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71. Partners and Competitors: Forces Operating in Parallel to UN Peace Operations

Author:
Alexandra Novosseloff and Lisa Sharland
Publication Date:
11-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
Since the end of the Cold War, the UN Security Council has authorized or recognized the deployment of more than forty parallel forces that operate alongside UN peace operations. As the Security Council has deployed peace operations in increasingly non-permissive environments, the division of labor between UN missions and these parallel forces has blurred, and their goals have sometimes come into conflict. This raises the question of whether they are partners or competitors. This report examines the missions that have operated in parallel to UN peace operations to identify how to strengthen these partnerships in the future. It analyzes and categorizes the types of parallel forces that have been deployed and examines the rationales for deploying them. It also looks at strategic and operational challenges, including the challenges unique to peace operations operating alongside a counterterrorism force. Finally, drawing on lessons from past and current parallel deployments, it offers recommendations for member states, the Security Council, and the UN Secretariat. These include: Strengthening coordination of assessments, planning, and application of UN standards: The UN and actors deploying parallel forces should conduct joint assessments and planning when deploying or reconfiguring missions. The UN Security Council should also engage more regularly with parallel forces and encourage the continued development of human rights compliance frameworks for them. Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and areas of operation: Peace operations and parallel forces should clearly delineate their responsibilities and areas of operation, assess the risks of collocating, and improve strategic communications with the local population. The Security Council should also continue to put in place mechanisms to strengthen the accountability of parallel forces, especially when peace operations are providing support that could contribute to counterterrorism operations.
Topic:
United Nations, Peacekeeping, Armed Forces, and UN Security Council
Political Geography:
Global Focus

72. Pursuing Coordination and Integration for the Protection of Civilians

Author:
Alice Debarre and Namie Di Razza
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
In recent years, the UN and its member states have promoted comprehensive approaches and integrated structures and processes to improve coherence and consistency between political peacekeeping, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts undertaken by the UN and its partners. For POC specifically, coordination between the military, police, and civilian components of peace operations; between peace operations and UN agencies, funds, and programs; and between the UN system and other protection actors has been pursued to maximize impact in the field. Joint planning, analysis, and action at these three levels are key to leveraging different types of expertise, tools, and responses in a holistic way in order to better prevent and respond to threats to civilians. However, while the UN’s normative and policy frameworks provide the basis for coordination and organizational arrangements have been set up to facilitate integrated efforts at these three levels, recent developments in the peace and security sphere have reinvigorated the debate over the costs and benefits of integration. Coordination for POC has proven to be increasingly difficult in non-permissive environments where, for example, peacekeepers may be perceived as party to the armed conflict or as having too close or tense a relationship with the host state or non-state actors. Integration in such contexts has led to debates around the preservation of humanitarian space, the independence of human rights advocacy, and the security of actors too closely linked to peacekeeping efforts. This issue brief analyzes the costs, benefits, and challenges of coordinated and integrated approaches to POC in peacekeeping contexts. It considers the added value of mission-wide and system-wide coordination for POC and concerns over comprehensive coordination between peacekeeping and humanitarian actors, which have different rationales and methodologies for protection. In a context of UN reform emphasizing prevention and political strategies, it questions the political and institutional push for more comprehensive POC strategies and reflects on the associated risks. It also offers considerations for how to coordinate and integrate multi-actor efforts in order to better protect civilians.
Topic:
Human Rights, United Nations, Peacekeeping, and Civilians
Political Geography:
Global Focus

73. Financing UN Peacekeeping: Avoiding another Crisis

Author:
Wasim Mir
Publication Date:
04-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
UN peacekeeping missions are facing cash-flow problems and financial strains due to the late payment and withholding of assessed contributions. Since the inception of UN peacekeeping, the financing of missions has been a challenge, with periods of calm followed by periods of crisis. The UN has been particularly vulnerable to withheld and late payments from its biggest financial contributors. This has an impact on missions’ effectiveness and the ability of troop-contributing countries to deploy. This paper examines how member-state contributions to peacekeeping are calculated, historical and current financing challenges faced by peacekeeping missions, and ideas for placing UN peacekeeping on a firmer financial footing. It recommends reevaluating some of the rules and regulations that govern the management of UN peacekeeping. It specifically recommends: Creating a cash reserve for peacekeeping: A new reserve fund or the relaxation of restrictions to use of the existing reserve fund could help manage liquidity problems. Consolidating peacekeeping accounts: Consolidating the accounts for missions would significantly improve cash management and operational flexibility by allowing the Secretariat to borrow between the accounts of different missions. Streamlining budgeting: Aligning the billing process with the budget period would reduce bureaucracy, reducing the burden on both the Secretariat and member states. Incentivizing budgetary discipline: Allowing some flexibility on the crediting of savings to member states could improve liquidity and incentivize missions to be more disciplined in their spending. Encouraging prompt payments: To encourage member states to meet the deadline for payments, they could be penalized for making late payments or given positive incentives to pay on time.
Topic:
United Nations, Peacekeeping, and Finance outlook
Political Geography:
Global Focus

