YouSaid · the spoken record

Guehenno

lines on the record: 1,147
first: 2000-11-14
most recent: 2011-05-12
sittings or episodes: 58
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“will take up his new assignment in Kabul on 16 February. As Council members are aware, the current mandate of UNAMA expires on 24 March. The Secretary-General will submit recommendations on the Future role of the United Nations in Afghanistan by the middle of March.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“In the light of those events, I would reiterate what Special Representative of the Secretary-General Arnault noted in his last briefing to the Council. "The security dimension therefore remains at the heart of the joint efforts of the Government and the international community, both as a priority concern that needs to be addressed through military and non-military means and also as a limitation on the ability of the international community, and the United Nations in particular, to operate throughout the country." (S/PV.5347, 13-3) It could not be more clear that improvements in security are essential if the promise of the Afghanistan Compact is to be realized. In conclusion, I wish to inform the Security Council that the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Tom Koenigs.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“Lastly, at least six Afghan soldiers were killed today, in two attacks by suspected Islamic rebels in the eastern province of Nuristan. Eight troops were also injured by explosions in two different districts of the province, according to a spokesman of the Defence Ministry in Kabul. Since our last briefing to the Security Council, there have been further incidents of suicide bombings. On 2 February, a suicide bomber disguised as a woman killed three Afghan National Army soldiers and five civilians in Bak, Khost province. On 7 February, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Afghan National Police headquarters in Kandahar city, killing himself and 13 others, including civilians and police personnel. Thirteen others were injured.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“On 8 February in Zabul, demonstrators clashed with the police and the Afghan National Army, leaving two dead. Yesterday there were clashes in Herat between Shia and Sunni Muslims - involving hand grenades, stone-throwing, knife attacks and fist fights - which left at least five people dead. Fighting between the two groups happened as Shia were marking the commemoration of Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram. In an effort to calm the situation, President Karzai dispatched a delegation headed by Ismail Khan, the former Governor of Herat and current Minister of Energy, Water and Power, to mediate the situation. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is closely monitoring the situation on the ground. Also yesterday, four Canadian soldiers were slightly wounded in a roadside bomb attack in southern Kandahar province.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“In ensuing clashes with the Afghan National Police, three individuals were killed and five Norwegian troops were injured. ISAF redeployed its quick-reaction forces from Mazar-e-Sharif to Maimana to provide additional support to the PRT. United Nations staff in Maimana were temporarily relocated to Shibergan on 7 February, and then to Mazar-e-Sharif on 8 February. On 6 February in Laghman province, demonstrators clashed with police and Government officials, leaving one policeman dead. The same day, in Parwan province, demonstrators destroyed the office of a Turkish road construction company and looted some equipment, and then proceeded to attack the United States base at Bagram. Two demonstrators were killed and six policemen injured.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“Although largely peaceful, demonstrations turned violent in the five provinces of Baghlan, Faryab, Laghman, Parwan and Zabul. In Maimana, Faryab province, and in Laghman province, in particular, it is believed that the cartoon protests provided a platform for factional tensions and clashes linked mostly to local dynamics preceding the cartoon issue. On 7 February, demonstrators in Pul-i-Khumri, Baghlan province, threw stones at the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) base, the offices of three non-governmental organizations and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, smashing windows and damaging vehicles. One Dutch soldier and two demonstrators were injured. The main clash that day, however, occurred in Maimana, where protestors using firearms and grenades breached the perimeter of a Norwegian PRT compound.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“Turning to the security situation in Afghanistan, recent weeks have seen a rising level of insurgent attacks in the south-east and south-west, and an escalation of factional tensions in the north-west. Some of the fiercest fighting in recent years between anti- Government elements and Afghan forces was reported to have taken place in Helmand province. The largest of these took place on 3 and February in Helmand province, when police and Afghan National Army soldiers were ambushed by up to 200 insurgents. In the ensuing battle, which lasted five hours, three Afghan National Police officers were reportedly killed and nine wounded. The recent publication in European newspapers of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad sparked widespread demonstrations over the past week, with groups ranging in number from 150 to as many as 5,000.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“The upper and lower houses have elected their administrative boards and are reviewing the rules and procedures for the National Assembly. While discussions on the formation of political groups are ongoing, there are early signs that groups may form along ethnic or regional lines. A final decision on the mechanism for the vote of confidence in the Cabinet has yet to be taken by parliament. Significant attention has been devoted by parliament to the security situation. The lower house alone devoted four days to discussing emerging threats to the country's stability. Despite the fact that parliament is making efforts to address public concerns, the Afghan media has highlighted the pressing need for the parliament to move beyond its internal workings and make meaningful progress on the key issues affecting the population as a whole.