UN General Assembly
2003

to preventive diplomacy, to disarmament and non- proliferation measures, to peace-building, to respect for human rights, to good governance and to the development agenda. In the final analysis, we must be fully aware that the usefulness of the United Nations will always be judged as a function of its capacity to avoid and handle conflicts. In the implementation of that mission, the fundamental role lies with the Security Council, which has, over the years, authorized various peacekeeping operations. The overall result has been positive. Portugal has contributed significantly to those operations and remains available to continue to collaborate with the United Nations. But conditions on the ground are not always clear-cut, and it is not always possible to separate what is and what is not a conflict, and what would justify or not an intervention by the Security Council. There is an immense grey area that can be perilous in pre-conflict and post-conflict situations. We must also create the tools for dealing with countries and situations that do not need support in terms of security, namely through a peacekeeping