Mr. President,
Switzerland thanks Mexico for this important debate. It reflects the increased attention of the Security Council to contemporary drivers of conflict and their complex interactions. Inequality and exclusion are both causes and consequences of violent conflicts.
“There is no peace without development, no development without peace, and no lasting peace or sustainable development without respect of human rights and the rule of law.” These words of former Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, inspired by Kofi Annan, have been echoed in many speeches. They remind us that conflict jeopardizes sustainable development and that no goal of the 2030 Agenda can be achieved in isolation.
While the Security Council’s primary task is peace and security, it can and should also support the entire UN system in achieving the sustainable development goals, paying particular attention to the following:
First, the Peacebuilding Architecture Review reaffirmed that the approach to sustaining peace including all three UN pillars is pertinent and essential. What does this mean in practice? In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, Switzerland supports the government's efforts to fight impunity. This dissuasive element helps to prevent violence and to improve confidence in institutions. In its decisions, the Security Council should rely more on an integrated approach and strengthen cooperation, collaboration and coordination between the three pillars.
Second, violent conflict and resulting inequalities can only be prevented in resilient and inclusive societies where everyone, especially the most vulnerable, is protected. To this end, the UN human rights system plays a key role. It is an important early warning system. For example, the Human Rights Council reacted quickly to recent developments in Sudan by organizing a special session and calling on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to appoint an expert in the country. Switzerland encourages the Security Council to integrate this type of analysis and to cooperate more with human rights bodies, in particular with the Human Rights Council and its instruments as well as with the treaty bodies.
Third, strengthening the rule of law is a key element in promoting peace. The lack of an explicit mandate for peacekeeping missions to support the rule of law hinders the achievement of the goals of these missions. As some recent failures have underscored: it is essential that the Security Council specifies the support for the rule of law in peacekeeping mission mandates and makes available the necessary resources to achieve these goals. Switzerland, for its part, supports the strengthening of the rule of law by providing police officers, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration as well as demining experts both in missions and in the Secretariat.
Mr. President,
Switzerland welcomes the emphasis placed on the links between peace, security and development. It calls for a more systematic consideration of these interconnections in all themes and situations tackled by the Council. As a member of the Peacebuilding Commission and as a candidate for the Security Council, Switzerland will continue to commit to a coherent UN system.
I thank you.