Mr. President,

    Protection of civilians is an integral part of the duties of all professional militaries that are raised in defence of peace and security for their people. All their responsibilities are ultimately geared towards ensuring the safety of civilian populations from various kinds of threats. In fact, military professionals are trained to save lives even in peacetimes in the event natural disasters or other manmade crises. We, therefore, believe that all peacekeeping operations are undertaken inherently to help protect civilians from being harmed.

2.    While the protection of civilians has always been a very important objective of all UN Peacekeeping operations, the issue has raised increasing concern in recent times. This is due to the changing nature of conflict moving away from inter-state armed conflicts to civil wars and involvement of non state actors. This is leading to large-scale devastation in the lives of civilian populations, especially children and women who are more vulnerable.

3.    It is a matter of concern that most of these situations are proving too difficult to be resolved completely, often due to the breakdown of national governance structures within the country, as also the inability of the international community and especially the Security Council to facilitate sustainable political solutions to such conflict situations.

4.    The responsibility for the protection of civilians lies with the national governments. However, in situations involving complete breakdown of national governance structures, it is important to see how to prevent such uncontrolled conflicts.

5.    Implementation of robust mandates is a complex task with serious inherent risks and less than certain outcomes. The clarity of mandate required for a more offensive operation is difficult to achieve. The inherent subjectivity involved in the timing of an offensive operation in anticipation of some imminent danger can impact the perceived impartiality of the United Nations. Such operations would have to be based on unimpeachable information, which is hard to ensure. The adequacy of military assets and other resources required for conducting such flexible offensive operations in a fast changing scenario is another crucial aspect. Any direct offensive action against any particular group is fraught with the possibility of retaliatory attacks, a trend that is being witnessed increasingly. The protection of civilians in camps for IDPs and refugees becomes even more complex and requires careful attention.

6.    In this context, the need for regular consultations between the Council, the troop contributing nations and the Secretariat for improved mandate designing and implementation has been well recognised. It needs to be pursued with the seriousness it deserves.

7.    Conflicts are about struggle for political power. Conflict resolution and Peacekeeping, therefore, have to be primarily a political activity. Increasingly, the focus of peacekeeping is on a 'robust' approach and technological aspects often appearing to lose focus on the ultimate goal of seeking a political solution to the conflict. Therefore, not only the deployment of armed forces but other efforts of a robust political nature also need to be given due attention. The political interventions need diligence, skill and sustained diplomacy.

8.    Military interventions, though seemingly relatively easier to implement, are by themselves unlikely to lead to sustained peace. There are UN peacekeeping operations that have been going on for decades. Over a longer term, helping countries build democratic institutions and work towards sustainable development remains essential in building peace.

9.    Peace and Security issues today are vastly different from seven decades ago when the primary concern of the Council was to prevent a recurrence of conflict between the former colonial powers. Today the issues of peace and security cannot be seen in isolation from the wider development related issues that are dealt with outside the Council. A more holistic approach toward gender equality and empowerment, access to healthcare, education and employment and strengthening of democratic institutions and processes are all important aspects of a holistic approach to prevent conflict.

10.    Also, while there seems to be general agreement about the need for greater focus on peacebuilding to prevent conflicts, as was witnessed in the identical resolutions passed by the General Assembly and the Security Council recently, the budget allocation for peacebuilding does not even reach 1% of that for peacekeeping operations.

11.    The need to institutionalize the involvement of local populations emerging through local initiatives in conflict prevention and resolution is well recognized. Their effectiveness, when imposed from outside, will remain limited. The international community has a role to assist and facilitate such efforts across regions. This requires not only normative advice but capacity building and institution building at the grass root level of governance.

Mr. President,

12.    The longstanding and ongoing contribution by India to the UN Peacekeeping dating back six decades, is a testimony to the dedication and professionalism brought by the Indian peacekeepers to their peacekeeping duties.

13.    While there was no distinct concept of Protection of Civilians50 years ago, there was an Indian Army Captain in the Congo who was awarded India's highest award for paying the ultimate sacrifice in defense of civilians at that time. India lost a large number of peacekeepers in a mission in 1962, the largest such loss for one country in any mission.

14.    As the largest cumulative troop contributor and having participated in nearly 50 of the almost 70 peacekeeping missions mandated by this Council over the past six decades, India is deeply conscious of the complexities involved in the response of the international community to such conflict situations. Our agreement to participate in the Rapid Deployment Battalion in Congo has assisted more flexible and timely interventions for protection of civilians.

15.    India stands ready to contribute in all possible ways to secure sustained peace and security that leads to protection of civilians.

Thank you.