02 September 2010
























tool by hioxindia.com


 

States Briefed on New Proposal to Strengthen UN Peacekeeping Operations

New York, 11 December 2009 – Member States’ discussions on peacekeeping reform currently are focused on a July 2009 non-paper from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the Department of Field Support (DFS). 

The document, “A New Partnership Agenda: Charting a New Horizon for Peacekeeping,” addresses the need to strengthen UN peacekeeping and provides suggestions on responding to existing challenges faced by UN peacekeeping efforts. The non-paper builds on the 2000 “Brahimi Report” and the 2007 restructuring efforts by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which are nearly completed.

DPKO and DFS have briefed members of the General Assembly’s Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34) and other Member States on the non-paper, both at the UN Headquarters in New York and in capitals, where some of its recommendations have been well-received.

The non-paper (also referred to as “New Horizon”) will be further discussed by the C34 at its annual substantive session in March 2010.

(The C-34/Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations was established in 1965 by the General Assembly to conduct comprehensive reviews of peacekeeping-related issues. It has 124 UN Member States as members, and 17 additional observer states. The Special Committee reports to the GA through the Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth) Committee.)

Need for New Reform Proposal

The joint non-paper by DPKO and DFS aims to address challenges currently facing UN peacekeeping.

Currently DPKO and DFS manage 17 operations deployed across five continents. These operations comprise more than 117,000 deployed military, police and civilian personnel.

In late October 2009, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and head of DPKO Alain Le Roy reported that DPKO continues its engagement in supporting political dialogue between parties, assisting national governments to extend state authority, strengthening human rights and the rule of law, advising on security sector reform, supporting disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs, and protecting civilians. DPKO’s budget is currently about USD 7.8 billion per year.

Since its establishment, DFS (established in 2007 following Secretary-General Ban’s restructuring proposal) has delivered support to 15 peacekeeping missions, 13 special political missions, and one African Union-led mission

Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Field Support, reported in October 2009 that the Department has focused on:

  • Hiring the right staff, securing sufficient funding, and providing necessary equipment and logistical services to the field as quickly as possible, and

  • Administering about 22,000 international and local civilian staff, with a budget that exceeds USD 8 billion per year.

According to both speakers (and other DPKO and DFS experts), the scale of peacekeeping operations is the main challenge for both Departments. The UN’s peacekeeping work is overstretched, and the political, operational and support mechanisms are not able to respond to the increased number of missions and tasks.

In addition, they noted that:

  • Global partnerships lack full cohesion and agreement on the appropriate scope and application of UN peacekeeping, which requires greater engagement and consultation among partners, and

  • Some mandates contradict each other (too many actors are involved, with little or no coordination among them).

Summary of Non-paper

The “New Horizon” non-paper suggests ways to tackle these challenges and respond to the calls of various actors in the field and at Headquarters for more cohesion in UN peacekeeping.

Basis for Proposal

“New Horizon” is based primarily on the 2000 “Brahimi Report,” which made specific recommendations to the UN Secretariat, the Security Council and Member States to strengthen peacekeeping and support the “sustained surge in operations.”

The non-paper takes stock of the recommendations of that report.

It also builds on the reform proposals previously made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, among others. The restructuring of DPKO and creation of DFS, proposed by Ban in 2007, are almost completed. The agreed changes include the creation of Integrated Operational Teams, Office of Rule of Law and Policy, and Evaluation and Training Division. Further reports on these developments are expected at the March 2010 meeting of the C34.

The non-paper also draws from:

  • The agreed agenda Peace Operations 2010, which aimed to increase the professionalism, management, and efficiency of the UN’s peacekeeping;

  • DPKO’s 2008 ‘Capstone’ document, which was written to assist personnel in implementing reforms and details the varied tasks that peacekeepers perform;

  • The January 2009 non-paper by France and the United Kingdom, which highlighted several challenges faced by peacekeeping, including decentralized management, resource constrains, and gaps between mandates contained in Security Council Resolutions and their implementation on the ground; and

  • The recommendations of the C34’s March 2009 Report, which called for better cooperation among all stakeholders, clarity of mandates, improved communication and regular flow of information.

Presenting the non-paper to Member States, DPKO and DFS explained that although the Brahimi Report, Peace Operations 2010, and Ban’s 2007 restructuring tackled many challenges, “the scale and complexity of peacekeeping today are mismatched with existing capabilities.” Past reforms do not comprise a sufficient response to the current needs, with peacekeeping operations’ increased size and number.

Three Types of Partnership

The non-paper suggests three elements of partnership: Partnership in Purpose, Partnership in Action, and Partnership for the Future.   