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“In sum, the Afghan Government committed itself to meeting a wide range of goals over the next five years and unveiled its strategies for doing so in a number of sectors. In return, the international community made strong expressions of long-term support, coupled with financial commitments. Those pledges must now be brought to bear on the Compact if the promise of the London Conference is to be fulfilled. I would like to turn now to the workings of the first session of the recently inaugurated national parliament. To date, parliamentary debates have been characterized by an inclusive and democratic process - leading to a number of women, minority representatives and lesser-known personalities playing a prominent role in discussions.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“That generosity demonstrates a continuing donor confidence in Afghanistan that is a credit to President Karzai's leadership and to the clarity of vision evident in the interim national development strategy. As always, the full impact of those pledges will be felt only if they are disbursed in a timely and efficient manner. The growing threat to stability posed by the illegal drug trade was addressed as a cross-cutting theme. The Government of Afghanistan launched its new National Drug Control Strategy, and donors announced new pledges to the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. Conference participants acknowledged the need for increased international assistance in line with the scale of the problem.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“The need for increased assistance to the justice sector reform effort was also emphasized, as was the importance of building legislative bodies and strengthening public administration throughout the country. There was also a call for international support for the Afghan Government's transitional justice action plan. The Government of Afghanistan presented its interim national development strategy, which was endorsed by Conference participants. There was also general recognition that donors should make a greater effort to channel more international assistance through the Government's budget. Although the Conference was not intended as a pledging event, participating countries and organizations announced new financial assistance for Afghanistan, amounting to a total of $10.5 billion dollars.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“Only with the full support of the Security Council and the international community, however, will that be possible. (spoke in English) Substantive discussions took place on each of the Compact's main themes. On security, the continuing role of the international military presence was welcomed. States in a position to commit new forces to support the expansion of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were encouraged to do so. It was also recognized by Conference participants that stability cannot be achieved through military means alone. The successful development of functioning Afghan security forces was identified as a primary measure of the success of the international community.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“The window of opportunity for the rebuilding of the country will not be open forever, and a sense of urgency must continue to inspire the efforts of the Afghans and the international community. That is why the Compact's annex on timelines and benchmarks is so important. Those are the criteria against which the efforts of the international community and Afghanistan will be judged. As the Secretary-General noted in London, the United Nations stands ready to assist the Afghan Government and the international community as they work together to meet those goals. As the co-chair of the Compact's Monitoring and Coordination Board, the United Nations special representative will fully support the Government in bringing transparency and coherence to the international assistance effort.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“It is a realistic reflection of what is required to consolidate State-building efforts in Afghanistan, and especially to enable the nascent democratic institutions created by the Bonn process to meet the basic needs of the country, curb insecurity, control the narcotics industry, stimulate the economy, enforce the law, provide basic services to the Afghan population and protect the human rights of the citizenry. The Compact sets forth measurable and time-bound benchmarks in each of those areas and establishes a results-oriented action plan for the country's future. The Compact recognizes, as the Bonn process did, that a schedule is necessary and that time is of the essence in the international community's efforts.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“The London Conference also reasserted the unity of purpose and goals that has been the hallmark of the international community's engagement in Afghanistan. The participation of over 60 high-level delegations - including 23 foreign ministers and strong representation from Afghanistan's neighbours - sent an unmistakable signal of the international community's continuing resolve to support Afghanistan at this crucial stage in its transition. Finally, the Compact and the Conference recognized the leading role that the Afghan Government itself must play in the next phase of its history. The Compact itself sets out an ambitious agenda, committing Conference participants to a sustained and prolonged engagement in Afghanistan's future.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to provide an update to the Security Council on developments in Afghanistan. I will focus mainly on the outcome of the international Conference just held in London, recent political events surrounding the formation of the parliament, and the security situation on the ground in Afghanistan. First, with respect to the London Conference, the Secretariat reiterates its deep thanks to the Governments of the United Kingdom and Afghanistan for the outstanding preparation and organization of the Conference held on 31 January and 1 February. The achievements of the Conference were numerous. Above all, it served as the venue for the solemn launching of the Afghanistan Compact, which I will comment on in greater detail.”
