By Holy See Mission
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Agenda item 10: Peacebuilding Commission
New York, 10 October 2007Mr President,
At the very outset, my delegation wishes to express appreciation to Ambassador
Ismael Gaspar Martins, Permanent Representative of Angola, for his able
chairmanship during the inaugural year of the Peacebuilding Commission. At the
same time, I would like to express best wishes to Ambassador Yukio Takasu,
Permanent Representative of Japan, as he assumes the Chairmanship of the
Commission.
My delegation believes that the best guarantee against conflict is the
individual and collective enjoyment of durable peace. To achieve this in a
post-conflict country, it is necessary to recognize the special needs of that
country, so it can be assisted accordingly in laying the foundation of a
sustainable peace. The Holy See therefore warmly welcomed the creation of the
PBC, as a response to the need for greater coherence and coordination of
international peacebuilding efforts in post-conflict situations.
The Commission’s success will be measured on the ground, based on whether or not
it makes a difference to communities and countries it works with. Expectations
on what it can deliver in countries emerging from armed conflicts continue to
rise. This is especially true in Burundi and Sierra Leone. There the PBC is
breaking uncharted areas of action, but the PBC’s emphasis on strong national
ownership and responsibility gives us reason to hope for success in those first
two focus countries, as well as in other post-conflict states that will be
considered in the future.
The PBC debates and documents suggest that one of the main challenges facing it
is to prove that it is not a superfluous superstructure cast over the various
stakeholders and actors already working on the ground. Rather, it is meant to
bring added value to the overall effort of helping post-conflict States and
societies successfully manage the difficult transition from war to sustainable
peace and development. This task is made even more daunting by the fact that
post-conflict situations pose multiple and particularly complex problems, all
competing for immediate attention. To enable the PBC respond adequately to this,
the international community is equally challenged to equip it with the necessary
mandate and resources.
I wish to commend the Working Group on Lessons Learned in its efforts in
accumulating best practices and lessons on critical peacebuilding issues, thus
helping the PBC make decisions more swiftly while avoiding past mistakes.
The Holy See was pleased with the approval of guidelines for civil society
participation in the PBC. This participation would be decisive on the ground
where, among other stakeholders, faith-based organizations are fully engaged in
human development and are at the forefront in fostering dialogue, in peacemaking
and in post-conflict reconciliation.
My delegation is aware of the continuing debates on what the PBC should be, on
its relation with peacekeeping operations and on its procedures and methods.
While this is part of the Commission’s growth process, these debates should not
distract nor derail it from its mandate of making a difference in the lives of
peoples and countries, lest it become just another debating forum.
My delegation is pleased to assure of its continuing interest in the work of the
PBC, and to encourage it in the pursuit of its challenging task of helping
rebuild individual lives and entire countries ravaged by war. It shall have
fully achieved this task when development, peace and security and human rights
will finally be interlinked and mutually re-enforcing in a country which knew
the devastations of armed conflict.
Thank you, Mr President.
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