UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
the Role of the Security Council in the Prevention of Armed Conflict
Statement by H.E. Ms Penny Wensley, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
29 November 1999
Mr President
A political cartoon in a major U.S. daily newspaper some months ago depicted the Security Council deep in debate over its response to a dispute that had already broken into violent conflict. One delegate is pictured saying to his anguished Council colleagues "no, no, no... First comes earnest hand-wringing, then comes ineffectual soul-searching."
The reality of the Security Council's role is, as we all know, considerably more positive.
But the cartoonist's interpretation points to the paradox of effective preventive action: much of it takes place unseen, and its success is measured not so much by what happens as by what does not happen. When it fails, the results are all too manifest.
It is also true that effective preventive action involves a complex combination of mechanisms. No single action can on its own ensure the absence of violent conflict, While timely remedial action can pull disputing parties back from the brink of conflict, the most effective prevention ensures that this point is never reached, and potential disputants are able to resolve their differences before the use of force is conceived of as an option.
In a sense, all international cooperation contributes to prevention, both by creating mechanisms to resolve differences between us, and by addressing in practical ways many of the underlying causes of conflict. The interdependent networks of international cooperation in which we are all engaged -in economic, social, humanitarian, legal, security and other fields, including sporting fields -all play a part in building a culture of prevention.
Strong global norms are a crucial part of this equation.
International law must be consistently applied and rigorously enforced. The role of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia has underlined the importance of effective enforcement of international criminal law -in ensuring justice is done, and in deterring similar inhuman and criminal behaviour in the future. The adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court represents a milestone in the development of a stronger international legal system and a stronger international culture of prevention.
The network of international non-proliferation and disarmament machinery is equally important. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, arms limitation and reduction treaties, the conventions on biological and chemical weapons, and other international security treaties are all threads in the fabric of our collective effort to prevent conflict.
When one of these threads breaks, the fabric can start to fray. That is why Australia, like so many countries committed to the goal of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, was so concerned by the recent decision of the US Senate to vote against ratification of the CTBT. We continue to encourage the US and other countries whose ratifications are required for the Treaty to enter into force to take this step quickly.
At a local level, conflict can be provoked and fuelled by illegal and excessive stockpiling of and trafficking in small arms. More needs to be done in this area as a contribution to the prevention of armed conflict, and Australia is ready to contribute to international efforts to this end.
Mr President
Because armed conflict has its greatest impact on the countries and people immediately around it, conflict prevention is in part a regional responsibility. There is great potential for practical, cooperative action to be taken at the regional level to complement wider international efforts.
Australia is working closely with its Asia-Pacific neighbours, through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), to explore ways of preventing disputes escalating into armed conflict. This work is still at a relatively early stage, but nonetheless is relevant to this debate.
There are two aspects to our work. The first is to develop a common understanding of the concept and principles of preventive diplomacy as they might apply in the ARF context. The second is to explore the overlap between preventive diplomacy and confidence-building measures, focusing on two specific practical proposals: an enhanced good offices role for the ARF Chair, and a register of experts or eminent persons.
On the concept and principles for preventive diplomacy, a useful input to ARF discussions has been a set of principles identified by the second track Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific as being suited to the circumstances of the Asia-Pacific region. It includes the principles of non-interference, peaceful methods, consent of the parties to a dispute, consistency with international law, and of course timeliness.
One challenge ahead is for the ARF to devise a good offices mechanism that would be useful in reducing the likelihood of conflict, while remaining fully consistent with those principles. The responsibilities and functions of such a mechanism could include, for example:
- initiating contact with the parties in disputes where conflict is imminent
- facilitating information exchange, exploring underlying issues and causes of conflict
- fact finding
- facilitating contact and dialogue between the parties in neutral venues
- mediation, conciliation and making recommendations to the parties
- contacting outside experts for advice.
The ARF is also introducing a practical tool that is both an early warning and confidence-building measure. This is an annual Regional Security Outlook. This document will include voluntary contributions from ARF participants, identifying what they see as notable developments in the regional security situation and their perception of it.
The work of the ARF in promoting peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region should of course be seen as supporting and complementing global efforts towards the same goals. There are circumstances where regional approaches may be more appropriate, and others where the UN may be better placed to act.
The role of the Security Council is, self-evidently, a central one, in keeping with its authority under the Charter. It is a role which must itself build on and complement other international and regional mechanisms that contribute collectively to the prevention of conflict. It is an area in which Australia believes the Security Council can, and should, do more.
Early warning is one area where the Council could play a stronger role. Early attention to potential conflicts not only enables better informed judgements about preventive action, it can itself be a powerful moderating influence on the behaviour of potential combatants.
We have argued before -including in the recent General Assembly debate on the report of the Security Council -that the Council should be ready more often to deal directly with the parties to a dispute, directly in New York or through special missions, such as the recent highly successful Council mission to Indonesia to discuss the situation in East Timor.
Such contacts can help ease tensions, provide a circuit-breaker to a dispute, or inform both sides of the risks of escalation and of the possible responses of the Council and the international community should conflict ensue. They can support and complement the good offices role of the Secretary-General and his special envoys and representatives.
Effective early preventive action depends in part on the quality and timeliness of information about potential sources of conflict. This is where initiatives like the ARF Regional Security Outlook can contribute. We would like to see the capacities of the UN Secretariat strengthened in this regard, recognising of course the resource pressures the Secretariat is under. And we would encourage the Secretary-General to make greater use of his authority under Article 99 of the Charter to bring to the attention of the Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.
The Security Council also has special responsibilities in the areas of preventive deployment and post-conflict peacebuilding. UNPREDEP demonstrated the effectiveness of preventive deployment. And the effort that the UN and the international community are making in support of post-conflict peacebuilding in Kosovo and East Timor illustrates the importance of this part of an overall preventive approach -not only in response to humanitarian imperatives, but as a crucial tool in the prevention of recurrent conflict.
Mr President
These are not easy or straightforward prescriptions. The task of prevention is a complex and difficult one that requires persistent effort and vigilance. Like so many other forms of international cooperation, it also requires political will, and a determination occasionally to confront sensitivities in the interests of effective collective action -rather than fall back on earnest hand-wringing and ineffectual soul-searching. It is a challenge the Security Council must meet.
This debate is a valuable contribution, and I want to express my delegation's appreciation to you, Mr President, and to the Slovenian delegation for this initiative. We particularly welcome the opportunity to address the Council at an early stage in an orientation debate.
Thank you.