Peacekeeping

Allow me to mention, in this context, what we believe to be three important issues: impunity and the lack of accountability, the need to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping operations and missions, and, finally, the need for an increasingly integrated approach to peacekeeping.

The adoption of resolution 1894 (2009) on 11 November last year once again reinforced the Council's commitment to the protection of civilians by taking concrete steps towards this end by ensuring humanitarian access, providing protection mandates to peacekeeping missions, and recognizing the need for the effective monitoring and reporting of cases.

We consider it extremely important to develop the preventive, analytical dimension of a mission before it is deployed in order to best protect civilians and achieve an optimum understanding of the parties, reasons and circumstances of the conflict in relation to the civilian situation. More specific and appropriate mandates can be arrived at when they are developed on a more informed, case-by-case basis.

The latest report of the Secretary-General identifies various areas where progress has been made, but it also clearly notes that most of this progress is still taking place within a normative or legislative framework. Such progress contributes to the development the common of conceptual framework we all seek as the basis and guide for the protection of civilians tasks that peacekeeping operations must carry out.

The issue of the protection of civilians in armed conflict has been addressed in this Chamber for over 10 years, and we have seen the subject evolve and develop in that time. In this respect, we believe that resolution 1894 (2009) and last year's presidential statement (S/PRST/2009/1) to be of great value.

However, we must remember that we have no time to lose in improving protection on the ground. We need to keep in mind both the multidimensional nature of peacekeeping operations and their various civilian, military and police components, as well as the essential political commitment that such missions require.

As part of this preventive analysis, it will also be necessary to carry out an ongoing evaluation of the risks faced on the ground both by civilians and by those protecting them, particularly in peacekeeping operations. In this regard, we thank the informal Expert Group for its work. We suggest that the Group might also assess the lessons learned from missions carried out to date.

The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns attacks on civilians under all circumstances. Pakistan has been a strong and active supporter of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Over the years, Pakistan has contributed to international efforts, particularly those led by the United Nations, for the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Over time, in responding to emerging threats to civilians, the Council has looked beyond situations of actual armed conflict to situations of civil strife preceding full-fledged conflict, as well as post-conflict and natural disaster situations. In situations such as the ones in Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, the Council has established broader protection mandates to ensure that the populations' human rights are protected.

The first is mission drawdown. In recent months, United Nations peacekeepers have begun to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad is expected to withdraw completely by the end of this year. The protection and humanitarian implications of drawdown are contextspecific.