2006-02-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5369 (2006) · source
“Fourthly, while recognizing that Member States have generally limited numbers of women serving in their national military and police forces, much more can be done to deploy women from countries that have the capacity to do so. Fifthly, it is vital that meaningful pre-deployment gender training be provided to uniformed peacekeeping personnel - women and men alike - to ensure that they understand how critical their contribution is to the implementation of the resolution. In short, all Member States must take ownership for this work, just as we are trying to do in DPKO. Without that collective effort, we fail the women of the countries in which we are working and weaken the foundations for sustainable peace.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“First, it is necessary that Security Council members and troop-contributing countries alike engage with the issue of women and peace and security on an ongoing basis, beyond just a gathering of this nature once a year. Secondly, the agenda of Security Council visits to peacekeeping missions should always provide for meaningful discussions with women leaders and with representatives of women's organizations. That should translate into subsequent actions to strengthen the role of women in peace processes. Thirdly, the Security Council itself could consider designing an action plan to guide its role in monitoring the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“As a first step in ensuring senior management accountability and ownership of this process, I will soon meet with the senior management of DPKO to review the action plan and to outline concrete steps to facilitate its full implementation. My managers and I will do what we can to continue to implement the resolution. However, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is only one part of the equation. We will rely on many others as well to make a difference, starting, of course, with the parties to the conflicts themselves as well as with the States Members of the Organization. There are many concrete things that States Members of this body, and those contributing personnel, could do to further the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). I respectfully suggest five in particular.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Thirdly, I will emphasize a commitment to gender mainstreaming within all reporting and accountability mechanisms at our disposal. Fourthly, I will work to ensure that we make marked progress towards increasing the numbers of women in peacekeeping. Fifthly, I will review and refine the partnership frameworks that guide our collaboration with United Nations agencies and with Member States in the implementation of the resolution. Those strategic objectives have emerged from the ongoing process to design a DPKO action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Thus far, individual DPKO offices have outlined strategic objectives and actions, which will be consolidated into one Department-wide plan in the coming weeks.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“In renewing my Department's commitment to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), I intend to vigorously address these challenges in the coming years. Our work will be focused on five main areas. First, I will emphasize, more than I have done in the past, that the responsibility for implementing the resolution does not fall on the shoulders of our gender advisers alone, or solely on our female staff. All men and women, particularly at senior levels, at Headquarters and in the field, have responsibilities to implement the resolution. Secondly, I will ensure that all existing and future policies and guidance of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) incorporate the relevant provisions of resolution 1325 (2000).”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Thus, whilst gender advisors hold regular consultations with women leaders and civil society organizations in peacekeeping missions, such consultations are not established practice for all mission components. In recognition of those shortcomings, in March of this year I issued a policy statement on gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping that provides an operational framework at the field and Headquarters levels to implement resolution 1325 (2000). As part of that policy, and in line with the recommendation of the Council last year, my Department is currently finalizing a comprehensive action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) that builds on the system-wide action plan that is before the Council today.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“I should not have to clarify that, but it must be noted that a significant proportion of peacekeeping personnel still do not have a conceptual understanding of what gender mainstreaming entails, nor have they grasped that it is about more than just hiring more women. That may explain in part why we have yet to institutionalize many of our gender mainstreaming strategies. Too often, it is individual commitment, rather than institutionalized mechanisms, that drives our work. We have also made limited progress in increasing the number of female personnel in peacekeeping, particularly in uniformed functions and in senior leadership positions. The perspectives of women are still not adequately harnessed to inform our planning and operational activities.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Those developments should not, however, make us complacent, as the road ahead is a long and arduous one. Our most severe setback in recent years has been the damning and shameful revelation that some of our peacekeepers have been engaged in the sexual exploitation of women and girls who rely on them to promote a safe environment. Beyond pointing to a series of systemic weaknesses that account for such gross misconduct, that problem should be a wake-up call for all of us to attach even more importance to incorporating a gender perspective into our work. Ultimately, we will not be able to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping contexts without empowering women and girls. We must also remember that gender mainstreaming is much more than the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“The Constituent Assembly which wrote the Timorese Constitution became the country's first Parliament and women accounted for 27 per cent of those elected to the Constituent Assembly, an achievement which surpassed the representation of women in many parliaments around the world. As the Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the time, the late Sergio Vieria de Mello, admitted subsequently, he had himself initially been against the creation of a gender affairs unit in the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, as he had not realized what an important impact the work of such a unit would have in helping to rebuild Timorese institutions from scratch and ensuring that the guarantee of women's equal rights was imbedded in all the new institutions of Government.