U.S. Under Secretary Hale to lead Mali peacekeeping discussions in New York Updated for 2021

Updated: February 28, 2021

The United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will travel to New York on Friday to lead the U.S. delegation at the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial on March 29. 

There, he will represent the United States in a meeting of the UN Security Council on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

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On Tuesday, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met with Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga.

Deputy Secretary Sullivan offered his deepest condolences to those affected by the violence in the Mopti region of Mali, most of whom were civilians, Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino, said in a statement.

Palladino said the Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to partner with Mali as it confronts terrorist threats in the region, and urged the Malian government to prioritize cooperation as it works with signatory parties to fulfill provisions of the Algiers Accord.

“Deputy Secretary Sullivan also stressed the importance of demonstrating significant progress on agreed benchmarks of the mandate for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) ahead of the June renewal. Related to these benchmarks, Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Prime Minister Maiga discussed the need for inclusive dialogue in the ongoing constitutional reform process,” Palladino added.

In New York on Friday, Under Secretary Hale will urge the UN and troop contributing countries to focus on strengthening peacekeeper performance, the State Department said, adding that he will also announce a new pledge to support UN peacekeeping through developing unmanned aerial systems capabilities for missions in the field – part of the United States commitment to continued leadership in support of peacekeeping.

The UN Peacekeeping Ministerial will serve as a forum for Member States “to commit to strengthen uniformed capabilities, performance, and the protection of civilians in UN Peacekeeping”. 

Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kevin E. Moley and Acting U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen will join Under Secretary Hale on the delegation.

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