Peacekeeping operations are one of the most important tools available to th...

Peacekeeping operations are one of the most important tools available to the United Nations for the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The Security Council's thematic resolution 1894 (2009), as well as its resolutions relating to children and armed conflict and to women and peace and security, the mandating of peacekeeping missions to protect civilians, the adoption of the aide-mémoire on the protection of civilians contained in document S/PRST/2009/1 and the creation of the informal expert group on the protection of civilians, have been important steps forward. However, at the same time, the gap between the words in the protection mandates and their actual implementation still seems to persist. In that regard, my delegation would like to re-emphasize the importance of the principle of the responsibility to protect, as endorsed in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1), in preventing harm to civilians in armed conflict.