Discorso pronunciato dall’Ambasciatore Inigo Lambertini, Vice Rappresentante Permanente dell’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite,al Briefing in Consiglio di Sicurezza su UN Peacekeeping Operations: Strategic Force Generation —
Mr. President,
I would like to thank you for organizing today’s briefing and USG Lacroix for his remarks, and our Bengali and Canadians colleagues for the contribution.
International stability is increasingly put at stake. Therefore, all Member States, within their own capabilities, should provide a qualified contribution to UN peacekeeping operations.
Italy is doing its part as a global security provider. Besides being one of the most generous financial contributors to the peacekeeping budget, we are as the first contributor of Blue Helmets in the Western Group ,. We are currently participating in the UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, with more than 1.000 units , Cyprus, Mali and in the Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.
Beyond UN peace operations, our Defense and Police Forces are providing assistance and protection also in other areas of the globe , from Somalia to Afghanistan, from Iraq to Libya, in the Mediterranean, in the Sahel, in the Arab Gulf, in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe. Wherever its assistance is required, Italy is sparing no effort to build capacity across the board, from border security to election security, from justice and correction practices, to the fight against organized crime and all sort of trafficking.
Mr. President,
Peacekeeping operations have capability gaps. There is a urgent need for air assets to improve mobility of troops, medical assets to provide assistance and fast medical evacuation, also to civilians if needed, and units for Explosive Ordinance Disposal to remove mines and improvised explosive device (IED).
Technology is key in order to increase the safety and security of peacekeepers. The use of UAVs in MONUSCO has effectively and efficiently improved the gathering of information and provided enhanced situational awareness that was crucial for the safety and security of the peacekeepers and for the protection of civilians.
Italy has provided many resources to the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, in terms of maneuver units complemented by enablers. Since its start in 2015, we have fully supported it, offering units from the national basket of forces prepared with dedicated training cycles. We will confirm our commitments at the next Defense Ministerial meeting in Vancouver.
Mr. President,
Another major gap in peacekeeping operations is the role and presence of women. As stated in Resolution 1325 and its subsequent resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, in particular Resolution 2242, we need to increase the number of women in UN military and police contingents. All Member States should do more to this aim. The recruitment of a growing number of women at national level today will result in a greater gender balance in the medium-term. Participation of women at all levels is key to improve the effectiveness and performance of missions. Their role is indispensable in all peace and security efforts
Mr. President,
training is vital to improve capability and ensure that mandates can be effectively delivered on the ground. Since 2005 the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, run by our Carabinieri together with US and other African and European countries instructors, offers qualified training for UN peacekeepers, based on high professional and ethical standards, through specific training modules on Rule of Law, International humanitarian Law, Protection of Civilians, Protection of cultural and historical Heritage, preventing sexual and gender based violence in conflicts, and on the broader Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
These training programs develop standards and common operating procedures to be applied during robust police activity. We are convinced that future peace operations will be more and more based on specialized police units focused on stabilization, rule of law, justice and the protection of civilians, in line with the reform of the architecture of peace and security envisaged by the Secretary General that emphasizes the need to focus more on prevention, mediation and peace-building.
It is therefore crucial to train peacekeepers to protect people, key values and principles, so as to ensure UN’s credibility and reputation. Let me highlight, in this context, that Italy has joined the Circle of Leadership created by the Secretary General to prevent and combat sexual exploitation and abuses, has signed the Voluntary Compact to eliminate the scourge of SEA and has contributed to the Trust Fund to support the victims.
In terms of strategic planning, we should not forget logistics. The capacity for operations to deliver and accomplish their mandates is closely related to the swiftness of deployment and to the operational effectiveness of field missions. The UN Global Service Center, located in Brindisi since 1994, is a fundamental hub to provide logistic support to peacekeeping missions around the world.
We should maximize efficiency in delivering services. We should also pay attention to the management of the environmental footprint of field missions throughout their lifecycle. A lighter footprint would allow for, cost efficiencies, improved safety and security for troops and for civilians of hosting countries and eventually better mandates delivery.
Mr. President,
We are fully committed to work together for smarter, more effective and successful peace missions. We need therefore to provide missions with the capabilities they need to deliver their mandates, keeping in mind the decisive importance of the human factor. I thus wish to thank all the women and men now serving, and who served, in UN peacekeeping missions across the world, and also pay tribute to those who have lost their lives over the years.
