AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to thank Mr. Chandru Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General and Controller, and Mr. Cihan Terzi, Chair of the ACABQ, for introducing their respective reports.

As my delegation noted in our statement on the Organization of Work on Monday, the Committee’s consideration of the Secretary-General’s Overview Report comes at an important moment in UN peacekeeping reform. This will be our first discussion on cross-cutting policy issues since the launch of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and adoption of key elements of the UN management and peace and security architecture reforms. We welcome the Overview Report’s focus on these initiatives, and look forward to learning more about how they have improved mandate delivery, strengthened the partnership among all peacekeeping stakeholders and enhanced strategic planning and service delivery.

My delegation strongly supports the Secretary-General’s efforts in several policy areas highlighted in his report. These include: promoting the women, peace and security agenda -in particular by increasing uniformed women in peacekeeping operations; measuring and incentivizing the performance of peacekeeping operations including their uniformed and civilian components; and taking proactive measures to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers in line with implementation of the Dos Santos Cruz report.

In addition to these policy areas, which are necessary to improve the effectiveness of mandate implementation and to protect both UN personnel and local communities, this Committee also has a responsibility to advance reforms that improve the efficiency of peacekeeping operations. In this regard, we note the ongoing implementation of the Secretary-General’s review of air assets and improved management of supply chains, vehicle fleets, and rations and encourage this work to continue. We also agree with the ACABQ’s observation that peacekeeping budgets must demonstrate scalability of mission support components, in particular during downsizing and reconfiguration.

Madam Chair, given the importance of these issues, it is critical that the Fifth Committee reach consensus on a cross-cutting resolution this year. We stand ready to engage constructively with all colleagues in order to achieve a resolution that provides support and direction for the Secretary-General’s reform initiatives as well as strategic guidance in their implementation. Thank you.

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