Chapter I: International peace and security to equip and supply missions more quickly, and the establishment of a Peacekeeping Reserve Fund allowing for commitment authority of up to $50 million in advance of a Security Council mandate. There was a need for a lighter mission footprint, faster turnaround and greater use of local staff and local suppliers. One way to build capability and performance was to invest more in technology-driven solutions, such as better information analysis, improved communications and higher-performing equipment. In the debate that followed, in which 35 delegations spoke, many Member States underlined their support for reform initiatives, as well as the need to strengthen coordination and cooperation among the Security Council, the troop- and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat. Security Council consideration (August). The Council on 5 August held a day-long debate on peacekeeping [meeting 6178] attended by some 20 force and police commanders of UN peacekeeping missions. Opening the debate, Council President John Sawers (United Kingdom) said that in January the United Kingdom and France had launched an initiative that sought to ensure that the Council could play its part to best effect. In the early stages, the focus had been on strategic oversight of peacekeeping, seeking to ensure that mandates were credible, measurable and achievable. The Council had also sought ways to improve information-sharing and consultations with countries contributing troops and police. The Under-Secretaries-General for Peacekeeping Operations and for Field Support briefed the Council on the non-paper entitled “A new partnership agenda: charting a new horizon for United Nations peacekeeping”, the result of their joint review of the UN peacekeeping system. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations outlined the recommendations contained in the non-paper, which was part of the New Horizon process to reinvigorate the peacekeeping partnership. The document highlighted the importance of enhanced information-sharing, consultations and communication and effective planning, which depended upon peacekeeping partners indicating clearly and early on where and how they might be able to assist in establishing an operation. The non-paper also examined ways to improve management and oversight, while highlighting the need to strengthen command-and-control systems at every level, including through more robust accountability frameworks. The Under-Secretary-General for Field Support said that one of the key enablers of the New Horizon initiative would be the support strategy, the overarching goal of which was to provide improved support services with quality, speed and efficiency. Dfs would develop options, outline opportunities to improve and
73 present sound business plans to support the decision process. In the debate that followed, participants stressed the necessity of a comprehensive reform agenda, featuring all aspects of the peacekeeping machinery, including the political-strategic, administrative, financial and operational aspects. SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION
On 5 August [meeting 6178], following consultations among Security Council members, the President made statement S/PRST/2009/24 on behalf of the Council: The Security Council reaffirms the recommendations made in its resolutions 1327(2000) and 1353(2001) and in the statements by its President of 3 May and 4 November 1994, 28 March 1996, 31 January 2001 and 17 May 2004 and the note by its President of 14 January 2002 and confirms its intention to strengthen further efforts to implement fully those recommendations. The Council recalls, in particular, from the statement by its President of 3 May 1994, the appropriate factors that should be taken into account when the establishment of a new peacekeeping operation is under consideration. The Council believes that United Nations peacekeeping is a unique global partnership that draws together the contributions and commitment of the entire United Nations system. The Council is committed to strengthening this partnership. The Council recognizes the important work conducted by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly, the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, the Fifth Committee of the Assembly and the Secretariat to ensure that peacekeeping efforts provide the best possible results. The Council has endeavoured in the past six months to improve its dialogue with the Secretariat and with troop- and police-contributing countries on the collective oversight of peacekeeping operations and to develop the following practices: (i) Regular dialogue with the Secretariat on the general challenges of peacekeeping; (ii) Efforts to deepen consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries, including through the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and the debates organized on 23 January and 29 June 2009; (iii) Organization of political-military meetings on specific operations to improve the shared analysis of operational challenges; (iv) Encouraging regular updating of planning documents by the Secretariat to ensure consistency with mandates; (v) Improved monitoring and evaluation, through the use of benchmarks, as and where appropriate, that enable progress to be charted against a comprehensive and integrated strategy. The Council has identified several areas where further reflection is required to improve the preparation,