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Limited Resources for Peacekeeping: April 3, Conference Room C, 1:15 pm - 2:45pm Speakers: Ms. Elizabeth Kissam - Associate Programme Officer in the newly established Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). (Biography) Mr. Paul Keating - Acting Deputy Chief of the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section in the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). (Biography) Moderator: Dr. Jean Marc Coicaud : Director of United Nations University ,New York Office.
Striving to meet high demand with limited resources: Is the credibility of peacekeeping at risk? As United Nations (UN) peacekeeping deployments reach unprecedented levels, the UN and Member States must consider: are we risking the viability and legitimacy of the tool of peacekeeping by deploying without a clear mandate, without the support of the parties to the conflict, or without the logistical, personnel and financial resources to get the job done? Since 2003, there has been a sustained surge in the demand for United Nations peacekeeping. Thirteen operations were established or significantly expanded since that year. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations currently manages 20 field missions worldwide, which comprise over 140,000 military, police and civilian personnel. The peacekeeping budget is around $7 billion. The impartial role and legitimacy that the UN can offer in negotiating, peacekeeping and nation-building activities is in high demand due to the increase in intra-State conflicts over the two decades since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, the surge in complex peacekeeping operations, sometimes in countries with little or no infrastructure, has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in personnel generation, logistical support and, to some extent, political support on the part of Member States. In its current operations, the UN is engaged in complex, multidimensional activities which require specific resources. These types of activities demand targeted personnel profiles and expertise. In addition, partnerships, which are essential to the UN’s peacekeeping capacity, are also creating new demands on the Organization (e.g.UNAMID). Obviously, cost and availability of resources should not be the sole basis for deciding where peacekeeping Missions are deployed However, deploying a peacekeeping Mission without ensuring the willingness of Member States to provide the necessary personnel and logistical resources, not only for the immediate operation, but also for possible longer-term engagement, can seriously hamper the UN’s effectiveness, and possibly legitimacy in conducting peacekeeping.
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