UN Peacekeepers Day on Tuesday:

A global partnership for peace

By Pramod DE SILVA

At times it can be harder to keep the peace than winning it. All over the world, there are many conflicts which have shattered the ideal of peace. Some conflicts go on, while others have ended either through military action or negotiations. However, peace does not ‘happen’ overnight in instances where conflicts have dragged on for years.

Peace is a complex process which has to take into account the very factors that had given rise to conflicts within nations and conflicts among nations. Sometimes, we see an eruption of violence which can threaten a fragile peace mechanism. Someone has to ‘police’ such peace endeavours. This is where peacekeepers have a major role to play.

The United Nations (UN) has been keeping the peace around the world since 1948 through its peacekeeping arm. In that year, the United Nations Security Council authorised the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East. The mission's role was to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours – an operation which became known as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

Security Council resolution

To date, Security Council authorisation is needed for a UN peacekeeping mission. If the Security Council determines that deploying a UN peacekeeping operation is the most appropriate step to take, it will formally authorise this by adopting a resolution.

The resolution sets out the operation’s mandate and size, and details the tasks it will be responsible for performing. UN Peacekeeping is a unique global partnership and Sri Lanka is one of the most active partners, providing around 1,200 personnel at any given time. In fact, 'Peacekeeping as a global partnership' is this year’s theme for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers which falls on May 29. The day has two purposes:

*To honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace;

*To pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage.

On May 29, UN offices, alongside Member States and non-governmental organisations will hold solemn events to honour fallen peacekeepers. At the UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General presides over a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of all peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag. In addition, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is awarded posthumously to the peacekeepers who had fallen while serving in the cause of peace, during the preceding year.

The premise of this year’s theme is that peace is a global concern and all countries must work together to secure peace globally. The UN has no standing army or police force of its own, and Member States are asked to contribute military and police personnel required for each operation. Peacekeepers wear their countries’ uniform and are identified as UN Peacekeepers only by a blue UN helmet or beret and a badge.

UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:

* Consent of the parties involved;
* Impartiality;
* Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

UN Peacekeepers provide security and the political and peace-building support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace. Success is never guaranteed, because UN peacekeeping missions go to the most physically and politically difficult environments. However, they have achieved tremendous successes as well and were rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Peace has several components, when a UN mission is involved. They include conflict prevention and mediation, peacemaking, peace-building and peace enforcement. The last one involves the application of a range of coercive measures, including the use of military force and requires the explicit authorisation of the Security Council.

The boundaries between conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, peace-building and peace enforcement have become increasingly blurred. Peace operations are rarely limited to one type of activity.

Blue Helmets

The UN has 33 peacekeeping missions on four continents, involving nearly 120,000 military, police and civilian personnel, who are known as the 'Blue Helmets', from 116 countries. Around 3,000 UN Volunteers are also involved.

More countries are sending women security forces personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, especially in areas where women and children are at risk. For example, Bangladesh (which has the highest number of UN peacekeepers) sent its first female peacekeepers - a 110 strong battalion of policewomen - to Haiti in 2010.

In 2011, over two dozen United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions worked to provide security and stability, facilitate political process, protect civilians, help refugees return, support elections, demobilise and reintegrate former combatants and promote human rights and the rule of law.

The UN peacekeeping missions were called upon to take on tasks as varied as providing logistical support to the January referendum in Sudan; setting up and deploying new missions in South Sudan, Abyei (a territory disputed by Sudan and South Sudan) and Libya; continuing to minimise insecurity in Darfur; supporting presidential and legislative elections in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire; proceeding with its peacekeeping and peacemaking work in the Middle East and Cyprus; and preparing to wind down the mission in Timor-Leste, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of independence.

Among other places with UN Peacekeeping missions are Western Sahara, Darfur, Kosovo, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Haiti (where most Sri Lankan troops serve), Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Middle East. Incidentally, the total annual budget for UN peacekeeping missions is around US$ 7 billion, just 0.5 percent of the world’s collective defence expenditure.

Volatile environments

Peacemaking can be a hazardous job in volatile environments coming to terms with the concept of peace. In fact, 111 UN peacekeepers lost their lives last year alone. Through the years, nearly 3,000 UN peacekeepers have given their lives for peace in far-off lands. Just last week, UN Peacekeeping Chief Hervé Ladsous narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded near his convoy in Syria. But that danger comes with the job and all Blue Helmets are willing to lay their lives on the line to secure peace all over the world.

The world has not forgotten their contribution and their sacrifice to make the world a better place. In recognition of the more than 120,000 United Nations peacekeepers working to promote peace and security worldwide, the Better World Campaign launched its 2012 'Thank a Peacekeeper' campaign last week. It will collect messages of thanks from people around the world on September 21, the International Day of Peace.

The Better World Campaign, together with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will deliver the messages to the UN peacekeepers who are serving separate operations globally to: protect civilians from armed conflict; disarm, demobilise and reintegrate ex-combatants; prevent the collapse of fragile states; facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance; train national police forces; and promote free and fair elections.

“In the darkest hours of global conflict, time and again it is UN peacekeepers who carry forward a torch for stability,” said Executive Director of the Better World Campaign, Peter Yeo. “From Haiti to South Sudan, to the Middle East and beyond, UN peacekeepers stand on the frontlines of protecting civilians, promoting development, and paving the way for democracy.”

Bangladesh is the biggest contributor to UN peacekeeping forces with more than 10,000 soldiers serving in missions across the world. Pakistan and India come next. The top donor nations that fund UN peacekeeping operations are US, UK, Germany and France.

UN peacekeepers not only ensure peace and stability in the countries they serve, but also economically empower their home countries.

The best example is Bangladesh, whose soldiers serving as UN peacekeepers have sent home nearly US$1 billion during the past three years. Thus it is a process that benefits both ends of the peacemaking spectrum. They say that peace begins at home and UN peacekeepers make that possible every day.