YouSaid · the spoken record

Mclay

lines on the record: 508
first: 2009-06-30
most recent: 2015-04-23
sittings or episodes: 72
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

“We support the central role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in coordinating that assistance to support Government priorities identified in the National Development Strategy. We welcome UNAMA's revised mandate in that regard. On security, New Zealand, along with other International Security Assistance Force partners, is committed to providing a clearly defined pathway for transferring primary responsibility for security to the National Security Forces, thus allowing international forces to draw down and for a shift in the focus of international efforts to building civilian capacities. Like other contributors, ideally we would like our troops home as soon as possible. But the objective is to leave the country secure and confident in its ability to meet the security and development needs of its people.”
2010-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6287 (2010) · source
“We look forward to further measures being implemented before the Kabul Conference. In passing, we are pleased that that Conference can take place in Afghanistan, and not elsewhere. New Zealand welcomes President Karzai's plans to promote reconciliation. We agree that this will need broad national support. However, we urge the Government to ensure that reconciliation is not achieved at the expense of human rights. On economic development, we are pleased to see efforts to prioritize and cluster components of the National Development Strategy. New Zealand is in the process of aligning its own development support to prioritize agriculture and rural development. We welcome the current efforts to simplify the international approach to delivering development assistance.”
2010-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6287 (2010) · source
“New Zealand urges both the Afghan Parliament and President Karzai to work together to form a full and final Cabinet as a matter of priority. We also look forward to the necessary steps being taken ahead of parliamentary elections in September to ensure that electoral institutions are transparent, impartial and independent. As the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/127) makes clear, corruption is corrosive. Corruption in Afghanistan is corrosive: it hinders stability and it inhibits growth. At the London Conference, we joined those welcoming the Government's commitment to fight corruption, address its causes and develop benchmarks by which to measure progress. We are pleased in particular to see the formation of the anti-corruption unit and the appointment of judges to an anti-corruption tribunal.”
2010-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6287 (2010) · source
“Fighting corruption is key to improving governance, just as failing to do so would greatly impede economic development. Similarly, improving security is a multifaceted challenge that requires not only building up the national forces, but also providing the conditions for reconcilable insurgents to return to the mainstream and for countries in the region to play a constructive role. In that regard, we and other contributors, the people of Afghanistan who supported democracy in last year's elections and the military and civilians who risk their lives are all entitled to expect, and to see, urgent progress on improving governance, without which our combined efforts to achieve peace will falter. A functioning and credible executive is essential to effective governance.”
2010-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6287 (2010) · source
“I trust that, in the interests of time, Ambassador Tanin and the others who have reported to the Council will excuse me if I take the thanks as read. There is no doubt that today's Afghan Government still needs strong support to meet the challenges it faces, or that it needs an international community prepared to provide that support. We are therefore pleased at the significant developments of the last quarter. I intend to focus on just three of those. New Zealand supports President Karzai's efforts to build a new and peaceful Afghanistan. We welcome the priority that the President placed on these three areas at the London Conference in January and his personal commitment to making progress in them in an integrated manner.”
2010-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6287 (2010) · source
“As one of only two countries that belong to both the ISF and UNMIT, New Zealand is committed to maintaining the close cooperation and coordination that exists between those forces as their respective structures and roles continue to evolve. New Zealand thanks the Security Council for its ongoing support for Timor-Leste, assures Ms. Haq and the UNMIT team of its own support for their efforts and, above all, reiterates its continuing commitment to the people and the Government of Timor-Leste.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“Such investments must be planned and implemented as a matter of urgency if the handover of policing responsibilities is to be implemented in a smooth, responsible and timely manner. We also share the Secretary-General's view that, as UNMIT's role evolves in this manner, its policing component will need to be progressively reconfigured and reduced, while retaining sufficient capacity to assist in dealing with any major security incidents and to carry out its mentoring and capacity-building roles effectively. As those changes are implemented, the need for careful coordination between all of Timor-Leste's partners in the security sector assumes even greater importance.