NOVEMBER 20, 2009-UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DATE ON THE

UNCLAS STATE 119800 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO BY CT PU SL SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 20, 2009-UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DATE ON THE REPORT OF PBC ON ITS THIRD SESSION ¶1. This is an action request. USUN should draw from the talking points in paragraph 2 below, as appropriate, during the UN General Assembly debate on the Report of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on its third session. This debate provides an opportunity for the USG to comment on PBC's achievements, note that it can achieve more, an look forward to the upcoming 2010 PBC mandate review. ¶2. Begin talking points. The United States welcomes the Report of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on its third session, and commends the PBC for its work over the course of the past year. We thank Ambassador Munoz for his dedication to the PBC during his tenure as Chair. We especially appreciate his efforts to strengthen communication with the General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),and we are grateful for his wider efforts in raising awareness of the PBC. The United States commends the PBC over this past year for seeking flexible methods of work that can have greater impact while minimizing the burden on host countries. The revision of the Peacebuilding Fund's (PBF's) terms of reference will also bring increased efficiency and responsiveness. Mr. Chair, the PBC has a growing track record in facilitating coordination amongst all stakeholders, and in mobilizing resources from traditional and non-traditional donors to support national peacebuilding priorities and strategies. In this way, the PBC contributes to the lives of ordinary citizens of the countries on its agenda. In Burundi, the PBC added its voice to regional institutions and others in helping Burundi create the conditions for the return of rebels from the bush and for a resumption of the political process. In Sierra Leone, the PBC has helped to broaden the donor base. In Guinea-Bissau, the PBC supported the organization of legislative elections, which helped secure funding that enabled the timely holding of elections. In the Central African Republic (CAR),the PBC supported the National Dialogue, and is helping to bring coherence and coordination to disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. All of these are notable achievements as we approach the five-year year review of the PBC, and in this regard, we would like to offer a few remarks. The PBC brings together all stakeholders to galvanize and align responses in difficult post-conflict environments. It can provide a unique forum for mobilizing our best, collective efforts to support countries emerging from conflict and help prevent the fragmentation that too often plagues international efforts. It can send messages about the need for action as well as about the focus of what our actions should be in order to lay the necessary foundations for peace. Still, the PBC can do more: to react quickly and flexibly; to add value to countries on its agenda without adding burdens; to prioritize and to innovate; and to push all of us to raise the bar in our common efforts. We know the importance of the agenda: helping governments restart critical services, generating jobs and reviving economies, restoring the rule of law, reforming the security sector, tackling crime and trans-border causes of instability, putting an end to sexual and gender-based violence. Whether in the PBC or not, these issues are among the highest on our agenda at the UN, and we see a pressing need to work together to address them successfully. We have heard considerable comment here today about how to best conduct the PBC review. While peacebuilding is a complicated enterprise, we believe the review should and can be straightforward if we remember what is at stake. We should keep foremost in mind the views and experiences of post-conflict countries, both on and off the PBC's agenda. What we do in the PBC ) or in the General Assembly or the Security Council ) should be sobered by their stories and guided by a common purpose to help them see peace take root. We believe the review should be both honest and ambitious, reflecting on the PBC's results, its challenges, and its prospects for continuing to make a unique and much needed contribution. We look forward to the launch of the five-year review. Like others, we believe the first step is information gathering, informal discussion, and consensus-building about the scope and core elements of the review. We appreciate the spirit of the informal discussion and analysis that has already begun and that is reflected in many of the comments here today. We look forward to working closely with all of you in the days ahead to complete a review that is ambitious, evidence-based, and always oriented to the imperative of helping post-conflict countries establish the foundation for peace and long-term development. Thank you. End points. CLINTON