Draft Statement comprehensive version for Joint General Debate at the Fourth Committee To be submitted online Mr. Chairman, Let me congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election and assure you ofmy delegation's full support. In this intervention my delegation will focus on agenda items 52,53,54, and 61 I align my statement with the statement of NAM delivered by the distinguished representative ofAzerbaijan. Mr. Chairman, Over the decades, peacekeeping has become a flagship enterprise of the United Nations. Peacekeeping Missions contribute directly in managing some ofthe most complex conflict situations and threats to international peace and security. They reflect the collective commitment and endeavor of member states to promote international peace and stability. ^52: UN relief and works agency for Palestine Refugees, 53: Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the occupied territories; 54: Comprehensive Review of Peacekeeping Operations; 61: Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples Conflicts are becoming more complex, prolonged and lethal, posing new challenges for Peacekeepers. Peacekeeping has evolved from single-dimensional monitoring to multi-dimensional mandates, as recognized by Resolution 2086, adopted underPakistan's Presidency of the Council. It is against this backdrop that the ongoing discussions on reform ofPeacekeeping must be situated. Peacekeeping has been the UN's most successful enterprise. The recent conclusion of the Missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d'lvoire is evidence of such success. It is a matter of great pride for us that in all three of these missions, Pakistani peacekeepers played a critical role. They accomplished their tasks, fulfilled their mandates and above all, won hearts and minds of the local population by helping them bring back stability in their lives, communities, and countries. In their briefings earlier this week, the USGs elaborated the evolving nature of the challenges faced by peacekeeping which have been further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation demands a renewed collective commitment by Member States to fully support U.N. peacekeeping. The pandemic has the potential to negatively impact mandate implementation in some of the most difficult situations where health and safety infrastructure is already fragile. Helping prevent and contain the spread ofthe virus where peacekeeping operations are deployed is. therefore, not only a moral imperative, but also a political priority as well as an operational requirement. Mr. Chairman, The Secretary General's call for a global ceasefire, in the response to the COVID- 19 outbreak, was unanimously endorsed by the Security Council in its Resolution 2532 (2020). Instead of complying with call by the Secretary General and the Security Council, our neighbor, India, intensified its violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Due to the intensified Indian ceasefire violations, and threats of aggression against Pakistan, the role and importance of UNMOGIP, one of the oldest peacekeeping missions, have become increasingly important. It is imperative that the United Nations continues to consider ways and means to strengthen UNMOGIP and enable it to effectively perform its mandate role for monitoring and reporting ceasefire violations. Mr. Chairman, Pakistan has been a consistent and reliable Troop contributing country. It has contributed over 200,000 troops to 46 missions so far since 1960. We continue to be in the field as one ofthe largest troop contributors. Our contribution to the cause of global peace has not been without cost; 157 ofour best and bravest, including 24 officers and a female peacekeeper have made the ultimate sacrifice during these missions. Mr. Chairman, As a major TCC, with a proud history ofprofessionalism, competence and honour, we welcome discussions for improving performance and outcomes of peacekeeping. As the first member state to endorse the A4P declaration of shared commitments, we firmly believe that we are all stakeholders in this endeavour and thus have a shared responsibility to ensure its success. In recent years, we have witnessed various reform initiatives including through a normative framework and application of tactical concepts such as agility and protection through projection. However, these concepts have generated additional expectations from troop-contributing countries (TCCs). It is the TCCs which are expected to provide equipment, impart adequate training, and prepare troops with the appropriate 'mindsets'. We fully understand the rationale behind generating critical capabilities, increasing female participation and, of course, improve training. We have also met United Nations targets on the participation of women in peacekeeping. Our female engagement teams are deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a matter of pride for us that their performance, like that of their male counterparts, has been recognized by the United Nations. In this regard, we welcome the recent UNSCR 2538 on 'Women in Peacekeeping Operations' and look forward to its implementation. We are one of the leading contributors of critical enablers, including air assets, to several peacekeeping missions, and participating in train-the-trainer programmes. We are also offering training courses at the Centre for Peace and Stability in Islamabad (CIPS) for foreign nationals and our own peacekeepers. Mr. Chairman, Allow me to make six key points here. First, even the best trained troops cannot be expected to deliver in the face of unrealistic expectations. Performance assessments should evaluate the performance of all actors in the peacekeeping system, and start with scrutinizing mandates and the availably ofadequate resources to the missions. The Secretariat obviously bears the responsibility of providing a pragmatic and realistic analysis of the situation, in terms of political environment and resource gaps. That information then needs to be reflected by the Council in its mandates. In this regard, we welcome the development of the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework Policy Framework (IPPAF) by the Secretariat recently^ which takes a whole of mission approach. We all also appreciate the inclusive approach taken in developing the framework. We will continue to engage with the Secretariat for its further development. Second, the onset of COVID-19 imposes a unique set of challenges on missions and peacekeepers. It has added a new burden for peacekeepers, increasing their role in supporting local efforts to fight the pandemic and ensure continuity of mandate implementation. The pandemic also poses a threat to their safety and security. In this regard, while our peacekeepers continue to implement the mandates in the missions, we must ensure that adequate medical facilities with efficient medical/casualty evacuation services continue to be available in all missions. This would also be in line with the 2020 C-34 report and the recently adopted UNSCR 2518 on the 'Safety and Security ofPeacekeepers'. Third, there is considerable discussion about TCCs pledging resources to the UN through the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness system (PCRS). However, upon closer examination, it is evident that the system needs to be reformed. TCCs continue to pledge and keep in readiness precious human resources and expensive ^ Was requested by the 2018 C-34 report and supported by Security Council Presidential Statement 2018/4 and UNSCR 2436. TCCs are generally satisfied with the document as it takes a whole of mission approach and does not put the onus of outcomes solely on TCCs. It is a living document and we are satisfied with the manner in which the Secretariat has reached out to the TCCs and has taken their concerns onboard. equipmentwithout any sign that their deployment is in sight. This imposes costs on TCCs which are currently uncompensated. Fourth, rather than focus on cutting costs and troop numbers, we must be guided by the specific needs posed by the peacekeeping operation based one an objective assessment of the situation on ground. Cost considerations should not dictate operations; it should be other way around. Fifth, as we are all committed to the Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of shared commitments, we must continue to fulfil our respective obligations and roles. Sixth, peacekeeping missions, especially those with multidimensional mandates, are deployed to facilitate peacebuilding at all stages of conflict and assist in achieving sustainable peace. Peacekeepers are not deployed to negotiate political solutions or enforce peace. We look forward to working with all stakeholders for our common objective of improving peacekeeping outcomes. The burden of responsibility should, however, be shared equitably to achieve the results we all need and desire in accordance with the spirit ofthe A4P declaration ofshared commitments. Mr. Chairman, The UN Charter is not only an instrument ofsecurity against the horrors ofwar. It is also a source of hope against the privations of injustice and oppression, an expression of hope to countless millions still struggling against the yolk of colonialism and foreign domination, across the world. It was in this spirit that the General Assembly articulated the aspirations of the people in its historic 'Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries