Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNSC briefing on Mali

Madam President,

· I want to congratulate Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix for assuming the office of Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and to thank him for his detailed briefing on the situation in Mali.

· Allow me to highlight three points: the security situation, the political process and MINUSMA activities.

· Firstly, my delegation is extremely concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Mali. The scale of terrorist attacks in central and northern parts of Mali has reached an unprecedented level, turning MINUSMA into one of the most dangerous peacekeeping missions in the world.

· This underlines an urgent need for the parties to uphold their commitments in the security sector. The launch of mixed patrols in Gao is a long-awaited and positive step forward. We should encourage the government of Mali and the signatory armed groups to expedite the work on launching the mixed patrols in Kidal and Timbuktu too. The redeployment of Malian defense and security forces throughout country is equally crucial for taking control over the security.

· We also support the initiative by the G5 Sahel countries to establish a regional force which will contribute to fighting the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in Mali and the region.

· My second point is on the political process.

· As the transitional period is coming to an end, the progress on the political track has remained limited. We believe that the parties should redouble their efforts to complete the installation of the interim administrations in the north and to engage in inclusive national consultations aimed at resolving existing differences in light of the upcoming constitutional review and its referendum.

· The ultimate goal of these efforts should be the comprehensive reform of national institutions which will help to address the root causes of the conflict and bring real peace dividends to the Malian people.

· This leads me to my third and last point as we believe that the sustainable peace in Mali cannot be achieved without the support of MINUSMA.

· Ukraine commends the courage and dedication of men and women of the Mission who continue to operate under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. Given the fact that MINUSMA remains the primary target of terrorist attacks, we are convinced that particular attention should be paid to the enhancement of the safety and security of its personnel.

· Another issue of concern is a significant gap in MINUSMA capabilities. As the Secretary-General’s latest report notes despite of the adoption of resolution 2295, none of the additional authorized military and police personnel and none of the additional military assets authored have been deployed. The Mission will not be able to effectively carry out its mandate unless the capability gaps are addressed.

· As an active UN troop- and police-contributing country, in particular in Africa, Ukraine is exploring ways of doing its share to this end.

I thank you, Madam President.