SECURITY COUNCIL

Strengthening Cooperation with Troop Contributing Countries

Statement by H.E Mr David Stuart
Acting Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations

16 January 2001

Mr President

Allow me to begin by congratulating you on your assumption of the Presidency of the Council. Australia welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this debate, and we commend Singapore's initiative in convening it. The issue of strengthening cooperation with troop contributing countries is an important one for all member states and a key element in improving the overall effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping.

The need to consult with contributors or potential contributors of troops to UN operations was recognised in the Charter. The growing demands and complexity of such operations over the last decade or so has led Member States to give more attention to improving consultation between the Council and troop contributors. The Council's track record in this area has, however, been mixed. It was, therefore, a welcome development when the Brahimi Report on UN peace operations gave renewed emphasis to the importance of timely and effective consultation with troop contributors.

This has also been a prominent theme of the reports of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations in recent years, including the Special Committee's report to the General Assembly of 4 December on the Brahimi Report. Indeed, during the course of the Special Committee's deliberations at its extraordinary session late last year, there was probably no other issue that enjoyed such strong and broad support as the need to strengthen and formalise the consultation process between the Security Council and troop contributing countries.

Mr President

There is a direct correlation between the willingness of the Security Council and the Secretariat to share information and their thinking with troop contributors and the degree of confidence that governments have in the concept of operations, planning and management of proposed peacekeeping missions.

An improvement in the frequency and quality of consultation with member states will not necessarily translate into an increase in participation rates in PKOs: governments will always make decisions to participate or not to participate on the basis of a number of considerations, and there will continue to be operations where the perceived level of risk or other factors will deter some from contributing troops.

On the other hand, the absence of effective consultation will almost certainly result in potential contributors turning away, because of lack of information or lack of opportunity to contribute to the development of a concept of operations or a Council mandate. This can serve only to complicate the task of both the Council and commanders in the field.

Two essential elements of more effective consultation and cooperation with troop contributors are two way communication and timeliness. Meaningful consultations require active listening by all parties. It is not sufficient to go through the motions of a consultative process which amounts to little more than troop contributors being informed of Secretariat planning or the Council's position. All parties stand to gain from an effective two-way dialogue, not least Council members and military planners in the Secretariat who can benefit from the input of Member States, who will have not only legitimate concerns as troop contributors but in many cases also expertise in the theatre of operation that can greatly assist the planning process.

At key points in the planning and management of peacekeeping operations, the timing of consultations is critical. Prior consultation should be regarded as indispensable in situations where the Council is changing the status of an existing operation or amending rules of engagement. Failing to consult governments which have troops on the ground in such circumstances would be, in effect, a breach of faith. Consultations should also precede the establishment of a mandate (involving potential troop contributors) and be part of the process of developing and refining the concept of operation for a mission.

We recognise that the Council often faces pressures for speedy decision-making and must balance a range of conflicting considerations and national positions. In looking at ways to strengthen the consultation process, we do not advocate burdensome processes or structures that would undercut the ability of the Council to make effective and timely decisions.

Finding the right balance presents a challenge for the Council, the Secretariat and Member States which will require that all parties approach consultations in a constructive way. On the one hand, if the Council hosts consultations which do no more than present troop contributing countries with faits accomplis, the process will be undermined; on the other hand, if troop contributors were to use the process cynically or to hold up decision-making without regard to broader interests, this would do peacekeeping a disservice. It is crucial, therefore, that all parties concerned - the Secretariat, members of the Security Council, and troop contributing countries approach the consultation process in a cooperative spirit.

It would be remiss not to acknowledge that some improvements have been made over the years. We commend the effort of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to enhance the frequency and quality of its consultations with troop contributors, including the recent initiative to issue briefing notes when the issues are complex or unfamiliar. These are important steps in the right direction.

We again thank you, Mr President, and the Delegation of Singapore for initiating debate on this important topic, and we look forward to contributing to further work on it.

Thank you