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I thank the Rwandan presidency of UNSC for organizing this timely open debate on UN and regional partnerships, with a focus on Africa. Africa’s regional and subregional organisations have been actively involved in seeking solutions to conflicts on the continent, and their cooperation with the UN and other regional partners, such as the EU, has evolved significantly over the years. Lessons learned and best practices that have developed are key to an ever more effective conflict prevention and resolution, especially as we have to consider the limitations of material, human, and financial resources that are dedicated to peacekeeping, as well as their absorption capacity. 

I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. We welcome the unanimous adoption of the resolution on regional partnerships in peacekeeping and appreciate the energetic efforts of Rwandan presidency in leading the negotiations. 

Whether through troop deployment, provision of logistical and financial support, or working side by side in implementing multidimensional mandates, participation of regional and sub-regional actors today is an indispensable and increasingly regular part of modern peacekeeping. 

Regional peacekeeping frequently offers faster deployment timelines and much needed troop numbers that can literarily make a difference between life and death. Such involvement strengthens regional ownership of the peace efforts and bolsters continued commitment by the countries of the region that share a strong interest in the sustainability and success of the peacekeeping effort. 

Involvement of regional or subregional actors, as noted in the Presidency’s concept paper, also brings better understanding of the context and root causes of a specific conflict, thus enabling to address the situation in a more specific and more effective manner. The active engagement of the AU as well as ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC, and ECCAS with the UN in bringing peace to conflict torn areas speaks for itself. 

These organisations, in close cooperation with the UN and other regional actors, perform an essential function, not only in peacekeeping per se, but also conducting critical mediation efforts that have been necessary in a number of crises. IGAD’s role in the case of South Sudan,one example among many, is an excellent case in point. In the case of Mali, again, a number of regional actors, including the AU, ECOWAS, the EU and others, have been continuously engaged as mediators. 

Regional partnerships, however, are not immune to the most critical obstacles faced by UN peacekeeping operations in general, including clarity of the mandate, capability and training gaps, logistical hurdles, or insufficient coordination among mission components. 

Close cooperation, coordination, and synergies between and among regional actors and the UN therefore play an essential role in ensuring mission success. Drawing and applying lessons from such joint undertakings for the sake of mission effectiveness and success is therefore key. As seen from the assessment of existing missions involving UN and regional components, the experience to date, although generally positive, definitely offers room for improvement. 

UNAMID is an important case for lessons learned. The African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur replaced the African Union operation in 2008, with the aim to bolster the protection of civiliansand support the overall peace process by deploying additional troops and increasing financial resources dedicated to the task. Six years later, it is UN’s second largest mission with almost 23 thousand personnel, and its most expensive one, with a cost of 1.3 billion dollars a year, drawing criticism from various sides. 

While undoubtedly UNAMID did have a positive impact on the situation in Darfur, it has also suffered from a number of problems, including a high number casualties among peacekeepers, a lack of cooperation from the host government, chronic shortages of equipment and transport, as well as capability deficiencies and internal coordination problems. 

Its record of protecting civilians has been subject to considerable criticism. The Office of Internal Oversight Services described it as “highly ineffective” and “generally passive”, while other reports highlighted unwillingness to report human rights abuses and Khartoum government’s involvement in supporting armed groups. This prompted some serious thinking about the mission’s future and refocusing of its mandate, which would hopefully result in a more effective mandate implementation. In this respect, it can offer useful lessons for the future which would enable new missions to avoid some of the difficulties UNAMID had to go through. 

In Somalia, the African Union mission AMISOM, with the logistical and financial support by the UN, the European Union and other partners, has been instrumental in making considerable advances against Al-Shabaab militants. Its transition from maintaining an essentially defensive posture to mounting an offensive against the militants, was possible largely due to an increased number of troops and – most importantly – the willingness by the main troop contributors to robustly implement the mandate. 

The sustainability of military gains against Al-Shabaab needs to be reinforced through the establishment of effective local governance and addressing the security and economic needs of the population. This enormous task will continue to be undertaken by a number of UN system entities, as well as regional efforts, such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the EU mission, which provides training to the Somali National Armed Forces, including on protection of civilians, international humanitarian law and human rights. 

If we look at the Central African Republic, the stepping in of AU’s MICOPAX at a critical time was the only force that to prevent even greater atrocities from happening. Its successor MISCA, in cooperation with the French operation Sangaris, made a critical difference in protecting civilians and restoring basic security. In view of the complexity of the tasks ahead, MISCA will transition to a UN operation by 15 September to benefit from UN’s experience in deploying multidimensional operations directed at addressing the root causes of the conflict. Joint UN and AU efforts in CAR will continue to be complemented by an EU military force aimed at ensuring secure environment in the Bangui area, where it provides additional security in the airport area and also in the 3rd and 4th arrondisements. 

These are but a few examples of the ever more complex and multidimensional PK missions with the involvement of regional actors, each offering specific lessons for future missions of the kind. One key element is advance cooperative planning and early consultations on mission type, political strategic objectives, desired end state, exit strategy, tentative timelines and geographical information. Adequate training of troops, especially as mandates go robust, with the critical tasks of protection of civilians, is essential, also in IHL and HRL, to make sure that peacekeepers in absolutely all cases are part of the solution and not part of the problem. Targeted training on gender sensitivity, protecting women and children in armed conflict, and combatting rape as a tool of war must remain at the core of all peacekeeping training. 

To make UN and regional partnerships work better, comparative strengths and requirements of all actors should be identified, mandates and responsibilities clearly defined, clear command and control structures put in place, and resources ensured. As the concept paper rightly points out, the current planning processes of the regional partners in Africa could benefit from improvement. To address this, the EU, through its African Peace Facility Capacity Building Component, is working to increase the capacity of the AU and of the Regional Economic Communities in planning and conduct of peace operations. 

But then, we are also keenly aware that as effective as PK cooperation may be, they can only deliver up to a point. However effective and well-coordinated a peacekeeping operation might be, comprehensive efforts going beyond the separation of parties to a conflict, PoC and support to humanitarian efforts are required, including putting an end to impunity, justice and reconciliation processes, strengthening of the rule of law, institution building, solid good governance and human rights framework, and creating a solid framework for long term economic development. 

While these peacebuilding processes can be started by the UN and regional actors, their sustainability can only succeed if national capacities are developed and national ownership of the processes is ensured. With an aim to assist in developing such national capacities, the EU established a number of military and civilians training missions in Africa and elsewhere, working in the areas spanning from enhancing border security and maritime capacities to combating terrorism and organized crime. 

Lithuania is proud to contribute to these efforts in Mali, where our military advisers are part of the EU training mission improve the military capacity of the Malian Armed Forces. In 2013 Lithuania also deployed troops on the EU antipiracy mission ATALANTA and now participates in the NATO Operation Ocean Shield combating piracy off the Horn of Africa. In each case we get to appreciate the value and effectiveness of cooperation between the UN and regional organisations and once again, thank the Rwandan presidency for giving this opportunity today to review the related successes as well as concerns 

Let me conclude by expressing our deepest appreciation and respect for thousands of men and women peacekeepers – military, police or civilians – who dedicate themselves to the noble goal of protecting others and all too often sacrifice their lives in the line of duty. 

Thank you.