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“The new Afghan Constitution guaranteed Afghan women a minimum of 25 per cent of the seats in the Lower House of Parliament and approximately 17 per cent in the Upper House. In the lead-up to the presidential elections in 2004, an interagency Elections Task Force chaired by the Gender Advisor was established to monitor, amongst other things, the level of voter registration of women. Out of 10.5 million Afghans who registered to vote in those elections, 40 per cent were women. The number of female registered voters increased to 44 per cent during the parliamentary elections in September 2005.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Fifthly, gender units are supporting the integration of gender perspectives into the judicial and legal sector through the implementation of training activities for judges, lawyers and prosecutors in a number of missions, including Kosovo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Furthermore, in Liberia, the gender unit is supporting national partners in their efforts to adopt a new rape law and, in Timor- Leste, similar support is ongoing for the adoption of a bill on domestic violence. One must also recall, in addition to those concrete examples, some of the very significant developments of increased political participation of women in post-Taliban Afghanistan and in newly independent Timor-Leste.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Many women in Burundi have also attested to the importance of having a female Special Representative of the Secretary-General as a role model to spur their political aspirations. Fourthly, gender units are supporting the capacity development of national counterparts in the governmental and non-governmental sectors in all mission areas. In Afghanistan, that includes capacity development of women's affairs departments in 29 provinces across the country. In Cote d'Ivoire, the gender unit is supporting mobilization of women's groups representing political parties, trade unions and non-governmental organizations to create a common platform to promote women's participation in decision- making.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“In the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the gender unit helped introduce a minimum 33 per cent quota for women into the UNMIK Regulation on Elections for the Parliamentary Assembly of Kosovo, which led to 28 per cent of seats being filled by women in 2001. More recently, the support of gender units in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi has been instrumental in ensuring that newly-adopted constitutions provide guarantees for women's rights. This year, for the first time in its history, Burundi elected over 30 per cent women to the National Parliament and, as members just saw in the short film that was presented, to the positions of Vice- President and Speaker of the National Assembly.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Over 21,000 women were demobilized as a result, and many of those women contributed important information on where arms caches were hidden. In Burundi, 231 of the 485 disarmed female ex-combatants have been recruited into the newly restructured police force as part of their reintegration. Secondly, in the policing sector, gender advisors provide training to police personnel in restructured police forces to ensure that victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence have access to confidential and gender-sensitive case reporting. The first specialist police unit to deal with gender-based violence crimes in peacekeeping missions was established in Timor-Leste, and similar units have since been established in other missions. Thirdly, much work has been done to promote women's participation in transitional Government institutions.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Mr. Guehenno: I am pleased to be able to take this opportunity to share our thoughts on the progress that has been achieved, as well as the challenges that remain, in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, adopted five years ago. To start with, I would like to share five concrete examples of how progress is being achieved by peacekeeping missions on the ground. First, we successfully integrated a gender perspective in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process in Liberia, which ensured that the eligibility criteria were revised to include women who played support roles to the combatants as cooks, porters, sex slaves or spies, and who oftentimes served as part-time combatants.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“As I emphasized earlier, ultimately, addressing HIV/AIDS initiatives in peacekeeping must be a joint effort involving Member States, troop-contributing countries, United Nations and other agencies and host communities. I look forward to further strengthening all those partnerships.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Testing, for example, remains a controversial and divisive issue. And, as I mentioned before, we need to ensure that AIDS awareness is considered a command responsibility, moving beyond rhetoric to engagement at the highest levels. We need continued support for our HIV/AIDS Trust Fund, and the capacity of missions to respond to growing demands will need to be reviewed, especially if we want to move beyond raising awareness to changing risk behaviours. We are constantly being challenged to find new ideas and approaches, and we are ever mindful that any success in tackling HIV/AIDS relies on working in partnership. In 2000, we barely crossed paths with agencies such as UNAIDS, UNFPA or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, we design and implement programmes together.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“That will provide an opportunity for frank discussion and the sharing of lessons learned so that we can enhance our programmes. I could provide more details on different initiatives, but I hope that this brief overview gives the Council a sense of the concrete measures that we have been taking to tackle HIV/AIDS in peacekeeping operations. Over the past five years, we have learned many lessons from our partners, from our successes and also from our mistakes. But we have to ask ourselves, are we doing enough? Is our basic strategy the right one? What additional investments need to be made to sustain and strengthen our efforts? My feeling is that we are on the right track. We have overcome a lot of resistance. And as the value of the programmes has become apparent, there is a demand for more. But a number of areas still need to be tackled.