3 June 2008
Statement by Olivier Poulin, First Secretary, Canadian Mission delivered to the Fifth Committee of the United Nations on Darfur
(As delivered)
Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the delegations of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (CANZ). Let me start by thanking Mr. Sach, the UN Controller, for the introduction of the Budget of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for the Period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, as well as Ms. McClurg, Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), for the introduction of the related report of the ACABQ.
Mr. Chairman,
CANZ strongly supports the AU-UN-led efforts towards peace and stability in Darfur. CANZ has been a strong supporter of the African Union in its efforts to bring peace and security in Darfur through the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) and is now committed to the success of UNAMID. Indeed, we are assisting African troop and police contributing countries to ensure the rapid deployment of robust and self-sustainable contingents. The Mission’s success depends on the assistance of all contributing stakeholders to fill resourcing shortfalls.
UNAMID is facing unprecedented challenges on many fronts, from extreme remoteness and poor communication infrastructures to the reluctant cooperation from the host government. While we fully understand these very complex logistical, administrative and political challenges, we are seriously concerned by the delays experienced so far. Indeed, ten months after the adoption of Security Council resolution 1769, the Mission does not appear significantly more robust than the AU Mission in the Sudan, which it has absorbed. We call on the Secretary General to spare no efforts to accelerate the deployment of the Mission. We also call on the Mission’s senior leadership to be present in Darfur and resolve the issues causing these delays. In short Mr. Chairman, we look forward to the UN’s strong leadership in resolving these issues. We note that the success of UN efforts will require more cooperation from the host government; we call on the Government of Khartoum to demonstrate its commitment to peace and security and Darfur by cooperating fully with the Mission.
The experience in deploying UNAMID has shed light on the need for stronger integration between all components of the Organisation. For this reason, we are pleased by the rapid set up of the Darfur Integrated Operational Team (IOT). While this initiative has been helpful, and has produced some results, we firmly believe that the Team needs to be further empowered by the two Under-Secretaries General in order to allow it to drive the process and resolve the numerous issues hampering deployment. In addition to empowering the IOT, DPKO and DFS’s senior management should instruct all substantive directors and managers to fully collaborate with the Team. Without their clear support and cooperation, the establishment of IOTs will have been fruitless.
CANZ takes note of the proposed budget prepared by the Secretary General, which amounts to $1.7 billion. This, as one would expect given the scale of the UNAMID operation, is the highest peacekeeping budget ever introduced in the Fifth Committee. Sadly, we note the absence of information and justification for operational costs, which amount to half of the budget. We also note the significant requests for a number of items such as facilities and infrastructure, air operations, and rations. We will seek more information on these costs from the Secretariat during on informal consultations. Since it has a direct impact on deployment, we are particularly looking forward to receiving information on the plan for the implementation of infrastructure requirements. We recognize that this budget proposal contains resource requirements that rest on key assumptions underpinning the deployment schedule. We will seek clarification on those assumptions.
Mr. Chairman,
As we speak, the Mission has spent a small portion of its apportionment for the current period, and this, despite a significantly lower appropriation than the one originally sought by the Secretary General. This situation is largely due to the deployment delays on which I touched earlier. Notwithstanding our desire to see the Mission deployed and fully operational as soon as possible, we believe that the budget in front of us is also based on overly optimistic assumptions. We are of the view that adopting this budget as it is would result in unnecessarily high assessments to the membership. Hence, we see merit in the proposal of the ACABQ for a partial assessment accompanied by a progress report to be considered at the main 63rd session. Hopefully, this would allow the Secretary General to submit revised resources requirements based on the situation on the ground and accurate assumptions.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairperson, let me express my gratitude on behalf of CANZ to the UN and AU peacekeepers in Darfur, and to the friends and families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you.