YouSaid · the spoken record

Lieutenant General Rodrigues de Miranda Filho

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11
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2023-07-28
most recent
2023-07-28
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1
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un-security-council

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  1. “Investing in protection-of- civilians units within missions is also important. Such units can better serve a mission if they are adequately staffed, with sufficient staff for an officer in each Field Office. Moreover, we must promote accountability for inaction in the face of threats to civilians. Finally, I would like to thank the Security Council for allowing me to share my main concerns, as MONUSCO Force Commander, regarding the implementation of the protection-of-civilians mandate.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  2. “Member States can support the enhanced protection of civilians in this challenging context by ensuring missions have the military enablers they need, demanding the required attitude and robust posture of TCCs in predeployment training, and investing in helping missions to improve data and use of technology. The motto “enabled by technology and informed by data” is a key element incorporated in the new United Nations protection-of-civilians policy. In addition, Member States can demand more females in substantive roles in peacekeeping missions — both in TCCs and force headquarters. It is critical to increase the number of women soldiers and officers in the bases, as women civilians are more likely to talk with women peacekeepers on issues related to the protection of civilians.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  3. “The leadership of the commanders is the last, but most important aspect regarding peacekeeping operations under Chapter VII. One weak commander can compromise the full contingent. The roles of the force in ensuring the integrated, coordinated and whole-of-mission approach to a protection-of-civilians mandate include the integration of the civilian pillars in all force activities; the prioritization of relative threats to the protection of civilians; training, coordination and support to local security forces; and collaboration and planning with regional security forces.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  4. “We cannot accept to lose our Blue Helmets because we, as United Nations, are failing in the improvement of the defensibility of our bases on the field. Military personnel must be professional, preferably with previous experience. TCCs must avoid newly recruited military. Self-confidence comes only with experience. In a mission under Chapter VII, the posture and the self-confidence of troops makes a significant difference in the result of the implementation of the mandate. With regard to language, language classes should be provided before deployment, when possible, for TCC members who do not speak the language of the mission or country. Collaboration across military, civilian and police components must be emphasized.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  5. “When facing an illegal armed group like the Movement du 23 mars, which is almost a regular army, one must have weaponry and high-end equipment in order to be effective and, at the same time, ensure greater security and protection for one’s own troops. Military training should emphasize offensive operations. It is necessary to prepare the mindset of the troops as soon as possible, even along the green and blue training, before the deployment. The militaries must know that they are going to a war environment. Bases should be prepared to face attacks by armed groups. The implementation of the report by Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz entitled Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers is mandatory.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  6. “They thought that they could win the minds and hearts of the population investing in civil-military cooperation activities. But, in fact, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in a peacekeeping mission, the best and only way to achieve that and protect the mission at the same time is to be proactive and effective in the protection of civilians and showing clearly that the mission is truly committed to their protection. In addition, the equipment and weapons must be modern and compatible with the needs on the ground. During my visit to the 33 bases in my area of operations, I realized that some TCCs were not well equipped for that kind of peacekeeping operation — some weapons were old, some equipment was not suitable for the operating environment and some ammunition was even unserviceable.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  7. “The main question is — how can we ensure that peacekeepers are adequately trained and equipped to meet such challenges? First, we must understand that we are going to operate in a hostile environment, with a high possibility of armed confrontation. Keeping that reality in mind, we must consider some significant points. The posture of troop-contributing countries (TCCs) must be offensive in nature. The priority is the protection of civilians, not self-protection. One of the main reasons that MONUSCO lost the confidence of the population was exactly because some of our TCCs were not proactive and effective enough. They conducted a lot of protection-of-civilians operations, but in the wrong place or at the wrong time in order to avoid contact with the illegal armed groups.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  8. “Joint operations, whenever possible, provide a local security presence to all operations. Enablers make the difference. Being able to deploy air assets, for example, is essential. A swift response is a critical part of any effective early warning and response mechanism. A complex and dynamic operational landscape, including new threats such as misinformation and disinformation, has adversely affected MONUSCO’s efforts to prevent and respond to threats against civilians. The freedom of movement has been compromised by attacks on patrols and stoning. Linked to the freedom of movement is the lack of access for, and attacks on, humanitarian actors. Manipulation of information through the digital domain has eroded the support of the population, making it much more difficult to carry out our patrols for the protection of civilians.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  9. “Regarding tier 1 — engagement and dialogue — providing and creating a safe physical space means dialogue can take place at the community level in volatile environments. We also advocate for the protection of civilians with political actors at the national and provincial levels. Presence leads to prevention. That is arguably the most important way for military peacekeepers to prevent violence. It includes the provision of area security and/or buffer zones. Framework operations prevent and respond to threats in the vicinity of vulnerable communities to deter threats. Response operations provide armed forces to deter or neutralize emerging threats. Targeted offensive operations focus on disrupting armed group activities and isolating them from the civilian population.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  10. “In a general context, our concerns are the number of illegal armed groups present in the area of responsibility; the deliberate targeting of civilians on ethnic grounds and opportunistic actions, for example, abductions by the Allied Democratic Forces prey on the weakest community; the high number of displaced persons who are vulnerable when in internally displaced persons (IDP) sites; IDP site attacks; inter-community rivalry that leads to a cycle of retaliatory violence, for example the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo versus Zaire; the exploitation of civilians for monetary purposes, labour or sexual and gender- based violence; and the manipulation of the population through the information domain. To prevent and respond to threats of physical violence against civilians, we consider the three tiers of protection of civilians.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  11. “Lieutenant General Rodrigues de Miranda Filho: As the Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), it is an honour to have the opportunity to share with the Council some aspects regarding the protection of civilians in our area of responsibility. There are many current and evolving trends regarding threats to civilians in the MONUSCO context, and I would like to emphasize and discuss some of them with members. At the State level, our main concern is regarding the weak State, the weak capacity of security actors and the weak justice system. The level of impunity is still high.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source