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“To meet those objectives, it will be vital to ensure that UNMIT personnel are equipped with the profile, skills and experience required for the difficult and specialized task of institutional capacity-building. We therefore also welcome the Secretary-General's determination to ensure that United Nations police are suitably skilled and equipped to effectively implement that aspect of their mandate, including through recruitment of relevant civilian expertise, as appropriate. Equally, we encourage UNMIT and the Government of Timor-Leste to intensify their efforts to ensure that sufficient investments are made in the PNTL to overcome the shortcomings that remain in its logistical and organizational capacities.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“The ISF is also increasingly complementing its core security role with assistance in building the capacity of the Timorese armed forces and on related development assistance. That transition can also be seen in Timor-Leste's evolving needs and expectations with regard to UNMIT, including its police component. The Government has expressed its desire to resume primary responsibility for policing throughout the country as soon as is feasible and its hope to achieve that goal by the end of this year. We welcome the Secretary- General's commitment to work towards that objective. We also welcome the careful consideration being given as to how it can responsibly be achieved in accordance with the benchmarks for the transfer of policing authority agreed in the 2008 medium-term strategy.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“Given those challenges, New Zealand supports the Secretary-General's recommendation for an extension of UNMIT's existing mandate at currently authorized levels. However, as the Secretary-General's report also makes clear, it is important to ensure that the size, shape and nature of international assistance evolve in accordance with Timor-Leste's changing needs. We are entering a phase in which the direct provision of institutional capacity by Timor-Leste's international partners must increasingly give way to efforts to support its legitimate and understandable desire increasingly to run its own affairs. That transition has been reflected over the past few months in the gradual downsizing of the ISF, in consultation with the Timorese Government, as the situation on the ground has become more stable.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“As a long-term friend of the people and Government of Timor-Leste, New Zealand remains committed to playing its part in that international presence, as it has in every United Nations mission and in both international security operations since the 1999 referendum. Today, New Zealand maintains 150 military personnel - an infantry company - within the ISF and holds the Force Deputy Commander role. It has a 25-strong police deployment within UNMIT, with a particular focus on community policing training for the PNTL. A New Zealand military liaison officer also serves with UNMIT. Bilaterally, too, we are a committed partner, providing both our development assistance programme, which has been particularly active in the areas of education, justice and police support, and a five-person military technical assistance team.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“We are also well aware of the profound social and economic problems still faced by that young country in terms of lifting its people out of poverty, building an economy that extends beyond oil, and ensuring that its young people have the skills, training and opportunities that they need to take charge of their futures. New Zealand is currently reshaping its $9-million Timor- Leste aid programme to reflect better those key concerns. Timor-Leste's international guarantors of security, the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) and UNMIT, no longer face the same challenges they faced two or three years ago. Nevertheless, their presence as a deterrent to disorder and as a support for the Government remains vital to maintaining internal security and stability - a fact acknowledged by the Government itself.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“It also describes the steps taken to strengthen the rule of law and the process by which primary responsibility for policing has been progressively transferred from UNMIT to the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) since May of last year. In assessing that progress, it is important to recognize just how far Timor-Leste has come in the few short years since its independence, but it is equally important to acknowledge the significant challenges 10-2486] that remain to be faced. Elections scheduled for later this year and for 2012 will test the capacity and the resilience of Timor-Leste's electoral and security institutions and the progress that has been made in embedding a stable and democratic political culture.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“1, too, thank Deputy Prime Minister Jose' Luis Guterres and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ameerah Haq for their statements, as well as the Secretary-General for his comprehensive and valuable report on Timor- Leste (S/2010/85). That report outlines the progress made across all areas of the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) over the past year and the considerable distance travelled by the Government and people of Timor-Leste since the dark days of the 2006 crisis. It describes a country no longer in a state of crisis, and one that enjoys greater levels of security and stability. It describes the steady progress in developing the capacity of Timor-Leste's nascent political and bureaucratic institutions, as demonstrated by the smooth conduct of the suco elections in October.”
