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Security Council Open Debate – Integrating Effective Resilience-Building in Peace Operations for Sustainable Peace

MASS

Security Council Open Debate

“Integrating Effective Resilience-Building in Peace Operations for Sustainable Peace”

Thursday, 3 November 2022

Statement of Italy, delivered by Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative to the United Nations

 

Madame President,

Distinguished Briefers,

Italy fully aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the European Union and thanks the Presidency of Ghana for organizing this timely debate.

I will stress three lines of action to make peace operations more resilient and sustainable:

First – We need to embrace and enforce the strategic transition of peacekeeping operations.

Today’s conflict environments are often marked by geopolitical tensions, proliferation of armed groups, exclusion, inequalities, social and political marginalization, climate insecurity, violent extremism, terrorism and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, food insecurity – all factors that, inter-alia, often transform local conflicts in regional crisis.

There is no standard solution for this kind of challenges.

This requires a shift from the traditional peacekeeping paradigm towards the implementation of the key measures identified in the Action for Peacekeeping and Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiatives, namely:

  • collective coherence behind a political strategy, reflected in clear and achievable mandates by the Security Council, matched with appropriate resources;
  • strategic and operational integration;
  • well-trained, well-equipped peacekeepers;
  • close cooperation with Host Countries;
  • meaningful participation of women in all stages of the peace process;
  • effective strategic communications;
  • innovative, data-driven and tech-enabled approach.

Second – Peacekeeping operations should be considered not only as stand-alone initiatives, but as essential components of a peace process.

While they cannot address all the factors leading to a conflict, history demonstrates that peacekeeping operations can make a difference, paving the way for longstanding peace or, unfortunately, exacerbating tensions.

Therefore, they must be designed to achieve sustainable political solutions, promote conditions for endurable peace and reflect the drivers of conflict.

Third – We should consider peacebuilding and peacekeeping as complementary.

Peace processes do not end when the last soldier leaves the ground.

Before, during and after a peacekeeping mission, we must take full advantage of our peace toolbox such as smaller, civilian-only peacebuilding missions; police-focused rule of law missions; special political missions designed to support political processes; regionally-based special envoys.

We must recognize the centrality of peacebuilding to break the vicious cycles of underdevelopment, uneven growth, unfair politics, and the militarization of political systems.

We need a more ambitious and structured collaboration between the Peacebuilding Commission and the Security Council, as the Commission is ideally placed to raise the Security Council’s awareness on regional efforts, local communities’ understanding and expertise, and the cross-border dimension of conflicts.

And we need more coordination between the UN and the relevant international, regional and sub-regional organizations, including the African Union and the European Union, recognizing their added value and the cross-border dimension of conflicts.

Madame President,

Making peace sustainable over time is our greatest challenge. It requires political solutions, inclusive peace processes, conflict prevention and solid after-conflict peacebuilding. And a strong belief in multilateralism.

Italy, first contributor of Blue Helmets in the Western Group of UN Peacekeeping, will continue to do its parti to address the whole set of challenges of today’s conflicts.

Thank you.