The future of United Nations peacekeeping operations was the topic of a lively and frank discussion during the third in a series of lectures and conversations to mark the centenary of the birth of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. The event, held on 5 October 2005 at UN Headquarters in New York and organized by the Dag Hammarskjold Library with the support of the Government of Sweden, saw Under-Secretary-General Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, and Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in the Office of Mission Support, interviewed by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Information Shashi Tharoor before an audience that filled the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium to capacity.
The discussion, on the theme “Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution: Then and Now”, focused on lessons learned from previous peacekeeping missions and the challenges facing peacekeeping operations and conflict resolution in the new millennium. Mr. Brahimi, who chaired the Panel that produced the landmark report on United Nations peace operations in 2000, stressed the importance of setting progressive and achievable objectives for the missions. He described how all too often UN forces arriving in a conflict situation are seen by the local population as saviours and miracle workers, but “from day one we should be telling them no, we are not going to perform any miracles”.
According to Mr. Brahimi, post-conflict peacebuilding is an extremely complex task, but essential. “On the first day, peace means the sound of guns stopped. On the second day, it means a lot of other things.” He also identified finding a balance between taking action and having a sophisticated understanding of the situation in regions of conflict as a key challenge for peacekeeping operations. “Very often, we take the most important decisions when we do not know enough about the country”, but “you have to take decisions, you can not wait”.
Ms. Lute, who draws upon years of military experience in her current role, talked of the need for adequate planning and resourcing for peacekeeping missions, stressing that they “cannot be put together ad hoc and in haste”. She pointed to the World Summit Outcome document, which authorized the creation of a standing police capacity, as a key development, with 5,000 police set to be trained to participate in peacekeeping operations. She however identified a growing divide between rich and poor countries on their contribution to peacekeeping as cause for concern, with developed countries increasingly reticent to send forces to peacekeeping missions. “The rich contribute money, the poor personnel”, she said, emphasizing the need for a dual regard for geographic diversity and increasingly gender in staffing peacekeeping operations.
In keeping with the conversational tone of the event, questions were welcomed from the audience, which included many United Nations staff who had served in peacekeeping missions. The issue of personal security of staff members involved in peace operations was raised, with Ms. Lute expressing regret that “the blue flag is now a target for those who don’t share our values”. She added: “Every life is precious, but for me the individual life of a peacekeeper is particularly precious.”
Mr. Brahimi closed the lecture by reaffirming the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution as both unique and irreplaceable. “I think we have done some very costly mistakes. I hope we will learn from these mistakes and not repeat them.”
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