2010-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6276 (2010) · source
“The people who showed their support for democracy in the recent elections, sometimes at great risk, are entitled to see greater probity and better governance as a result. But the military and civilians who risk their lives to work in Afghanistan for this United Nations, for civil society and in provincial reconstruction teams - all to help Afghanistan and its people - are also entitled to see better progress on addressing corruption and governance issues. It is for the Government and people of Afghanistan to decide for themselves how best they should do that, but doing it is the nub ofthe matter as we see it.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“As the Secretary-General's report emphasizes, there is an urgent need to improve governance and give greater confidence to ordinary Afghans that their Administration is working for them, not least in stamping out corruption. The extent of corruption outlined in the report makes it clear that the Administration must address this in all forms and at all levels. For all those who abuse the system, there must be no sanctuaries, no safe havens and no impunity. We want Afghanistan, its people and its Administration to succeed in their endeavours. They have our good wishes, our blessings and our active commitment. We know they need time and space to rebuild their country, and our contribution is to help provide that.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“In so doing, it will have the support of the international community, but those who put their military in harm's way in the interests of Afghanistan and its people are entitled to see better progress on corruption and governance. While we strongly support efforts to build a new and peaceful Afghanistan, we look to the Karzai Administration to meet the obligations it has now incurred to the international community. We therefore welcome Britain's lead in coordinating international support through a Conference later this month. We will attend at the ministerial level, and hope that we quickly reach the stage where meetings to discuss Afghanistan's future can be held regularly in Afghanistan itself. We therefore welcome the fact that the second meeting is to be held in Kabul.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“While we welcomed the fact that elections were held, doubts about the probity of the results and the lack of progress around institution-building, and concerns as to the true depth of the Administration's commitment to anti-corruption measures have sorely tested the capacities of contributing nations to maintain or enhance their contributions. We strongly encourage President Karzai to move quickly to address the deep- seated security, governance, corruption, human rights, justice and narcotics challenges facing Afghanistan - all identified in today's report. It is imperative that the Government deliver tangible improvements to the daily lives of ordinary Afghans.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“We are establishing an embassy and appointing an ambassador in Kabul to coordinate our efforts with those of our partners including, most importantly, the Afghans themselves, so that when international troops are drawn down, they leave behind a country capable of managing its own security and the increased humanitarian assistance that nations such as ours have signalled their readiness to provide. All that represents a significant commitment for a small country with limited military and other resources. It is a commitment made for good reason to the people of Afghanistan, but it is also a commitment made in expectation of a meaningful effort and response from President Karzai and his new Administration, when it can be finally formed. Nothing should disguise the challenge they face.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“Mindful that the Secretary-General's report calls for a "change of mindset in the international community as well as in the Government of Afghanistan" (S/2009/674, para. 50), we also support President Obama's sense of urgency about transferring that security responsibility to local forces and on shifting the focus of international efforts to building civilian capacities that will put Afghanistan on a peaceful development path. Without those commitments, there can be no realistic way forward. For its part, New Zealand is stepping up its capacity-building with the Afghan National Police in Bamyan, preparing a pathway for the civilianization of our provincial reconstruction teams, and increasing its official development assistance budget to underpin those changes.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“Last year, New Zealand reviewed its participation in Afghanistan and reconfirmed its commitment to the provincial reconstruction team that has led work in Bamyan province since 2003. We have also redeployed our Special Forces to Afghanistan during the period President Obama has identified as critical to defeating the insurgency. New Zealand welcomed the 1 December statement by President Obama, given its emphasis on a coherent and credible pathway forward in Afghanistan. We particularly welcome his focus on increased short-term military capacity to improve stability and security, and enhancing the capacity of the Afghan National Army and Police to assume primary security responsibility.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“New Zealand appreciates the opportunity to contribute to this important and timely discussion, and takes this opportunity to congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Council, as well as the new members of the Council. We thank the Secretary-General for his latest report (S/2009/674) and Special Representative Kai Eide for his work, for this morning's briefing and, above all, for the role he has played. We wish him well. While the report is sobering and raises many matters of real concern, we agree that the key priorities must be a more focused and better coordinated international effort, as well as reform of the Afghan electoral process and Government. We affirm that the United Nations has a critical role to play in Afghanistan, and will continue to support that role.”
