UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL 26 May 2005
Open Debate on Post-Conflict Peacebuilding
Statement by H.E. Mr John Dauth LVO Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
(Check against delivery)
Mr President
As recognised in the current debate on reforming this organisation, post-conflict peacebuilding remains a crucial challenge facing the international community and one deserving of Security Council attention. Although peacekeeping is often the prime focus of the Council�€™s deliberations, it represents only the start of a longer-term progress towards peace, stability and prosperity in conflict-affected states. As history and bitter experience shows us, even the best peacekeeping efforts can come to nought, if post-conflict peacebuilding is neglected. In this regard, Australia has warmly welcomed the recent successful end to UN peacekeeping in Timor Leste and the creation of a successor mission with a strong peacebuilding mandate.
It is important to remember, however, that peacekeeping and peacebuilding are not necessarily the endpoints of a linear process -they are interlinked, interwoven and, at times, interdependent. Planning for peacekeeping needs to recognise peacebuilding and peacebuilding often needs to start before peacekeeping ends. Clearly, peacebuilding is not easy. Indeed, building peace �€“ including strengthening state institutions, re-establishing law and order and creating prosperity �€“ can often be more difficult than ending the war.
Mr President
Peacebuilding must be a multifaceted and comprehensive exercise across the full scope of development, security and human rights, reflecting the interconnected nature of issues and the complex challenges facing post-conflict societies. It must also place strong emphasis on developing local capacity and encouraging ownership of peacebuilding activities. In this regard, partnership and close consultation with affected communities and the early delivery of a �€œpeace dividend�€? to consolidate ongoing community support is vital.
Security sector reform, encompassing police, corrections and judiciary, is an important element of peacebuilding and can often be the key pre-requisite for rebuilding shattered economies and restoring social services. To be effective, however, peacebuilding must also address longerterm economic and social development issues. Peacebuilding must be able to determine and address the sources of conflict, be they poor access to government services, a breakdown in traditional authority structures or uneven economic opportunities �€“ underlining that good governance and soundly-based economic policies are important components of peacebuilding.
Mr President
Regional peacebuilding is a vital complement to the UN�€™s work. In our own region, initiatives such as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) provide valuable examples of how peacebuilding works in practice. Initiated in July 2003 as a common Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) response to a direct request for assistance from Solomon Islands, RAMSI has enjoyed remarkable success and benefited from direct contributions of personnel from some eleven regional nations to date. Solomon Islands�€™ call for assistance posed a key peacebuilding test which the nations of our region, under the framework of the PIF�€™s Biketawa Declaration, met with collective resolve. The RAMSI experience has also highlighted the value of taking an integrated and sequenced approach to peacebuilding, coordinated between all security and development actors, and in close collaboration with the affected country.
Mr President
Not least given our experiences in our own region, Australia welcomes the current proposal for a Peacebuilding Commission and believes that close coordination between the Commission, if established, and the Security Council would be vital to ensure the UN is well placed to assist post-conflicts societies. The creation of a Peacebuilding Commission also offers the opportunity to coordinate and foster a far more effective international response capability and would enhance the integrated mission planning process. In addition to post-conflict peacebuilding, prevention of conflict remains an important objective and we should continue to do our utmost to strengthen the UN�€™s conflict prevention and mediation capacities, including through the Security Council and the good offices role of the Secretary-General.