Delivered by Permanent Representative of Estonia to UN Mr. Sven Jürgenson
Estonia recognizes the importance of United Nations peacekeeping operations and the crucial role peacekeeping plays in achieving conditions for stability and lasting peace.
I express our gratitude to UN peacekeepers and honor the service of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
In the middle of the ongoing pandemic, the responsibilities of UN peacekeeping missions have multiplied, as have the risks you are facing. Estonia, together with other EU countries, has pledged its continued commitment to UN peacekeeping during the pandemic. Peacekeeping missions must be willing and able to continue to operate and deliver on their mandate, promote conflict resolutions, support host States and protect civilian populations.
Estonia also continues to support the “Action for Peacekeeping” initiative, and places high importance on its goals of strengthening protection of civilians alongside advancing political solutions, promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda and improving effective performance and accountability of peacekeeping.
3 questions
- MINUSMA and UNMISS are mandated to monitor and document violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of international human rights law. Information gathering, analysis and early warning are crucial for the protection of civilians and peacekeepers alike. Could you update us on the recent developments in the implementation and strengthening of your mission-wide early warning strategies, including the establishment of the Information Acquisition Plan in UNMISS?
- MINUSMA and UNMISS mandates also include a sexual- and gender based violence dimension. How do your missions incorporate gender considerations into their operations? Perhaps you can share good examples of how the force has responded to conflict related sexual violence?
- To all 3 missions: Host states must fulfill their obligations and facilitate access and freedom of movement for United Nations peacekeepers and their equipment consistent with the mandate, including for medical evacuation, especially in the time of a health crisis. SOFA violations (status-of-forces agreement) are a serious problem that can disrupt mandate delivery and also threaten the safety and security of peacekeepers – Security Council highlighted this recently in resolution 2518 (2020). How has COVID-19 impacted your freedom of movement and access, and the movement of the goods and equipment necessary for the fulfilment of your mandates?