2010-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6255 (2010) · source
“Yet, sadly, continued attacks around the world remind us of the continued threat posed by terrorism and of the enduring need to combat it through international cooperation. New Zealand fully supports the vital contribution of the Council and its sanctions Committees to such endeavours, and encourages them in their efforts to ensure that their measures remain as effective, transparent and credible as possible. We know full well that no single measure will be sufficient to counter the threat to peace and security posed by global terrorism, but equally we know that sanctions imposed by this Council play an indispensable role in efforts to combat that threat. New Zealand therefore reiterates its wholehearted support for this Council and its Committees in the implementation of those measures.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We continue to improve our legislative, policy and operational capabilities in line with international standards and obligations, including prioritizing work to ratify all 16 international counter-terrorism instruments. Last month, New Zealand enacted new legislation aimed at combating money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, and designed to implement fully the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force. New Zealand was also pleased to 09-60696 host a highly productive visit by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate in July. Much has been achieved over the past decade through the collective efforts of the global community to combat terrorism.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Full and conscientious implementation of measures mandated by the Council under Chapter VII of the Charter is a fundamental obligation for all Member States. This in turn places a responsibility on the Council to ensure that such measures are practical, targeted and fair. New Zealand is conscious of the difficulties in meeting international counter-terrorism obligations faced by small developing States, including many in our own region. We therefore welcome recent efforts by the Secretariat to enhance engagement with small developing States in the Pacific and elsewhere to encourage and support compliance. New Zealand is also determined to take all necessary measures at the domestic level to prevent and combat terrorism and to ensure that New Zealand is neither a target nor a source of terrorist activity.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Upcoming decisions on the renewal of the mandate of that Committee's Monitoring Team will provide an important opportunity for the Council to take further practical steps to ensure that its sanctions regimes are effective, transparent and fair, and that its listings remain accurate, relevant and actionable. For example, in order to ensure that United Nations sanctions regimes are accurate, fair and capable of effective implementation, it is important that listings be backed by sufficient information. New Zealand supports further measures to promote a cleaner, leaner list of greater utility. We also support consideration of further steps to strengthen the Committees' listing and delisting procedures to ensure these are as rigorous and transparent as the special circumstances of their work will allow.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We have therefore been encouraged by this Council's recent steps to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of its existing sanctions regimes, particularly through the changes introduced in 2 resolution 1822 (2008) to strengthen procedures for listing and delisting, notification and availability of information relating to the consolidated list of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). New Zealand welcomes the progress made by the 1267 Committee in preparing publicly accessible narrative summaries outlining the reasons for specific listings.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Over the past decade, targeted United Nations sanctions have proved an effective tool in global counter-terrorism efforts. United Nations sanctions have played an important role in collective efforts to restrain and disrupt the activities of individuals, entities and networks engaged in or providing support to acts of terrorism, and to restrict their movement and access to weapons and resources. It is nevertheless essential to keep such measures under constant review to ensure that they remain effective, credible and relevant, and to consider further enhancements to their design and implementation. New Zealand is a strong supporter of targeted sanctions, which offer the global community a means of achieving its political and security objectives while minimizing unintended humanitarian and human rights impacts.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“New Zealand welcomes today's briefings by the Committees tasked with supporting the implementation of the Security Council's measures to counter the threat to peace and security that is posed by terrorism. The United Nations has an indispensable role in efforts to combat global terrorism. The framework provided by the United Nations Global Strategy on Counter-Terrorism, the 16 international counter- terrorism instruments, Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) and their successors has established the principles, norms and mechanisms underpinning counter-terrorism efforts globally and provided them with authority and legitimacy. The sanctions implemented by the Committees form an important element of this framework.”
2009-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6217Resumption1 (2009) · source
“In the spirit of cooperation of those 10 years, New Zealand shares and takes some quiet pride in all those developments and in having helped and supported the emergence of this new member of the international family of free and independent nations.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“New Zealand assures the Security Council of its continuing support for and encouragement to the leaders and the people of Timor-Leste and to Mr. Khare and his UNMIT team. We thank the Council for its ongoing support for Timor-Leste and Viet Nam for presiding over today's discussions. Amid the chaos and violence of 10 years ago, it was hard to see the prospect of the new nation that is emerging today. The security, social, economic and governance challenges of the past decade have been faced and largely met. Timor-Leste can now take up with some confidence the further challenges of developing the institutions of statehood and national democratic, representative Government, of creating credible mechanisms for ensuring justice and the protection of human rights, and of building a strong and sustainable economy.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“We do not wish to speculate as to the likely outcome of the mission, but we agree with the Secretary-General's report that any adjustments in UNMIT police numbers should be undertaken only in a gradual, step-by-step manner that helps to maintain confidence in the current stable security situation. As one of the two partners in the International Stabilization Force (ISF), we also believe that any decisions made about UNMIT's future should continue to recognize the close interlinking of United Nations and ISF operations. The ISF is charged with providing security to UNMIT, and it is vital that planning for the future of those two core components of the international security presence continue to be closely coordinated.