Submitted by: Foreign and Commonwelath Office
Paper Ref: PSG0015
Numbered: IRC/16-17/23
The Rt Hon. Lord Howell of Guildford
Chairman
International Relations Committee
House of Lords
London SW1A 0PW
Dear Lord Howell
Thank you for the recent opportunity to give evidence to your inquiry on the United
Kingdom’s priorities for the next United Nations Secretary-General. As requested, I am writing to elaborate on how we see those priorities and am attaching a short note on our approach to UN peacekeeping.
You mentioned at the start of our session the words of former UN Secretary-General
Dag Hammarskjöld that “the UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.” The UK certainly recognises that in an increasingly interdependent and unstable world, the range of global challenges requiring international cooperation is greater than ever. This presents the UN with a formidable agenda, but it remains the best global vehicle we have to address many of these challenges and we remain firmly committed to the UK’s active role within it.
The Foreign Secretary already underlined this strong support for the UN and its ideals during his meeting with Ban Ki-moon on 22 July.
Our vision for the UN is a modern, global organisation enabling solutions to contemporary challenges, and upholding a rules-based international system that reflects shared values. This year’s hearings with candidates for the Secretary-
General position provided a useful opportunity to explore what this means for the
UN’s work across the three pillars of peace and security, development and human rights. As I stressed at the evidence session, joining up the UN’s work across the three pillars is increasingly important and we are pleased that this theme has come through strongly from candidates.
In terms of specific priorities, following the successful outcome of last year’s UN summit on the Sustainable Development Goals and the climate conference in Paris, one priority for the next Secretary-General will be to drive implementation of these historic agreements. We also hope the next Secretary-General will continue the good work launched by Ban Ki-moon through his “Human Rights Up Front” initiative.
On the peace and security side, priorities include mobilising the UN system and member states behind action to counter terrorism and extremism; using the recommendations of Ban’s High-Level International Panel on Peace Operations to strengthen and adapt the UN’s approach to peacekeeping; promoting more effective action to prevent conflict; and responding more effectively to humanitarian crises.
And working to end all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence in conflict, is also an important priority.
Progress on this challenging agenda will require a strong Secretary-General with the right personal qualities. We want a woman or man of integrity, with a proven track record and a bold vision for an activist UN at the heart of the rules-based international system. They should have strong leadership skills and be able to join up the disparate parts of the UN, driving efficiency – particularly in finance and management – and modernising the operating model. We would also like the next
Secretary-General to drive a step change in coordination with external partners.
I hope this is helpful.
I am happy to discuss further with you and the Committee at your convenience.
Paul Williams
Director Multilateral Policy
The three ‘Ps’ of UN Peacekeeping
UK priorities for the UN reform agenda
UN Peacekeeping is a key tool in the global community’s response to some of the world’s most destabilising conflicts. As a Permanent Member of the Security Council, the UK has a special responsibility for mandating UN peacekeeping deployments. As a country with global interests, relationships and priorities, as the sixth largest donor to the Peacekeeping budget, and as a troop contributing country, we have a strong stake in helping to make those deployments both efficient and effective.
UN peacekeeping missions are being asked to deploy in increasingly difficult environments and confront greater risks. In this context, there is a growing gap between what they are asked to achieve and what they can sometimes deliver. The UK welcomed the Secretary-
General’s decision to establish the High Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations
(HIPPO) in 2014. It provided an opportunity to reflect on the current state of UN peacekeeping, and how it can be enhanced.
In order to ensure key recommendations from the Review are implemented, the UK is supporting a systematic, and sustained, approach to peacekeeping reform – the ‘3Ps of
Peacekeeping’: Planning, Pledges and Performance. The 3Ps represent our effort to distil and build on the recommendations of the HIPPO, including under the stewardship of a new
Secretary-General.
The UK is taking practical steps to progress the 3Ps agenda, both through our own commitments and through our efforts to encourage our international partners to offer their support. The UK is doubling the number of troops we deploy to peacekeeping missions by making a contribution to UN operations in Somalia and South Sudan. We are also providing a targeted programme of support to the UN Secretariat to help it increase its capacity, particularly on planning. And the Defence Secretary will be hosting a UN Peacekeeping
Defence Ministerial in London in September. Baroness Anelay, with her experience as the
Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, is also taking a leading role in the UK’s peacekeeping reform activity.
Planning
Effective planning at all stages of the mission lifecycle, particularly as missions are conceived and designed, lays the foundations for mission success. We want to empower the
UN to be better at earlier conflict analysis and coordination across the UN system. We also believe a gender perspective should be integrated into every stage of the planning process.
Through extra-budgetary funding, we have successfully seed funded a new unit within the
UN Secretary General’s office to undertake strategic planning and analysis. We want to help the UN plan peacekeeping missions based on more clearly prioritised objectives and benchmarks for success, and to prepare for draw-down and transition when those benchmarks are achieved. Effective coordination between the military, police and civilian elements is also critical.
Pledges
Pledges of troops, police and equipment are increasing the pool of resources available for current and future peacekeeping operations. We want the UN to be able to identify where capability gaps remain and seek pledges to fill them as well as develop a pool of capabilities available to deploy if gaps arise or crises occur. To support this aim, the UK has funded the establishment of a Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell in the UN. We want to help the UN to refine the policies and processes, and to enlarge the capacities and political will, that are needed to ensure these new resources are matched to the requirements identified in the planning process. This should include a significant increase in women’s participation in all aspects of peacekeeping. The primary aim of the UK-hosted peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in September is to ensure that the pledges made at the
Obama summit are upheld as well as to announce new pledges made since then, with a focus on more rapidly deployable troops and police.
Performance
To deliver against challenging mandates, Peacekeepers need to perform at the highest level. They should be well trained and effectively led. They should be properly equipped, with appropriate logistical and medical support. They should also be fully vetted before deployment, and all instances of poor performance and misconduct should be dealt with quickly, robustly and transparently. In particular, the UK is committed to supporting the work being undertaken to combat sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers and ensuring accountability for misconduct and underperformance, as well as strengthening the role of peacekeepers in preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence and child protection. We currently provide training in key capabilities to troop contributing countries and will continue to seek further opportunities to provide this type of support. We want to help the UN identify what administrative reforms are needed to ensure that peacekeepers can perform safely and effectively once deployed in the field.
Conflict Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
August 2016