The new approach to partnership, says the document, “rests on a shared understanding among all stakeholders of the objectives of UN peacekeeping and the role that each plays in the realization: those that authorize peacekeeping, those that implement, those that contribute, those that partner with UN peacekeepers.” It further “identifies some of the critical elements that DPKO and DFS must deliver and the contributions that Member States and partners can make to strengthen a global partnership in purpose, in action and in future.”

Partnership in purpose

“Partnership in purpose” refers to the direction, planning, and management of peacekeeping. It is important to build partnerships in order “to strengthen the unity and cohesion of all stakeholders in the direction, planning and management of UN peacekeeping.” This could be achieved through:

  • Clear political strategy and development, when the mandates are aligned with objectives and available resources, and

  • Cohesion in planning and managing missions, including better consultation, as well as benchmarks on the ground for monitoring progress.

Partnership in action

“Partnership in action” is a means to building confidence in peacekeeping tasks and missions. This could be achieved through:

  • Faster deployment (troops, equipment), including by earlier establishment of the headquarters for each mission, and prioritization of tasks;

  • Clarity and delivery of roles, through clear mandates, clear roles for peacekeepers, and early coordination with national actors; and

  • Crisis management (ensuring that peacekeepers can respond in a timely and accurate manner) by providing early warnings, as well as the safety and security of missions and personnel.

Partnership for the future

“Partnership for the future” refers to building resources for continued operations, and adapting strategies to the new, faster pace of peacekeeping. This could be achieved through:

  • Predicting future needs and maintaining sufficient financial resources to meet them;

  • Taking a capability-driven approach, through recruiting and retaining diverse police and civilian specialists for future peacekeeping tasks;

  • Expanding peacekeeping partnerships, including by reaching out to new donor countries and troop- and police- contributing countries (TCC/PCCs); and

  • Actively engaging with all stakeholders to ensure that field support strategy corresponds to the “fast-paced nature of UN peacekeeping today.”

Recommended Next Steps

In recognition of the large scale of the proposed reforms, DPKO and DFS suggested focusing future discussions around four priority areas:

  1. Policy Development – Clarify concepts and develop guidelines for Member States and missions on robust peacekeeping, protection of civilians, and linkages between peacekeeping and peacebuilding;

    1. Guidelines are to be developed by DPKO and DFS in 2010

  2. Capability Development – Enhance cooperation between Member States and the Secretariat to build stronger capabilities, including through pilot methodologies to be developed and implemented with Member States;

  3. Field Support Strategy – Enhance the overall effectiveness of field support;

    1. DFS is drafting a report for a comprehensive field support strategy covering logistical, financial, management, and human resource-related requirements. The goal of the report is to develop ways to deploy peacekeeping forces faster, including troops, police and equipment. Some related proposals will be discussed during the forthcoming sessions of the GA’s budgetary committees and the C34.

  4. Planning and Oversight – Improve communication and cooperation between different relevant stakeholders, including between PCC/TCCs, the Secretariat, and the Security Council; improve the internal and external reporting system; strengthen the accountability compact between field and Headquarters.

    1. One of the specific recommendations in this area already has been approved by the membership, namely the call to hold “early informal consultation” between the Security Council, the Secretariat and potential PCC/TCCs, and, as appropriate, with regional partners, regarding “the political, security and humanitarian case” for new missions.

    2. Reportedly as a consequence of this recommendation, the Council’s regular meetings with TCCs have been moved from being held an hour before each Council meeting to a week beforehand.

Other, more specific recommendations also are contained in “New Horizon.”

Member States’ Reactions

Member States’ reactions to ”New Horizon,” so far, have been supportive. Some recommendations of the non-paper have been largely accepted by many States, especially on enhancing the relationship between peacekeeping and the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), as well as between peacekeeping and the Security Council.

During the October and November briefings by DPKO and DFS and consultations on peacekeeping for the members of the C34, and PCC/TCCs, delegations echoed the call for enhanced partnership and cooperation among stakeholders, particularly between Peacekeeping and Security Council, PCC/TCCs and between Peacekeeping and the PBC.

DPKO and DFS currently are preparing a research paper on the subject.

Member States further:

  • Called for timely issuance of the 2009 annual report of the Secretary-General (Comprehensive Review of Peacekeeping Operations);

  • Underlined the importance of risk assessments and capacity-building elements described in “New Horizon”;

  • Advised drawing on regional experience and inviting experts from the field for future briefings on the peacekeeping operations; and

  • Called for improved communication between various relevant UN actors. Some speakers pointed out the need for better coordination between DPKO, DFS and the Department of Safety and Security.

Next Steps

The annual substantive session of the C34 will take place in March 2010. ”New Horizon” and the Secretary-General’s annual Comprehensive Review of Peacekeeping Operations are expected to be discussed.

 

ReformtheUN.org "Latest Developments" is a free email service.  To subscribe, go to http://reformtheun.org/mailman/listinfo/latestdevelopments OR send an email to info@ReformtheUN.org.