Mr. Chairman,
My delegation has the honor to take the floor on behalf of the States
Members of the Rio Group in the debate on
the item, "Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping
operations in all their aspects".
Mr. Chairman,
In the Millennium Declaration, which was adopted by the General Assembly
on 8 September last, the Heads of
State and Government reiterated their determination to establish "a
just and lasting peace all over the world, in
accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter". In
that connection, the Rio Group wishes to express
its support for any initiative aimed at achieving this fundamental aim
of our Organization.
Mr. Chairman,
The Rio Group recognizes the importance of the work done by the Special
Committee on Peacekeeping
Operations to improve the efficiency of the United Nations in the field
of international peacekeeping and security.
Similarly, we have studied with interest the "Brahimi Report",
which was presented by the Panel of Experts
appointed by the Secretary-General and which includes many of the recommendations
made by the Special
Committee in fulfillment of its mandate.
The Rio Group recognizes the need to strengthen the structures and
operation of mechanisms for the maintenance
of peace with a view to enhancing their efficiency. This will clearly
serve to enhance the credibility of the United
Nations in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and
security in various fields. The Rio Group
supports this process and recognizes the importance of conflict-prevention
and peace-building to the work of the
Organization, based on the premise that in its activities in this field
the United Nations should respect the principle
of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence
of States, in conformity with the Charter of the
United Nations.
We recognize the need for this reform and wish to express our concern
at the financial implications of its
implementation, which should be carefully studied by the competent organs
of the General Assembly.
Mr. Chairman,
We consider it necessary that those recommendations of the Brahimi
report on which there is agreement within
the Special Committee should be implemented by the Secretary-general
as early as possible. It will also be
important for the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Special
Committee for its meeting to be held in
February 2001 on the status of the implementation of the recommendations
on which there is agreement.
With regard to those recommendations of the report that require more
discussion or on which there are doubts, it
would be necessary for the Special Committee to review them in greater
depth at its meeting of February 2001.
The Rio Group attaches fundamental importance to respect for the principles
of consent of the parties, impartiality
and the non-use of force, except in self-defense, in the activities
of peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Chairman,
In the Millennium Declaration the heads of State and Government reaffirmed
the objectives of the United Nations
in the field of development. We wish to reiterate what the Secretary-general
said, namely that poverty is an
important cause of conflict.
The States members of the Rio Group hope that at the same time as
the Organization continues its efforts to
improve its functioning with a view to achieving international peace
and security, initiatives would be implemented
and the United Nations efforts expanded in those areas of its activities
that are geared towards development. We
hope that the implementation of the proposed reforms aimed at the fulfillment
of the first objective will not be to
the detriment of the resources allocated to development activities.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