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“The AIDS adviser in the Sudan is designing a strategy to train AIDS peer educators as part of the demobilization programme in that country. In Haiti, the mission is working with UNAIDS, UNFPA and national bodies to build the long-term capacity of the police force to address AIDS in the ranks. At the time of our mission in Timor-Leste, a special peer education programme for the police force was part of a six-week schedule of living testimonies conducted by an HIV-positive trainer. Building on the survey in Liberia, we intend to roll out similar monitoring and evaluation projects in other missions. Immediately following this open meeting, DPKO and UNAIDS are jointly hosting a workshop for AIDS advisers and focal points from 16 missions.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“United Nations Volunteers (UNV) have often played a pivotal role in the outreach projects of our missions, such as by raising funds for school fees for AIDS orphans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or helping former commercial sex workers in Ethiopia and Eritrea find alternative sources of income. In Sierra Leone, there is a UNV-funded reintegration and transition-to-peace programme. At the request of communities, the project has provided AIDS awareness training for youth leaders in 12 districts of the country. DPKO is also collaborating with other United Nations agencies to mainstream AIDS into mandated mission functions. For example, AIDS is included in an initiative involving 14 United Nations entities to create integrated standards and guidelines for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in peacekeeping settings.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“For example, in Cote d'lvoire the mission has teamed up with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to conduct a series of programmes over one year with peacekeepers and local communities, in particular targeting women and girls. In Sierra Leone we have worked closely with the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa. Engaging with local women's groups not only helps to reach the most vulnerable but also strengthens training for peacekeepers, as the testimonies of local women provide a different perspective on AIDS and the broader issue of sexual exploitation.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Peacekeeping missions also develop AIDS outreach projects that specifically target local communities. For instance, the mission in Liberia has held five-day programmes for local Christian and Islamic leaders to encourage faith-based AIDS prevention initiatives in the country and training sessions for the local media and women's groups. In Haiti, a number of quick-impact projects have supported AIDS initiatives, and the public information office has worked with a local non-governmental organization to fight stigma and discrimination and to promote awareness among local journalists. All AIDS advisers are members of their respective host countries' Theme Groups on HIV/AIDS. Those Groups assist in the development and the implementation of national strategies to respond to the epidemic. Such partnerships are central to our overall response.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Our efforts focus not only on how to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, but also on how to capitalize on the positive potential of peacekeepers as agents of change. When we train peacekeepers in gender awareness, human rights and child protection, we hope to influence not only their own behaviour but also their ability to recognize and respond to sexual violence and exploitation. Peacekeepers can also share their knowledge about HIV with the local population. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, awareness-raising projects by peacekeepers have ranged from theatre performances and football matches to high-profile events attended by local dignitaries. Across missions, peacekeepers link up with local groups to mark World AIDS Day.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Strengthening voluntary counselling and testing facilities across our peacekeeping missions is a priority. This allows peacekeepers to make an informed decision to find out their HIV status and is critical to influencing behaviour and preventing transmission. Of the peacekeepers surveyed, over 92 per cent had been tested for HIV as part of their preparation for deployment, but only half stated that they had received any counselling with the test. The mission in Liberia has two voluntary counselling and testing centres, which have been visited by over 420 uniformed and civilian peacekeepers since they opened in April this year. The mission plans to launch a roaming facility to ensure access for all personnel in the sectors. There are similar facilities in other peacekeeping operations.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“To create greater capacity among peacekeepers, AIDS advisers run peer education programmes, drawing on the UNAIDS peer education kit and awareness cards. For example, the mission in Ethiopia- Eritrea, which was the first mission to be established after resolution 1308 (2000), has trained approximately 1,100 peer educators in a series of two-week intensive programmes. UNAIDS and DPKO are examining ways to create a network to maintain the capacity of such peer educators when they return home. I hope we can do this in partnership with Member States so that this expertise is reinforced, rather than lost. We are very aware, though, that knowledge in itself does not protect people from HIV; it is what people do with that knowledge and how they change their behaviour that makes the difference.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Awareness was generally high. For instance, over 94 per cent correctly stated, unprompted, two of the key ways that HIV is transmitted: through unprotected sex and exposure to infected blood. The vast majority, over 87 per cent, of those who had been in mission for at least a month had received AIDS awareness training since their arrival. However, one disappointing finding was that only a small number had received training from within their battalions or detachments, and less than two per cent had been briefed on AIDS by their commanding officers while in the mission area. The support of the command structure is crucial to any efforts to mainstream AIDS training, and I take this opportunity to urge troop-contributing countries to ensure that AIDS awareness is considered a command responsibility.