Calling on all stakeholders to play their part in making UN peacekeeping the best it can be

Thank you President,

Let me join others in thanking our Chinese colleagues for a successful and well-run Presidency in the month of August and in congratulating France on assuming their Presidency for September. We wish you the best and you can count on our support.

I also thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing and his continued leadership of UN peacekeeping.

President, on behalf of the United Kingdom. I pay tribute to those peacekeepers who lost their lives this year.  Peacekeeping relies on the dedication of our personnel.  We must do all that we can to support them – to provide the necessary training and equipment, improve awareness of threats, and ensure appropriate medical provision.

The UK continues to play its part, training thousands of peacekeepers each year. As a top contributor of extra-budgetary funds – donating more than $3.5m in 2021 - we are supporting key reforms in areas such as peacekeeping intelligence, situational awareness and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. We provided expertise to support the IED review referred to by USG Lacroix earlier today.

Since 2020, UK peacekeepers deployed in MINUSMA have demonstrated the value of new, proactive approaches to protection of civilians, reconnaissance and civilian-military coordination.

We are encouraged by the ongoing implementation of the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework, which should underpin higher standards of safety and security and mandate delivery. And we continue to support evidence-based assessment of mission performance and integrated planning through the Comprehensive Performance and Assessment System.

We also remain committed to advancing the participation of women through UK support for the Senior Women Talent Pipeline and the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which we have contributed $7.5m to date.

President, in the last year peacekeeping operations have faced challenges which hamper mandate delivery and threaten safety and security.  Thanks to Brazil, in July we discussed the increasing threat posed by anti-UN disinformation campaigns in contexts such as Mali and the CAR, following the deployment of the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, as well as in the DRC.  And we have seen numerous examples of freedom of movement restrictions and violations of status of forces agreements in Mali, Abyei and elsewhere. As USG Lacroix said, the UN should address rising levels of distrust through better strategic communication, but host governments must also uphold their responsibilities to protect UN personnel and comply with status of forces agreements.

The UK will remain a strong supporter of the Action for Peacekeeping agenda and A4P+ priorities. We call on all stakeholders to play their part in making UN peacekeeping the best it can be.