S/PV.6224
6224th meeting
Wednesday, 25 November 2009, 11.05 a.m.
New York
Post-conflict peacebuilding
Mr. Shalgham (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): I should like at the outset to express our appreciation to you, Mr. President, for having organized this debate on the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). I should like to extend my thanks to the Commission for its third annual report (S/2009/444). We also extend our thanks to His Excellency Ambassador Muñoz, the Permanent Representative of Chile and Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, and to the current and former Chairs of the four country-specific configurations for their distinguished efforts in guiding the work of the Commission and its configurations.
We appreciate this debate, as well as that which took place in the General Assembly recently, as important opportunities to assess the progress achieved by the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund in carrying out their mandates to consolidate peace in post-conflict countries. We should also like to express our appreciation of the efforts exerted by the Commission and its country-specific configurations to increase international interest in and commitment to the mobilization of resources, so as to put the strategic plans and frameworks agreed upon into effect with the countries on the agenda of the Commission. Libya reaffirms its support for the stance of the Non-Aligned Movement in this respect.
We express our high appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Peacebuilding Commission to collaborate effectively with other bodies of the United Nations, such as the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and we emphasize the importance of continuing such interaction and fostering further coordination and cooperation between the Peacebuilding Commission and other regional and subregional organizations, including the African Union (AU). In this respect, we commend the recent successful visit by a delegation of the Peacebuilding Commission, chaired by Ambassador Muñoz, the Permanent Representative of Chile, to the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. We call for such visits and meetings to be continued, with a view to creating a common strategic understanding of the priorities for peacebuilding in post-conflict countries and to specify a more effective methodology for tackling the current challenges we face in this respect.
Libya commends increased efforts and interest in peacebuilding and the greater interaction between the Peacebuilding Commission, other bodies of the United Nations and other regional and international organizations, which in itself reflects the importance of expanding the membership in the Peacebuilding Commission. This is a request that has been made repeatedly by the Non-Aligned Movement. We are confident that this would enhance the effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts in post-conflict countries and that the Commission would benefit from the various experiences that we have accumulated in this respect.
Peacebuilding is a multidimensional process involving a number of challenges. Among these, we believe, is the challenge of how to strategically link the social, economic, developmental, political and security elements and priorities of peacebuilding. We believe that peacebuilding efforts will never bear fruit if we focus on certain elements and priorities and ignore others, especially with regards to the priorities of economic recovery and development. We therefore call for the developmental aspect of the work of the Peacebuilding Commission to be further enhanced.
We agree with the remarks and conclusions mentioned in the report of the Peacebuilding Commission, especially those relating to coordination, coherence and partnerships with a view to developing integrated peacebuilding strategies based on the fundamental principles of national ownership, mutual accountability and continued partnership. There has to be greater contact, awareness and information on the role of the Commission, especially with regard to the countries on its agenda.
With regard to the mobilization of resources, undoubtedly financing constitutes a fundamental aspect for maintaining the momentum of peacebuilding. In this regard, we should like to stress the importance of confirming the conviction contained in paragraph 79 of the Commission’s report, which states that “rapid and flexible funding, aligned to an agreed and prioritized strategy, is critical for successful peacebuilding”. Peacebuilding funding must be viewed as an early investment in peace and development, and this requires taking greater risks, beyond regular financing for development. And, in this respect, we call for the revised competencies of the Peacebuilding Fund to be swiftly applied, so as to enable the Fund to act as a tool that provides swift and flexible financing and effective response to peacebuilding efforts.
Through its membership in the country-specific configuration for the Central African Republic, Libya is well aware of the importance of making strenuous efforts to build peace in a country whose people long to live in peace and to enjoy sustainable development and prosperity, especially in view of the broad momentum produced by the political dialogue and comprehensive agreements, in whose successful outcome Libya has participated.
In addition to the commitment expressed by the Government of the Central African Republic and the local, regional and international stakeholders, those developments deserve to be encouraged through tireless efforts to build peace in that country. That is what we are striving for, as well as for other efforts on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission in Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Burundi. We hope that the forthcoming visit of the delegation of the country-specific configuration for the Central African Republic, to be led by Ambassador Grauls, the Permanent Representative of Belgium, will be successful. We are confident in Belgium’s leadership and commitment to achieving peace.
We look forward to a comprehensive review of peacebuilding activities in the coming year, which will help bridge the existing gap, and we trust that preparations for such a review will start soon.
