Security Council Retreat
Council Activity
Turkey will host an informal retreat for members of the Council at ambassadorial level from 25 to 27 June in Istanbul. The retreat is expected to continue the Council’s discussion on the overlap between peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding. This issue was also on the agenda of the retreat with the Secretary-General from 30 April-1 May. As part of the discussion, the meeting will have background papers on three case studies: Afghanistan, the Balkans and the Great Lakes region.
No immediate action is following the retreat, but the discussion may lead into a more concrete phase during Turkey’s presidency in September.
Key Recent Developments
Turkey has circulated a concept note to Council members outlining the rationale for the retreat and recent developments. The concept note also provides a series of questions covering the key areas of discussion which are expected to be further addressed in working papers to be discussed at a working-level meeting on 24 May in New York. Among the questions are:
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How do you forge sound connections and transitions? What is needed to reconfigure a UN peacekeeping operation into a peacebuilding or political mission and to craft effective transition strategies?
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How can mandates be clearly defined and adjusted to changes on the ground as needed?
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Can there be better coordination between policy discussions in the Council and financial decisions in the General Assembly to ensure better resourcing of peacekeeping operations?
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What are the ways of developing greater coherence between the Council’s decisions and the work of the General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)?
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What would be the advantages of greater interaction between the Council and non-UN bodies involved in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding?
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What should be the role of UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding in supporting state authority?
Key Recent Developments in the Council on Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
In 2009 the Council had several debates on peacekeeping and peacebuilding. (The peacekeeping debates are covered in our 16 January and 24 June 2009 Update Reports and our August 2009 Monthly Forecast, and the peacebuilding discussions are covered in our 17 July 2009 Update Report on Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and in our November 2009 Monthly Forecast and 17 November 2009 Special Report on the Peacebuilding Commission.)
The Council’s focus on these two areas taken jointly began to come together in 2010. In February, under the French presidency, the Council held a day-long debate on transition and exit strategies. The Secretary-General, senior officials from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, heads of the UN missions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as of regional organisations and 11 troop-contributing countries, participated in the debate. The presidential statement issued after the debate acknowledged that further improvement could be made by the Council to ensure successful transitions by developing clear, credible mandates matched by appropriate resources. The statement also committed the Council to improving its strategies for ending or reconfiguring peacekeeping missions or for their transition to other kinds of UN presences. In addition, the Council also committed to improve the overall effectiveness of UN peacekeeping, including through the “recognition and enhancement of linkages with wider peacebuilding efforts,” and stressed the importance of considering early peacebuilding in its deliberations and ensuring “coherence between peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding to achieve effective transition strategies.”
On 16 April the Council held a day-long debate on peacebuilding with the participation of the Secretary-General, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Zalmai Rassoul, Minister of Defence for Sierra Leone Alred Palo Conteh and Minister of Justice for Timor-Leste Lucia Lobato. At the end of the debate the Council issued a presidential statement emphasising the critical importance of post-conflict peacebuilding as the foundation for building sustainable peace and development in the aftermath of conflict and highlighted the need for effective peacebuilding strategies for durable peace and development. It also recognised the need for an integrated approach and reaffirmed the importance of national ownership. In addition, it reiterated the importance of launching peacebuilding assistance at the earliest possible stage. Other areas touched on included the importance of peaceful settlement of political disputes, nationally owned security sector reform and the critical role of the PBC.
The Working Group on Peacekeeping has met twice this year. At the first meeting on 10 May the Working Group and invited troop and police-contributing countries discussed gaps in civilian capability using the UN Mission in Timor-Leste as an example. The Peacebuilding Support Office also briefed the meeting on civilian capacities. The second meeting on 25 May covered gaps in military capability, with the UN missions in Sudan and the DRC as case studies. A third meeting is planned for June to discuss ways to strengthen coordination and cooperation among relevant partners, such as the Secretariat and regional organisations. A mid-year report from the Japanese chair of the Working Group is likely. In the second half of 2010 the Working Group plans to discuss transition and exit strategies for UN missions.
The 2010 review of the peacebuilding architecture is now in a well developed phase. In February the three co-facilitators (Ireland, Mexico and South Africa) began a series of meetings with member states, representatives of the Secretary-General and civil society actors. On 1 April the co-facilitators circulated a paper on emerging issues related to the review. A report on the co-facilitators’ initial findings and recommendations is expected by June.
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Selected Security Council Resolution |
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Selected Presidential Statements |
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Selected Security Council Meetings |
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Selected Letter |
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Selected Reports |
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Chair of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations |
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Yukio Takasu (Japan) |