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Post-exposure prevention kits are available at our medical facilities in case of exposure to HIV. Screened blood supplies have long been part of our basic medical equipment. (spoke in English) But what impact do we actually make? How do we measure the effectiveness of our training programmes? To find some answers, DPKO piloted an HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and practice survey in Liberia during May and June this year, in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNAIDS. More than 660 uniformed peacekeepers were randomly selected and individually interviewed. The sample included military observers, civilian police and troops of all ranks, from privates to colonels, from eight different contingents. The results are currently being analysed, but I would like to share a few preliminary findings.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“AIDS is high on the agenda of the conference of all our force commanders from around the world scheduled for next week, and it will henceforth be part of the senior leadership training for those serving in peacekeeping operations. In addition, we have created modules tailored for specific occupational groups, such as public information officers and stress counsellors who serve in the most difficult missions. Within missions, AIDS advisers coordinate with training cells to provide training and ongoing awareness training to troops, military observers, civilian police and civilian staff. All this must keep up with rotations; we must ensure that each new contingent receives training. Missions also ensure the availability of male and female condoms.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“AIDS awareness training is also central to pre- deployment training for mission-specific personnel, such as that provided to Guatemalan and Peruvian peacekeepers currently being deployed to Haiti, to Rwandan peacekeepers being deployed to Sudan and to African Union soldiers who served under the AU in Burundi before becoming United Nations peacekeepers there. The question of AIDS is also part of induction training for all civilian personnel. We recently revised our AIDS training module to ensure that the important issues of gender, codes of conduct and sexual abuse are fully reflected. Our strategy has also been to reinforce support for this issue and mobilize all personnel within DPKO to deal with it.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“We work closely with troop-contributing countries and UNAIDS to establish at least a basic level of awareness of AIDS among all those who work in peacekeeping operations. AIDS awareness-training activities are now routinely included in all "train the trainer" courses, in military observer programmes and in other sessions organized and sponsored by DPKO to enhance national peacekeeping capabilities. This year, for example, the issue of AIDS was an important part of recent senior management seminars held in Ghana, India and Russia for high-ranking police officers from numerous Member States.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“We now have 10, supported by United Nations Volunteers and professionals of the host countries, and smaller missions have designated focal points. Together, those advisers and focal points form a valuable network linking all peacekeeping operations. DPKO and UNAIDS carried out joint missions to Haiti and the Sudan to establish AIDS awareness programmes in advance of major deployments of troops and civilian personnel. That set a new precedent, which we hope will become the norm in the future. Since 2003, UNAIDS has seconded an AIDS policy adviser to DPKO to provide policy guidance and coordinate the various mission initiatives. At the end of this year the post will be financed through the DPKO budget, and I would like to thank Member States for supporting its creation. Awareness-training is central to DPKO's strategy.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“The assistance we have received could not have been more timely, given that the number of United Nations peacekeepers deployed worldwide continues to surge. There are over 66,000 uniformed personnel and more than 13,000 international and national civilians serving in 17 peacekeeping and related field operations. That is a significant number of people who, at any given time, need to be advised and trained on how to do their part in the fight against AIDS. It is a serious challenge, but I think we have made major progress. (spoke in French) When I reported to the Council two years ago on resolution 1308 (2000), I made a commitment to deploy AIDS advisers to all major peacekeeping operations. At that time, there were just four AIDS advisers.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“Piot and his team at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) continue to provide the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), both at Headquarters and in the field. Our programmes would not be where they are today without their assistance. In fact, DPKO has been and remains dependent on many partners throughout the United Nations system and on host communities to achieve progress. Perhaps the most essential partners, however, are the 105 countries that currently contribute uniformed personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world. The support of Member States is a determining factor in the success of our programmes. That is true of donor countries as well. In that regard, I wish to express my gratitude to Denmark and the United Kingdom for their contributions to the HIV/AIDS Trust Fund.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source
“That strategy has five key elements: first, the creation of specific capacity within missions to address AIDS; second, ensuring the availability of condoms and observing universal medical precautions; third, the development of voluntary counselling and testing capacities in missions; fourth, establishing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms; and fifth, setting up projects for outreach to local communities and mainstreaming the issue of AIDS into mission mandates. I welcome the opportunity to brief the Council today on the concrete progress that has been achieved in all five of those areas. Before doing so, however, I must acknowledge with sincere gratitude the critical technical and advisory support that Dr.”
2005-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5228 (2005) · source