Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 6630th Meeting, 12 Oct. 2011, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Maintenance of International Peace and Security"]

S/PRST/2011/19View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Security Council, under agenda item 10 Maintenance of international peace and security, published in 2011.

What subjects does this mandate have?

9 subjects

Africa Partnership Peacebuilding Peacekeeping Operations Political Leaders Regional Cooperation Security Sector Reform War Prevention Women

What’s in this document?

11 paragraphs

At the 6630th meeting of the Security Council, held on 12 October 2011, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Maintenance of international peace and security”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council recalls the statements by its President of 21 February 2007 (S/PRST/2007/3) and 12 May 2008 (S/PRST/2008/14), and the report of the Secretary-General entitled ‘Securing Peace and Development: the role of the United Nations in supporting security sector reform’ of 23 January 2008 (S/2008/39), and emphasizes that the establishment of an effective, professional and accountable security sector is at the cornerstone of peace and sustainable development. Equally, security sector reform underscores that effectiveness, accountability and good governance are mutually reinforcing elements of security.

“The Security Council notes that the bulk of the international community’s assistance in the area of security sector reform takes place in, and is directed to countries in Africa. At the same time, a number of African countries are becoming important providers of such assistance. The Security Council welcomes this intra-African collaboration and emphasizes that there is a need to expand the consideration given to African perspectives on security sector reform. This includes enhancing cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, as well as sharing knowledge and experience with women and members of civil society. Focusing security sector reform efforts on the needs and priorities of populations in post-conflict countries will considerably enhance the legitimacy, viability and sustainability of such support.

“The Security Council recognizes that security sector reform is a long-term process and reiterates the sovereign right and primary responsibility of the country concerned to determine its national approach and priorities for security sector reform. It should be a nationally owned process that is rooted in the particular needs and conditions of the country in question. The successful coordination of security sector reform efforts must be based on national consensus and driven by political leadership and political will to progress reform. In this regard, the Security Council underlines the responsibility of States to coordinate security sector reform support, including, but not limited to, establishing a strategic vision and the parameters for reform, identifying gaps and needs, prioritizing areas for technical support, and avoiding duplication of donor efforts.

“The Security Council encourages reforming States, while taking into account their capacity constraints, to strive to allocate national resources to security sector reform efforts to ensure long-term sustainability and viability of such reform. In this context, the Security Council emphasizes the importance of improving women’s participation in discussions pertinent to prevention and resolution of conflict, the maintenance of peace and security and encourages women to participate in the national armed and security forces in accordance with relevant international law. In this regard, the Security Council encourages the development of a security sector that is accessible and responsive to all, including women and other vulnerable groups.

“The Security Council recognizes the importance of regional frameworks as a foundation for multilateral security sector reform efforts. In this regard, the Security Council welcomes the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in developing a continental security sector reform policy framework, for its implementation. The Security Council encourages other regions to consider establishing such partnerships in order to better facilitate the exchange of lessons learned and best practices, as well as develop regional frameworks for security sector reform support, reflecting the participation of regional and subregional organizations. The Security Council also recognizes the support provided by bilateral actors, as well as regional actors, including the European Union, to security sector reform efforts in Africa and other initiatives in the area of security sector reform in Africa carried out by organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries.

“The Security Council recalls its previous Presidential Statements concerning the need for early and adequate support in priority areas of peacebuilding, including reform of the security sector, as well as the importance of security sector reform programs for conflict prevention. In light of ongoing conflict in Africa, the Security Council reiterates the link between security sector reform and socio-economic development, and underlines that such reform efforts should be situated within the broader and more comprehensive spectrum of peacebuilding. In this regard, the Security Council emphasizes the important role of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund in supporting SSR, including in African countries. The Security Council encourages the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to promote coordination among and between national and external actors involved in security sector reform in the countries on its agenda.

“The Security Council underlines that United Nations support to security sector reform must take place within a broad framework of the rule of law and should contribute to the overall strengthening of the United Nations rule of law activities as well as wider reconstruction and development efforts. This will require continued coordination with relevant United Nations actors to ensure an increasingly coherent approach. In this context, the Security Council stresses the need for security sector reform efforts to be cognizant of the issue of impunity.

“The Security Council notes that peacekeeping has evolved significantly over the past decades from primarily monitoring ceasefires to complex multi-dimensional operations which seek to undertake peacebuilding tasks and underlying causes of conflict. In this regard, the Security Council notes that an increasing number of peacekeeping and special political missions are mandated to support national security sector reform programs, including those in Africa, through strategic assistance to develop security sector frameworks and capacity building of the security and law enforcement institutions in key areas, including training in human rights, child protection and protection from sexual- and gender-based violence. The Security Council stresses the need to continue to include, as appropriate, security sector reform aspects as an integral part of planning of United Nations operations.

“The Security Council recognizes the important role that the United Nations has played in supporting national efforts to build sustainable security institutions, and commends the efforts of the United Nations, in particular the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the Security Sector Reform Unit and the United Nations Inter-Agency Security Sector Reform Task Force, in further strengthening a comprehensive United Nations approach to security sector reform, through the development of guidance and civilian capacities, coordination mechanisms, and collaboration with regional and subregional organizations, in particular the African Union.

“The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to submit, by early 2013, an assessment of the United Nations support for SSR, including those efforts in Africa, and make recommendations on how best to strengthen the United Nations comprehensive approach to SSR, taking into account the linkages between United Nations assistance and conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and also taking into consideration the views of relevant United Nations organs and actors.”

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