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“It also means that we will increasingly need to call on contributions - multilateral as well as bilateral - from a wide range of international players with different areas of skill and expertise. The United Nations has a central role to play in this changing environment. In our view, it must continue to assist Timor-Leste to strengthen its national institutions and work towards peaceful and credible elections in 2012. But to ensure that it remains effective, UNMIT must be allowed to evolve. It is vital that the Mission remain responsive to the changing environment in which it operates. In that respect, the upcoming visit to Timor-Leste of a United Nations technical assessment mission is timely, and we look forward to its recommendations regarding UNMIT's medium-term future.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“We need to support the Government in enabling the growth of a private sector, because only that sector can provide the many jobs needed in the future. It is New Zealand's assessment that Timor-Leste is entering a transitional period. We cannot yet be fully sure that the current peace and calm equate to long- term stability. The unexpected eruption of violence in 2006 reminded us of the danger of making that calculation too early or too quickly. But it is equally clear that the country is no longer in a state of crisis. As the Timorese Government itself has put it, the situation is moving from conflict to development. This means that, while the support of the international community is still required, the nature and direction of that support may have to evolve and change.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“We believe that community policing can significantly contribute to promoting a peaceful and harmonious society. These are all positive developments. Together, they are helping to create exactly the sort of environment that the Government of Timor-Leste needs if it is to succeed in taking on longer-term challenges, including those identified by the Secretary-General. There are the challenges of building the institutions of statehood, developing effective and representative systems of governance and creating credible mechanisms for addressing justice and human rights issues. There are also the challenges of creating a strong economy and generating meaningful employment, particularly for the young.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“At the same time, we recognize that the mere presence of that Force, like that of the United Nations police, provides a disincentive to those who might otherwise seek to foment unrest. The National Police Force of Timor-Leste (PNTL) is taking back from the United Nations responsibility for practical policing, district by district. We will be watching with interest the resumption of policing in Viqueque next month. New Zealand continues to assist the PNTL in its development through cooperation in community policing. Our pilot projects in Becora prison in Dili and in Suai in Covalima District are going well, and progress is being made in working with the PNTL and other United Nations police personnel to extend community policing approaches to other areas.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“We are committed to continuing our assistance and fully support a continued mandate for the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). We have heard today of the considerable progress that has been made in Timor-Leste since we last met. The country is calm. Peaceful, free and fair village elections were very recently held, supported by the United Nations. Slowly but surely, Timor-Leste's institutions are growing in strength. There have been relatively few security incidents this year, and those that have occurred have been criminal in nature rather than resulting from any breakdown in stability. The Australia/New Zealand International Stabilisation Force (ISF), is increasingly focusing on capacity-building and development assistance.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“I join others in thanking Mr. Jose' Luis Guterres, Deputy Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, and Mr. Atul Khare, Special Representative of the Secretary General, for their presentations today, as well as the Secretary-General for his report (S/2009/504) on the situation in Timor- Leste. We particularly acknowledge Mr. Khare's role in overseeing the progress we are reviewing today, and we wish him well for the future. For 10 years, New Zealand has been pleased to work with Timor-Leste, successive United Nations and international missions and other bilateral partners, and is proud of the role it has played in helping to build that new nation. We appreciate the comments by various Council members acknowledging that role.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“Any one of those shortcomings or any of those identified by others in this debate puts a peacekeeping mission at risk. Taken collectively, they could put the whole peacekeeping framework at risk. Therefore, all of them must be addressed.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“We are hopeful that that will be improved and streamlined by the human resources system for United Nations peacekeepers. This issue is not addressed in depth in the New Horizon paper, but it is integral to the success of peacekeeping and deserves a renewed focus. Two weeks ago, addressing this Council on peacebuilding, I observed that the image of the Blue Beret interposed between previously warring parties has become one of this Organization's successes. But we know that that is a fragile image that is challenged by imperfect logistics and chains of supply, by lack of coordination, by underutilization of mediation resources, by the ongoing vulnerability of civilians, by limited local legal frameworks, and by inadequate recruitment and retention.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“Fifth, the Brahimi report called for a major shift toward rule of law teams, with combined police, judicial, legal and human rights experts and with a rapid deployment capacity similar to that of military and police missions. We support the development of such a capacity by the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), but it must be focused in scope and duration to avoid duplicating the efforts of others. Finally, New Zealand believes that the Office of Human Resources Management and DPKO need more capacity to deal with recruitment for peacekeeping missions. "People" is one of five key elements of the "Peace Operations 2010" reform agenda. Efficient recruitment and retention of quality people are crucial to the future of United Nations peacekeeping.