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I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia*, Montenegro^* and Albania^*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.

Madam/Mr. Chair,

Let me start by recognising the important contribution of UN peacekeeping forces to promote stability and protect vulnerable civilians in some of the most complicated and perilous conflicts across the globe. The operational and political environments that the UN peacekeeping missions are deployed in have become ever more challenging, and their courage and sacrifice are extraordinary. The EU is engaging in the negotiation of the 2022 C34 report to promote the adaptation of UN peacekeeping to changing challenges to keep this essential aspect of the UNs contribution to peace as effective and flexible as possible in accordance with the Action for Peacekeeping Agenda and its implementation plan A4P+.

UN-EU strategic partnership on peace operations and crisis management is strong and consistent. With the adoption in January of the new 2022-2024 priorities for this partnership, the EU and its members reiterate the commitment to multilateral rules-based global order with the United Nations at its core, and to the longstanding UN-EU cooperation on peacekeeping and civilian, police and military crisis management. EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions complement UN missions in Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya, the Balkans and Iraq, improving the effectiveness and resilience of these missions. EU member states deploy close to 5 300 personnel in peacekeeping operations. 683 peacekeepers from the EU have died in mission since 1948, a particularly heavy toll and I want to pay tribute to all peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

EU member states are also the second financial contributor to the budget of peacekeeping and the first in terms of voluntary contributions to the departments of peace operations and operational support.

The renewed strategic partnership aims to help the UN respond more effectively to evolving threats and cross-cutting challenges such as climate change, disruptive technologies and misinformation, and the consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Also, we focus on children and armed conflict, the Youth, Peace and Security agenda and the enhanced joint UN-EU efforts on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, policing and rule of law, and gender equality.

The EU-UN partnership is also the framework for the trilateral cooperation EU-AU-UN. The EU recognizes that the African contribution to peacekeeping takes many forms and that cooperation between the UN and the AU has unique importance. This underlines the need for predictable and sustainable financing of African peace operations. Through the European Peace Facility, the EU contributes to the financing of peace support operations led by international partners, notably the AU and sub-regional African organisations, as well as capacity building. The next EU-AU summit in Brussel on the 17^th and 18^th February will give the opportunity to discuss the renewal of the European support to peace and security on the African continent. We support all political efforts for peace undertaken by the AU and sub-regional organizations, in particular in Sahel. We reiterate that the commitment of the EU and the Member States to Mali and its partners in the Sahel is based on the principle of mutual accountability.

Madam/Mr Chair,

With the adoption of UNSCR 2594 on transitions, the Security Council has delivered a roadmap for how the UN can approach mission transitions responsibly and sustainably. The resolution makes plain the need for early, integrated planning that is coordinated across the UN system and inclusive of both host state authorities and civil society. Also, the resolution recognises that strengthening the capacity of representative, responsive, and accountable host State security sector and rule of law institutions is critical for the development of a sustainable peace and it calls for strengthened coordination between United Nations police, justice, and corrections activities. It emphasises the need for the UN and the host state to ensure the Protection of Civilians is prioritised through transitions and beyond. And, critically, it affirms that transitions should always be conditions-based, incorporating benchmarks and indicators which can measure progress, as well as comprehensive gender analysis which takes into account the needs and participation of women. UN operations should already from the outset include planning and adequate resources also for the transition aimed at long-term peacebuilding and development activities in order ensure continuity of support after mission drawdown.

Madam/Mr Chair,

We need to maintain a continued focus on improved performance, which remains at the core of better peacekeeping. In this regard, we welcome the forward-leaning posture adopted by several missions such as MONUSCO, MINUSMA, MINUSCA and UNMISS.  The EU emphasizes the contribution of pre-deployment and in-mission training as a factor of improved performance and underlines the importance of further integration of efforts across the pillars of the peacekeeping missions and the UN agencies. All deployed personnel must be prepared to meet the highest standards of conduct and discipline. All allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by uniformed personnel must be addressed in an adequate and timely manner by TCCs and PCCs. We encourage the Secretariat to follow up vigorously on every allegation. 

Violations and abuses of human rights remain a driver of conflict, particularly affecting the most vulnerable groups. The EU underscores that the protection of civilians and monitoring the human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law is a core task of peacekeeping operations. We are also deeply committed to working and partnering with local communities as well as supporting community-based approaches for protection. This requires the development of relevant languages skills and socio-cultural awareness, and the UN needs to ensure that the peacekeeping personnel is trained and recruited accordingly.

The EU remains deeply committed to the security and safety of peacekeepers. Peacekeepers need to be able to trust that the emergency response times for medical and health care services in the missions will be met and the services provided are in compliance with UN standards.  The EU condemned all attacks on peacekeeping missions, which, may constitute war crimes under international law. The growing threat of improvised explosive devices will be one of the priorities of the EU in the C34. The increasing presence of mercenaries in the same areas as peacekeepers is also a threat to their security and to their ability to deliver on mandates. Also, there is a need for particular attention to the prevention of mental health issues of peacekeepers.

Madam/Mr Chair,

The EU stresses the need to keep the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the forefront of our efforts. We recognize the continuous work of the Secretariat to increase the number of women at all levels in peace operations and recognize the indispensable contribution of women to peacekeeping operations. The WPS agenda is a cross-cutting issue and enabling and ensuring participation of women in peace operations is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. Lasting peace can only be achieved through the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of peacebuilding and peacekeeping. 

The EU also emphasizes the need to reflect the linkages between climate change and security in peacekeeping. We need to include a climate perspective across all the peacekeeping interventions’ spectrum, including in our partnerships with regional organizations and engagement with local communities, and be mindful of all the consequences of climate change. For the peacekeeping mission to be efficient, they need to – consider the consequences of climate change on peace and security into their activities to prevent relapse into conflict.

Madam/Mr Chair,

More than ever, there is a need for effective UN engagement in all aspects of peace and security.. The EU looks forward to engaging with all partners to make sure that the C34 delivers an efficient response to these challenges and help bolster peace and security across the globe.  

Finally, let me thank the Bureau and the Facilitators for the job they have done in compiling the contributions into a well-structured zero-draft.

* The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.