Security Council Open Debate: Investing in Peace: Improving Safety and Performance of UN Peacekeepers

Speech | 07-05-2019

Madam/mister President,

In addressing the challenges that training and capacity building still face, I wish to focus on three elements:

1. The A4P Framework
2. From commitments to action
3. Good practices

[1. Framework of A4P]

Madam/mister President,

The Declaration of Shared Commitments under the A4P Initiative enjoys wide support among the Member States.

We are also very encouraged by the steps the UN Secretariat is taking to advance the A4P agenda and guide these efforts.

The Declaration of Shared Commitments lays out what needs to be done, and we know that implementation is the hardest part of  the improvement of UN Peacekeeping.

We, the Member States, as well as the Secretariat, must stay committed to and focused on the implementation of the Declaration, our blueprint for all further action.

[2. From commitments to action]

Madam/mister President,

Today, more than a year after the launch of A4P, we must stand together, focus on the tasks we have set ourselves, and persevere to get the job done.

If we want to strengthen our Peacekeeping missions and improve safety and security of our personnel, coordination is key.

There are many initiatives and there is a need for coherence and consistency.

We therefore greatly value the coordinating role of the Secretariat to align all A4P efforts and actions.

We encourage the Secretariat to play a proactive role in identifying training needs and matching them with the pledging countries.

We therefore welcome the development and operationalization of the Light Coordination Mechanism to deconflict training and capacity building programs, which the Kingdom of the Netherlands financially supports.

[3. Good practices]

Madam/mister President,

This brings me to my last point.

One of the A4P focus areas for the Kingdom of the Netherlands is training and performance.

We provide numerous trainings, often together with other Member States, on a wide range of subjects such as Peacekeeping Military Intelligence, Protection of Civilians, United Nations Police, Gender in Operations, and we support the UN Mobile Training Teams.

Many initiatives have already been taken to improve training and capacity building. Along the way, many lessons have been learned and improvements have been made.

Let us use these good practices as examples to further enhance our actions and improve training and capacity building. 

[Conclusion]

Madam/mister President,

In conclusion, training and building the capacity of our Blue Helmets will improve their performance, and enhance their safety and security, reducing the risk of casualties.

Let us build further on the good initiatives that are already taking place.

Thank you.