Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

We welcome the Secretariat's efforts in establishing clear guidance and developing an operational concept for peacekeeping missions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Furthermore, a stronger partnership on protection with troop- and police-contributing countries, host Governments and local populations should be developed.

In just over 10 years since the first peacekeeping operation with an explicit mandate for the protection of civilians in armed conflict was deployed in Sierra Leone, we have accumulated valuable experience and made important progress with a view to establishing a comprehensive framework in the Security Council through thematic resolutions on the protection of civilians, as well as other milestone resolutions, including 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005)

Secondly, in strengthening the protection of civilians, attention should be paid to addressing the root causes and symptoms of conflict. The deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations alone cannot offer a fundamental solution to the protection of civilians. The Security Council should prioritize preventive diplomacy in order to prevent and mitigate conflict.

Respecting and implementing international humanitarian law are inextricably linked to combating impunity. Eradicating impunity should be seen as part of a comprehensive focus on seeking sustainable peace, justice, truth and national reconciliation.

In that context, peacekeeping operations have become multidimensional and have distinct components linked to the protection of civilians, such as the monitoring of human rights, humanitarian assistance, capacity-building, the restoration of infrastructure and services, and security sector reform, among others.

Thirdly, Canada believes that enforcing strict accountability for those who target civilian populations is fundamental. States must fulfil their obligations to investigate and prosecute persons suspected of such crimes, and, where appropriate, cooperate with international judicial institutions to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

In that regard, we applaud ongoing efforts to put in place an effective monitoring mechanism to report to the Council instances where humanitarian access is deliberately delayed or denied.

Women and children continue to suffer extreme violence during conflicts. Recent events in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo illustrate failures in the areas of both prevention and response. We should bear in mind that the struggle against impunity is an integral element of the protection of civilians, which cannot be addressed seriously without prosecuting those responsible for serious crimes.

In addition, there must be support for the enhancement of accountability. Different justice and reconciliation mechanisms should also be considered, including national and international criminal courts and tribunals. Such mechanisms are aimed at supporting national-level investigation and prosecution. Unfortunately, conflicts remain the major cause of the increasing number of refugees and internally displaced persons.

My delegation urges all parties to conflicts to ensure protection of the lives and property of civilians. My delegation condemns all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and stresses the need to combat impunity, safeguard access for humanitarian assistance and protect the safety of humanitarian aid workers.