Mr. President,

 

The United Republic of Tanzania aligns itself with the statements of the African Group and the Non-Aligned Movement. We also join in welcoming the report of the Secretary – General on the Future of the United Nations peace operations based on the recommendations of the High – level Independent Panel led by former President Jose Ramos-Horta.

As pointed by the African Group we agree that issues raised in both reports should be availed ample space for discussion in the C34; the Fourth Committee and the Fifth Committee. We shall pronounce ourselves further in those processes.

It is beyond question that the demands for fulfilling the promise and vision of the Charter of the United Nations namely, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, is proving more challenging today than in any other period in the history of the Organization. It is therefore not surprising, that the limits of the Organizations global engagements, are more reflected in its peace operations.

These limits or shortcomings are not solely attributable to the Organization. As Member States we bear the largest responsibility. Consequently, the Secretary-General’s call for urgent change in how peace and security instruments are conceived, and applied to maximize impact, is an alarm to be taken with the exigency it deserves.

We support the primacy of politics over military and technical engagements. We have thus underscored, severally, including in our statement at the recent General Debate of the General Assembly, the essence of increased investment in conflict prevention. We thus agree with the Secretary-General and the panel in stressing the importance of early engagement by the Security Council, support to national and regional prevention and mediation efforts, and bolstered Secretariat’s prevention and mediation capabilities.

The three pillars being proposed by the Secretary-General as core to his action plan, namely, focusing on prevention and mediation, strengthening regional – global partnerships, and devising new ways of planning and conducting peace operations to make them faster, more responsive and more accountable to the needs of countries and people in conflicts, require priority attention.

We see the three pillars as underlining a framework that responds to Africa’s peacebuilding landscape, which has witnessed dramatic evolution, both in the context of conflict dynamics, as well as the emergence of new conflict actors.

It is often pointed out that Africa has provided the laboratories for much of the United Nations peacebuilding initiatives since the end of the cold war. This is also true, regarding the work of the Post-2005 peacebuilding architecture, that has focused more on state building and technocratic capacity building in post conflict situations.

In addition, the focus on holding “democratic” elections without addressing the root causes of conflicts remains a weak link to successful undertakings. Lack of resources and political will for long-term peacebuilding has also undermined their sustainability. Better and innovative ways of dealing with all these challenges need to be developed and supported.

We must also be modest enough to concede that in certain circumstances there are limitations of foreign interventions and global institutions irrespective of their best intentions. It is in this regard that the African Union is striving to become a more prominent actor in the continents crises. We believe, there are situations where regional and sub-regional institutions may prove to be the best first responders. A credible partnership with such institutions and actors must be central to our common effort.

Indeed, this is the essence of the appeal by the African Union Peace and Security Council’s meeting at the Head of State and Governments level held last month here at the United Nations on 26 September 2015. In welcoming the Panel’s report, the Summit reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the relationship between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations in the context of Chapter VIII of the Charter. We are encouraged that this constitutes a vital component of the Secretary-General’s plan of action.

We also welcome the undertaking of the Secretary–General to carry out, jointly with the African Union, and in consultation with other partners, a review and assessment of various mechanisms currently available to finance and support AU peace operations authorized by the Security Council. We are confident the outcome of the review will bridge one of the critical gaps the African Union has often appealed for our collective attention.

We also note with great concern that peacekeepers are operating in hostile environments with little or no peace to keep. Attacks against peacekeepers and other UN personnel in the field are perpetrated by nefarious elements that perceive them as an obstacle to their objectives. We must ensure the safety and security of UN personnel. We welcome the proposals put forward by the Secretary-General in this regard.

While strengthening United Nations peace operations, we must also endeavor to ensure peacekeepers are held accountable for their misdeeds. We must not allow the transgressions of a few to malign the reputation of the Organization and the courageous work of many other valiant peacekeepers.

Finally, as a country with several contingents in the field we want to recognize the valuable work being done by the Secretary-General and his Secretariat, especially through the Departments of Field Support and of Peacekeeping Operations. Their work and timely responses have been a source of valuable operational support and sustention to our forces.

We are therefore delighted to note the Secretary-General’s directive to undertake a comprehensive review of issues related to in-mission mobility as well as command and control of military enabling assets by the spring, 2016. Ensuring greater effective performance in the field is a pursuit we strongly encourage and support.

I thank you.