Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 5187th Meeting, 26 May 2005, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Post-Conflict Peacebuilding"]

S/PRST/2005/20View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Security Council, under agenda item 27 Post-conflict peacebuilding, published in 2005.

What’s in this document?

15 paragraphs

At the 5187th meeting of the Security Council, held on 26 May 2005, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Post-conflict peacebuilding”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and recalls its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council considers post-conflict peacebuilding closely linked to its primary responsibilities.

“The Security Council recognizes that intra-state conflicts and states emerging from conflict, are among the most complex challenges facing the international community, and that responding to these challenges in most instances requires a coherent and integrated mix of peacebuilding and peacekeeping activities, including political, military, civilian, humanitarian and development activities.

“The Security Council acknowledges that serious attention to the longer-term process of peacebuilding in all its multiple dimensions is critically important, and that adequate support for peacebuilding activities can help to prevent countries from relapsing into conflict.

“The Security Council underlines that priorities in the post-conflict environment should include, where appropriate: protection of civilians; disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation of former combatants; security sector and economic and social reform; the end of impunity; establishment and re-establishment of the institutions of Government, the rule of law and transitional justice, respect for human rights; and economic revitalisation.

“The Security Council recognises the key role played by the United Nations, including the United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies, in peacebuilding alongside the International Financial Institutions, in particular the World Bank, bilateral donors and troop contributors. It also acknowledges the role the private sector can play in countries emerging from conflict. The Security Council underlines that a successful outcome of post-conflict peacebuilding activities depends on the sustained commitment of all relevant actors to the process, through the involvement of these actors and the coordination of their activities in all phases from planning through implementation. In this regard, the Security Council also stresses the importance of pursuing coherent policies and resource allocation between these United Nations entities taking into account their respective mandates. The Security Council recalls the report of 21 August 2000 by the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (A/55/305) and the recommendations therein, and welcomes the progress made since the publication of the report, not least as regards planning of peacekeeping operations.

“The Security Council underlines that for countries emerging from conflict, significant international assistance for economic and social rehabilitation and reconstruction is indispensable. In this regard the Security Council acknowledges the role ECOSOC plays, including in sustainable development, and reiterates its willingness to improve cooperation with United Nations bodies and organs directly concerned with peacebuilding.

“The Security Council underlines the importance of national ownership of the transition process from the end of a conflict to the attainment of lasting peace and sustainable development and the need for the international community to support nationally owned peacebuilding priorities. The Security Council recognises the positive role played by local stakeholders and encourages dialogue between the United Nations and relevant national actors. The Security Council encourages capacity building in order to respond to the country specific circumstances of each conflict situation. One goal of this capacity building - and of peacebuilding generally - should be to promote the establishment of self-supporting national authorities and thus the evolution of international assistance from peace support to longer-term development.

“The Security Council recognises the crucial role of regional and subregional organisations in post-conflict peacebuilding and their involvement at the earliest possible stage. The Security Council realizes that a clear regional perspective is necessary as most conflicts have interlocking political, security, humanitarian and economic dynamics across borders. The Security Council underscores in this respect the need for enhanced cooperation and, where appropriate, coordination between United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in peacebuilding, based on a more integrated approach and with the aim of maximising use of available resources and capabilities.

“The Security Council stresses the importance of a comprehensive international and regional approach to disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants that is not limited to the political and security aspects, but also addresses its social and economic aspects, including special needs of child soldiers and women.

“The Security Council stresses the special needs of Africa in post-conflict situations and encourages the international community to pay particular attention to those needs. It welcomes the ever-closer partnership between the African Union, the African subregional organisations and the United Nations in the area of peacemaking and peacekeeping and stresses the importance of extending this partnership to peacebuilding efforts.

“The Security Council underscores the importance of cooperation between United Nations peacekeeping operations and the United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies. The Security Council stresses the importance of ensuring that planning and implementation of United Nations humanitarian, peacekeeping, political and developmental activities at country level are well coordinated system-wide, including through the development of shared strategic objectives. The Security Council stresses that the United Nations should function as one integrated entity at country level under effective overall leadership in post-conflict peacebuilding.

“The Security Council stresses the need to ensure adequate and timely financing for peacebuilding priorities at all stages of the peace process, and stresses the need for sustained financial investment in peacebuilding over the medium to longer-term period of recovery. It recognizes the importance of rapid initiation of peacebuilding activities to meet immediate needs and encourages the building of capabilities that can be incorporated rapidly.

“The Security Council welcomes the submission of the report of 21 March 2005 by the Secretary-General In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all (A/59/2005) and of the report by the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change, A more secure world: Our shared responsibility. The Security Council acknowledges institutional gaps, identified in the reports, in the United Nations institutional machinery with respect to effectively, coherently, and comprehensively helping countries with transition from conflict to lasting peace and sustainable development.

“The Security Council takes note with interest of the important proposal by the Secretary-General to establish a Peacebuilding Commission and shares the objective of improving United Nations capacity to coordinate with donors and troop contributors and to perform peacebuilding activities, in particular from the start of peacekeeping operations through stabilization, reconstruction and development. The Security Council recognizes the important role that this body could play to bridge the gap between maintenance of international peace and security and the work of humanitarian and economic development assistance.”

Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 5187th Meeting, 26 May 2005, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Post-Conflict Peacebuilding"]

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