High-level Conference “Peace Operations and Human Rights: Fostering Integration between Mission Components”

6 July 2021

Madam Minister,

USG Lacroix,

Excellencies, Distinguished guests,

I would like to thank the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany for convening this very important high-level conference on peace operations and human rights.

I am truly encouraged that we are reconvening one year after the historic Open Debate on Peace Operations and Human Rights organized by Germany in the Security Council to continue to discuss the issue. I deeply regret that I am not able to join you for the discussion, but I hope you will understand that my commitments at the Human Rights Council could not allow it.

Human rights are central to the Security Council's mandate to maintain international peace and security as laid out in the UN Charter, and we have seen this in practice with the inclusion of human rights in the mandates of peace operations in some of the gravest crisis situations in the world. Currently, 11 UN peace operations – five peacekeeping and six special political missions – have integrated human rights components working alongside other mission components to implement the Council's mandates comprehensively.

Working alongside military, police, and civilian components, these human rights components contribute to greater protection of civilian populations, including women and children, through supporting institutional and legislative reforms to bolster the capacities of host governments to build inclusive peace. Human rights components' consistent engagement with local populations also bring the missions' military capacities closer to the people they serve and protect.

Human rights monitoring and reporting, analysis, advocacy, and engagement further the mandate objectives of multi-dimensional missions. We work alongside UN military components to increase situational awareness, inform operations, and encourage accountability and oversight. We also work jointly toward implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on UN support to non-UN security forces peacekeeping operations to positively influence the behaviour of national uniformed forces.

The topic that you are discussing today – cooperation between human rights and military components – is critical to deepening our collective understanding of how we can increase the impact of peacekeeping operations to address root causes of conflict and support the foundations for sustainable peace.

Madam Minister, Distinguished guests,

At this time of unprecedented crisis and limited resources, there is little doubt that we must strengthen cooperation and coherence among the various entities that compose UN peace missions, not only to demonstrate the added value and comparative advantage of the UN on peace and security but also to bring about actual and positive change and impact on the ground. The UN's peace operations are among the Organization's most significant achievements, and a powerful tool to protect and promote human rights. I look forward to hearing the outcomes of your discussions today.

Thank you.