On October 30, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave an intervention during the debate of the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly dedicated to Agenda Item 55, entitled “Comprehensive Review of the Whole Question of Peacekeeping Operations in all their Aspects."
 
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that UN peacekeeping operations are indispensable and have contributed to the resolution of many armed conflict situations. He noted the importance of reviewing the policies surrounding peacekeeping operations to ensure that they’re adequate to face new challenges and reflect the ideals of the UN. Archbishop Auza said that protecting the civilian population should be a central element of peacekeeping, and this objective can be advanced through the preventative strategy of arms control to limit the manufacture, sale and gifting of weapons used for terrorism. He highlighted the contribution of women in UN peacekeeping missions throughout the world, and said that the UN should ensure that the prevention of sexual abuse against women and children is fully integrated into the planning of peacekeeping operations. He also called for the safety and security of UN personnel to be a high priority since attacks on UN personnel are becoming more frequent in conflict situations.

His statement can be found here.