Statement by H.E. Gary Quinlan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Security Council regarding Peace and Security in Africa: support for AU peacekeeping, as delivered on 22 October 2010.
(as delivered)
Mr President
Thank you for convening today’s debate. We very much welcome the presence of African leaders in the chamber today. This is a strong statement of the understandable importance the countries of Africa give this item.
Australia shares that sense of importance. The topic we are considering today goes to the heart of how the system of international relations conceived by the United Nations Charter in 1945 remains relevant to the contemporary challenge of maintaining international peace and security, in circumstances so very different from when the UN was established.
It is the same contemporary world that requires that early Security Council reform must lead to increased African representation.
We welcome the latest report from the Secretary-General. Some real progress has been made over the last 12 months in strengthening both the strategic and the operational partnership between the UN and the African Union.
The annual consultative meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and this Council has become a fixture on the meetings calendar and continues to embody the importance of these two bodies forging a close and strategic partnership in addressing the peace and security challenges of the African continent.
Also at the strategic level, we were particularly pleased to participate in the inaugural meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Peacebuilding Commission, earlier this year. The relationship between these two bodies also needs to evolve into a strong and effective partnership.
We welcome the recent establishment of a UN Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa. This should create greater synergies and efficiencies in the UN – AU relationship. The range of other measures set out in the Secretary-General’s report, including staff exchanges, annual retreats and ongoing collaboration on country specific issues, should ensure that the AU, in developing its systems, learns from the experiences and best practices of the UN.
Mr President,
Australia welcomes the progress that has been made. It is in our global interest that the African Union continues to develop as a credible and strong regional organisation that is fully equipped to deal with the challenges of the African continent, especially in relation to conflict prevention as well as response.
The African Union, and African troop contributing countries, are carrying a large, difficult - but impressive - responsibility when it comes to peacekeeping in Africa. The broader international community needs to recognise the role these countries are playing in the maintenance of regional and international peace and security, and take steps to support them.
For our part, we have been pleased to contribute, in a small way, to the strengthening of the AU’s peace and security architecture.
Australia has given practical support to the efforts of the African Union Commission to develop AU guidelines on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations, as referenced in the Secretary-General’s report. We will continue to support the AU in this endeavour.
We have supported the E-learning for African Peacekeepers program (ELAP) since its inception in 2006. In that time, the program has attracted over 200,000 enrolments, across 20 Peace Operations Training Institute distance courses, at no cost to the participants. The provision of standardised training to peacekeepers is a foundation of strengthening the effectiveness of AU peacekeeping.
This past summer, we provided training to the Military Planning Element of the East Africa Standby Force, with a focus on headquarters and logistics planning. We will continue this assistance, with Eastforce or other AU Standby brigades.
Also this past summer, Australia was pleased to co-sponsor, together with Nigeria, the United Nations Regional Conference on Deterrence, Use of Force and Operational Readiness, held at the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre in Kaduna. This Conference attracted participants from around 20 African TCCs with a view to the development of comprehensive guidance material for all military personnel and support staff.
Furthermore, we have been pleased to contribute to the Trust Fund in Support of AMISOM, with a view to strengthening the AU’s capacity to manage peace operations.
We look forward to remaining engaged with the AU to support its work and strengthen its capacity to address peace and security challenges in Africa. We have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union Commission which will strengthen our cooperation in areas of mutual interest across the broad remit of the AU’s agenda, including in the area of peace and security. We have also recently opened a Resident Embassy in Addis Ababa and appointed a Defence Attache accredited to the AU. These recent developments provide a solid foundation for our future and expanding engagement.
Mr President
The most difficult issue under consideration today, of course, is the question of predictable, flexible and sustainable financing for the AU’s peace and security capability. We commend the major contributors to AU peacekeeping missions for assuming the massive responsibilities that they have done. The issue of funding this responsibility goes to the heart of the international community’s ability to respond to threats to international peace and security, and to the relationship between the UN and regional organisations, in particular the AU.
The question, however, does not only arise when we consider the question of support for AU peacekeeping. Just last week, in its debate on post conflict peacebuilding, the Council expressed a similar sentiment when it “reaffirmed the critical importance of timely, flexible and predictable funding for peacebuilding”. In July, following its consideration of the use of preventive diplomacy tools, the Council “recognised the importance of enhancing efforts to ensure predictable, coherent and timely financial support to optimise the use of preventive diplomacy tools”.
Australia will work pragmatically with Member States to address this issue. It is one in which we all have an interest, not just the members of this Council. We need to collectively consider the financing of peace operations, if we are serious about assisting countries emerge from conflict and establish themselves as stable, prosperous nations. All UN Member States should give this question priority.
Thank you Mr President.