STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR MORTEN WETLAND, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF NORWAY TO THE UNITED NATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE NORDIC COUNTRIES DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN.

Dear Mr. President.

It is my pleasure to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries. The Peacebuilding Commission has now been operational for more than two years, and we welcome this debate as a good occasion for taking stock and looking ahead.

It is a well-known fact that many post-conflict countries fall back into conflict within few years.
This is unacceptable. The UN is to be commended for finally having taken decisive steps to something about it. Since the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2006 the international community is better placed than at any time before to deal concretely and proactively with the challenges to peace, security and development. It is up to us to make it happen.

Mr President.

With the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission we have started filling the gap in the United Nations’ ability to helping countries in the transition from war to lasting peace. While the Peacebuilding Commission has showed considerable progress, increased emphasis should be put on the following three factors:

1) We still have a way to go to ensure effective coordination within the UN and with other partners. The main purpose of the Peacebuilding Commission is to bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advice on and propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery. A stock taking after two years must focus on the importance of enhanced cooperation with the international financial institutions, especially the World Bank, the IMF as well as with regional organizations such as the EU, AU and ECOWAS. The Peacebuilding Commission should play a key role in ensuring that the international community is a more reliable partner to governments in a post-conflict situation. International actors must heed the principle of national ownership and make sure that their dialogue with national authorities be efficient and coordinated so as not to take up too much time and resources from an already heavily burdened post conflict country.

The role of neighbouring countries is also essential. In the case of Burundi, we wish to commend in particular the Regional Peace Initiative and the South African Facilitation for their indispensable role in support of durable peace in Burundi. This is an excellent example of Africa’s capacity to provide solutions to pressing issues on their own continent.

2) We must recognize that peacebuilding is part of our core agenda. Peacebuilding is not a subsequent phase to peacekeeping operations. Peacebuilding should be a central component from the beginning of the transition from war to lasting peace This must be recognized at all levels. It will require constant political attention - also on the part of the Security Council and indeed the Secretary-General. We therefore emphasize the practice of inviting Peacebuilding Commission chairs to brief the Council on a regular basis, as well as opportunities for briefings of the PBSO / ASG for Peacebuilding in the Security Council. Peacebuilding means taking head on the most critical areas of nation-building. This may entail slower progress at times than hoped for, it may also entail setbacks. But we must never waiver in this undertaking. That recognition may in itself be important for political stabilization an recovery.

3) Peacebuilding will not happen unless there is genuine national ownership. National ownership will not develop unless the government and the civil society is given the means to exercise it. That is why continued resource mobilization and capacity building is key. We must never forget that the populations of post-conflict countries are normally found among the “bottom billion”. Peacebuilding cannot occur in a vacuum. The fight against poverty remains an essential element in peacebuilding. Crucial therefore that commitments are implemented. This applies of course also to the Government itself. But peacebuilding is partnership and the international community must shoulder its responsibility.

Mr President,
Before concluding, let me say a few words about the future role of the Peacebuilding commission. It is crucial that the Peacebuilding Commission continues the search for an appropriate working format. On the one hand, the country specific configuration should not be expected to have the time or expertise to get involved with detailed policy planning. On the other hand, we must ensure that strategic frameworks are sufficiently context sensitive and avoid the pitfall of believing in a one size fits all peacebuilding model. For this reason, it is of crucial importance that the PBSO strengthen its focus on strategic planning and utilize the capacities of the UN as a whole. The success of the PBC rests on the extent to which it can target sectors wich fall outside the coverage of other funding institutions and contribute to tangible and positive results on the ground. In this respect, we want to underline the importance of the monitoring and tracking mechanisms. We must however, be cautious so as not to create additional and unnecessary layers of bureaucracy in particular at the country level.

Peacebuilding as a core activity of the UN could become a success story for the UN. But even more importantly - it could be the path to political stability and development and a life in dignity for millions living in the post-conflict countries. As such it is a real opportunity, but also a challenge. As such it must continue to be a priority concern also for the Security Council.


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