2019.05.07

Challenges Forum in UN Security Council open debate on peacekeeping operations

Under the Presidency of Indonesia, the Challenges Forum was invited to the first of two open debates held in the UN Security Council in May. The focus of the debate on peacekeeping operations is on training and capacity-building to improve the safety, security and performance of UN Peacekeepers.

Dr. Björn Holmberg, Director of the Challenges Forum International Secretariat, held a briefing at the UN Security Council open debate on peacekeeping operations on 7 May 2019. The debate was entitled “Investing in Peace: Delivering Quality Training and Capacity Building to Improve Safety and Security and Performance of UN Peacekeepers”. The invitation to brief the Security Council was offered by Indonesia under its 2019 UN Security Council Presidency to the Challenges Forum Partnership.

For the UN Press release summarizing the event, please click here

Video of Dr. Björn Holmberg presenting Challanges Forum’s recommendations to the United Nations Security Council and Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Challenges Forum Briefing of the UN Security Council

The briefing gave the Challenges Forum the opportunity to further its recommendations on the effective implementation of the UN Secretary General’s `Action for Peacekeeping´ (A4P) initiative and the A4P `Declaration of Joint Commitments’ by Member States, the theme of the 2018 Challenges Annual Forum in Stockholm last November. It provideded an important occasion on which to share the continued work of the Partnership on generating ideas and action for improvements of peace operations in preparation of the Annual Forum 2019, hosted by Challenges Forum Partner Global Affairs Canada in Montreal this June. A central contribution by the Partnership in the area of safety, security and performance of missions is its guidance on senior mission leadership training, a topic that was also highlighted during the briefing.

Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi chairing the Open Debate. To her left, Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Force Commander of the UN organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Lieutenant General Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho, also briefed the Security Council during the debate. Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi chaired the meeting.