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“Obviously, preventing conflict eases demand for future deployments, but to avoid a relapse into conflict, conflict prevention must also be undertaken within and during peacekeeping missions. The United Nations can now focus its peacebuilding efforts through the standby team of mediation experts and the Mediation Support Unit. The team has already achieved encouraging results, but it is still underutilized, and we should encourage the special representatives of the Secretary-General and others to access this important resource. Fourthly, New Zealand supports the ongoing work on robust peacekeeping and protection of civilians, and acknowledges the inevitability that, at times, peacekeepers will have to undertake both activities.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“The deployment of larger missions into areas with long supply chains and the need for partnership with private-sector providers obliges the United Nations to take a fresh look at the whole issue of mission support, which we anticipate will be addressed by the forthcoming field support strategy. Secondly, significant benefit can be gained from a partnership of States and regional organizations to provide sustained political and practical support for a mission. We know this from our own practical experience. New Zealand is fortunate to work closely with Timor-Leste, Australia, Portugal and others in promoting United Nations peace efforts in Timor- Leste. But we also know that, to ensure success, such support must continue well beyond the creation of a mandate. Thirdly, we reiterate the ongoing importance of conflict prevention.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“We cannot allow United Nations peacekeeping to be discredited by our failure to respond to and address today's peacekeeping reality. Many of the ideas before us today are not new. The recommendations of the Brahimi report (S/2000/809), made nearly 10 years ago, are still valid, but many have not been implemented and some have not even been addressed. New Zealand believes that, in 10 years time, we should not find ourselves still lamenting over recommendations that have not been the subject of concerted and timely action. To ensure that that does not happen, we must take a structured, focused and practical approach to working through the issues. We take this opportunity to comment on six issues which warrant further attention. First, effective logistical support is critical to the success of every mission.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“We join those who gratefully salute our peacekeepers. Theirs is an activity that has undergone a dramatic transition from traditional ceasefire monitoring to today's complex, multidimensional, robust and non-conventional missions in a significantly expanded number of conflict zones. All that has imposed an unsustainable burden on United Nations resources and led to serious challenges in respect of mandate implementation, sustained political support, supply of personnel, management, leadership and financing. Against that background, if we are to achieve our shared goals, we - the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Secretariat, contributing countries and host States - need an open and honest discussion and must accept a shared responsibility for addressing those challenges and shortcomings.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“I join preceding speakers in congratulating you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and in thanking you for convening this debate. I also thank Under- Secretaries-General Le Roy and Malcorra and General Agwai for their comprehensive briefings and their work. Peacekeeping is one of the primary instruments that we, the Members of the United Nations, have created to fulfil our Charter aspiration to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Peacekeeping is the Organization's most difficult and highest-profile activity, and it is the one by which we are most critically judged. That is as it should be, for our peacekeeping successes and failures are matters of life and death for those whom we are entrusted to protect. New Zealand has long supported the United Nations peacekeeping cause.”
2009-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6178 (2009) · source
“New Zealand is committed to working with the United Nations and others to ensure more durable solutions to preventing future conflict. The United Nations must remain as committed to peacebuilding as it is to peacekeeping. One is immediately important to end conflict and save lives; the other is absolutely necessary to prevent the resumption of conflict and to rebuild lives and societies. History will judge not only how we achieved the first, but also how we sustained the second.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands promotes long-term stability, security and prosperity by supporting improved rule of law, more effective, accountable and democratic government, economic growth and enhanced public-service delivery. We also adopt an integrated whole-of-government approach to our contributions in Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. The image of the Blue Beret interposed between previously warring parties has become one of the Organization's successes. But the benefits of peacekeeping, ceasefires and truces can be quickly lost without the next stage, namely, that of peacebuilding, which makes short-term peace sustainable by fostering democracy, leadership, justice, reconciliation, human rights and economic and social development.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“New Zealand follows the work of the Peacebuilding Commission with considerable interest. Its composition, objectives and working methods offer significant promise. But, despite that, we have yet to see concrete results. We therefore welcome the Secretary-General's consideration of how it might better realize its potential, including channelling its resources and promoting greater coherence. New Zealand favours an integrated approach to addressing the underlying causes of conflict, with the participation of security, diplomatic, development and local actors. We commend the report for emphasizing the importance of local context in developing a peacebuilding strategy. New Zealand has been a significant contributor to peacebuilding activities that have made a tangible difference on the ground.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The delivering as one philosophy must underpin United Nations peacebuilding efforts, just as it must in any other area. United Nations country leaders - the people on the ground - need greater powers and support from Headquarters to achieve their most immediate, and invariably urgent, objectives. Competent appointees, with well-defined delegations given the freedom to act quickly and decisively, could save lives, save time and save infrastructure and institutions essential to the peacebuilding process. The report also recognizes the need for rapid assessments to determine both existing capacity and the most immediate demands for external support. Capacity development, where it is needed, should not be part of an exit strategy; it should begin straight away.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source