Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 6479th Meeting, 11 Feb. 2011, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: The Interdependence Between Security and Development"]

S/PRST/2011/4View 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

Capacity Building Coordination Within UN System Institution Building International Cooperation International Security Peacebuilding Peacekeeping Operations Post-Conflict Reconstruction Resources Mobilization

What’s in this document?

16 paragraphs

At the 6479th meeting of the Security Council, held on 11 February 2011, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Maintenance of international peace and security: the interdependence between security and development”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council reaffirms its primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security and its readiness to strive for sustainable peace in all situations under its consideration.

“The Security Council underlines that security and development are closely interlinked and mutually reinforcing and key to attaining sustainable peace. The Council recognizes that their relationship is complex, multifaceted and case-specific.

“The Security Council reiterates that, in order to support a country to emerge sustainably from conflict, there is a need for a comprehensive and integrated approach that incorporates and strengthens coherence between political, security, development, human rights and rule of law activities, and addresses the underlying causes of each conflict. In this regard, the Council affirms the necessity to consider relevant economic, political and social dimensions of conflict.

“The Security Council affirms that national ownership and national responsibility are key to establishing sustainable peace. The Council reaffirms the primary responsibility of national authorities in identifying their priorities and strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding, with a view to ensuring national ownership.

“The Security Council re-emphasises the importance of considering and initiating peacebuilding activities from the earliest stages of planning and implementation of peacekeeping operations, including through clear and achievable mandates. The Council stresses the importance of clarity of roles and responsibilities of the UN peacekeeping operation and the UN country team and other relevant actors for the delivery of prioritised support to a country consistent with its specific peacebuilding needs and priorities, as outlined by national authorities, in order to ensure effective integration of effort. The Council recommends that particular focus be given to improved integration of UN effort where peacekeeping missions are operating together with peacebuilding activities of other UN actors, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.

“The Security Council notes that successful implementation of the many tasks that peacekeeping operations could be mandated to undertake in the areas of security sector reform; disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration; rule of law; and human rights requires an understanding of and acting with a perspective which takes into account the close interlinkage between security and development. In this context, the Council notes with appreciation the contribution that peacekeepers and peacekeeping missions make to early peacebuilding, including through creating a conducive environment which enables economic recovery and the provision of basic services. The Council acknowledges that this contribution can help to establish and build confidence in the mission.

“The Security Council undertakes to consider how peacekeeping operations can best support national authorities, as appropriate, to articulate peacebuilding priorities, and acting in accordance with these priorities, can both support other national and international actors to implement peacebuilding activities and undertake certain early peacebuilding tasks themselves. The Council underlines that reconstruction, economic revitalization and capacity-building constitute crucial elements for the long-term development of post-conflict societies and in generating sustainable peace, and, in this regard, attaches special importance to national ownership and stresses the significance of international assistance.

“The Security Council notes that in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security under its consideration, conflict analysis and contextual information on, inter alia, social and economic issues is important, when such issues are drivers of conflict, represent a challenge to the implementation of Council mandates or endanger the process of consolidation of peace. In this regard, the Council requests the Secretary-General to ensure that his reporting to the Council contains such contextual information.

“The Security Council stresses the importance it attaches to the sustainability of peace in post-conflict situations. In this regard, it reaffirms that the overarching objective of peacekeeping missions should be to achieve success through creating the conditions for security and sustainable peace on the ground, thereby allowing for reconfiguration or withdrawal of the mission.

“The Security Council recalls the role played by the illegal exploitation of natural resources in fuelling some past and current conflicts. In this regard, it recognizes that the United Nations can play a role in helping the States concerned, as appropriate, upon their request and with full respect for their sovereignty over natural resources and under national ownership, to prevent illegal access to those resources and to lay the basis for their legal exploitation with a view to promoting development, in particular through the empowerment of governments in post-conflict situations to better manage their resources.

“The Security Council encourages close cooperation within the United Nations system and with regional, sub-regional, and other organizations on the ground and at Headquarters in order to properly engage in conflict and post-conflict situations, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, and expresses its willingness to consider ways to improve such cooperation.

“The Security Council underlines that integrated action on the ground by security and development actors needs to be coordinated with the national authorities and can significantly contribute to stabilizing and improving the security situation and ensuring the protection of civilians. The Council also notes the importance of cooperation with civil society in this context. The Council affirms that sustainable peace and development cannot be achieved without the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders and underlines that women must be included as active participants in all stages of peacebuilding, peace agreements and development programs. The Council expresses its willingness to engage in dialogue, where necessary, on specific situations on its agenda with other actors, including UN agencies, funds, and programmes and international financial institutions.

“The Security Council encourages Member States, particularly those represented on the governance structures of the UN agencies, funds, and programmes, to promote coherence in the United Nations’ work in conflict and post-conflict situations.

“The Security Council reiterates its support for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and its readiness to make greater use of the Commission’s advisory role. The Council further recognizes the need for coordination and dialogue with the Commission. The Council calls upon the Commission to continue to promote an integrated and coherent approach to peacebuilding and to seek to ensure that development and security-related activities supported by the Commission are mutually reinforcing.

“The Security Council highlights the contribution that the Economic and Social Council can make in addressing economic, social, cultural and humanitarian issues and underlines the importance of close cooperation in accordance with Article 65 of the Charter of the United Nations.”

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