previous and current.
“Ending impunity for all types of misconduct stays a central aim and we’ve taken drastic measures within the case of significant allegations, together with by way of repatriation of models the place wanted,” he mentioned.
He known as on governments to make sure preventive measures, implement zero-tolerance of all misconduct, and, most significantly, uphold the rights and dignity of victims.