74. Action for Peacekeeping: One Year into the Implementation of the Declaration of Shared Commitments

Author:
Jake Sherman
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
In September 2018, more than 100 UN member states signed a Declaration of Shared Commitments as part of the secretary-general’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. The declaration was intended to rally member states to address urgent challenges facing contemporary peacekeeping operations. But one year later, the declaration has not yet translated into concrete action by member states, limiting tangible results for missions on the ground. This issue brief takes stock of progress by the UN and member states in implementing A4P over the past year and looks at where there is momentum and where additional political attention is needed. There is consensus that A4P has helped reaffirm the value of peacekeeping. It also provides a roadmap for incremental reform, a platform for sharing good practices, and a framework for identifying progress. Moving forward, however, it needs to be more than a package of preexisting UN priorities; it needs to become a platform through which the secretary-general sets a new approach to strengthening peacekeeping.
Topic:
Diplomacy, International Law, United Nations, Peacekeeping, and Conflict
Political Geography:
Global Focus

75. Positive Peace Report 2019: Analysing the factors that sustain peace

Publication Date:
10-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:
This report is a continuation of the prior work from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), and includes updated results for the annual Positive Peace Index (PPI). It also provides analysis of countries that are improving or deteriorating in Positive Peace, as well as the developmental factors that improve or deteriorate with changes in Positive Peace. The research incorporates systems thinking to understand how nations operate and societies develop over time. The introductory section of the report describes the fundamental concepts associated with systems thinking. In doing so, IEP provides a new interdependent framework and holistic approach to understanding peace and development.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Development, Peace Studies, Peacekeeping, Conflict, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:
Global Focus

76. Global Peace Index 2019: Measuring peace in a complex world

Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:
This is the thirteenth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. This report presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to date on peace, its economic value, trends, and how to develop peaceful societies. The GPI covers 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace using three thematic domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation. In addition to presenting the findings from the 2019 GPI, this year’s report includes analysis of trends in Positive Peace: the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. It looks at the relationship between the actual peace of a country, as measured by the GPI, and Positive Peace, and how a deficit of Positive Peace is often a predictor of future increases in violent conflict. It also looks at the dynamic relationship between changes in Positive Peace and changes in the economy.
Topic:
International Cooperation, Peace Studies, Peacekeeping, Military Affairs, Political structure, Conflict, Violence, Institutions, and Peace
Political Geography:
Global Focus

77. The End of War: How a Robust Marketplace and Liberal Hegemony Are Leading to Perpetual World Peace

Author:
Michael Mousseau
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Security
Institution:
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Permanent world peace is beginning to emerge. States with developed market-oriented economies have foremost interests in the principle of self-determination of all states as the foundation for a robust global marketplace. War among these states, even making preparations for war, is not possible, because they are in a natural alliance to preserve and protect the global order. Among other states, weaker powers, fearing those that are stronger, tend to bandwagon with the relatively benign market-oriented powers. The result is a powerful liberal global hierarchy that is unwittingly, but systematically, buttressing states' embrace of market norms and values, moving the world toward perpetual peace. Analysis of voting preferences of members of the United Nations General Assembly from 1946 to 2010 corroborates the influence of the liberal global hierarchy: states with weak internal markets tend to disagree with the foreign policy preferences of the largest market power (i.e., the United States), but more so if they have stronger rather than weaker military and economic capabilities. Market-oriented states, in contrast, align with the market leader regardless of their capabilities. Barring some dark force that brings about the collapse of the global economy (such as climate change), the world is now in the endgame of a five-century-long trajectory toward permanent peace and prosperity.
Topic:
Peace Studies, War, Hegemony, Peacekeeping, Global Security, and Liberal Order
Political Geography:
United States, United Nations, and Global Focus

78. Third MPOME Regional Workshop Report: Making Peace Operations More Effective

Author:
Claire McEvoy
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Small Arms Survey
Abstract:
This Report summarizes the formal contributions made by presenters at the third MPOME Regional Workshop and the discussions that ensued. The workshop was held at the National Peace Operations Training Center of Uruguay (ENOPU) in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Topic:
Peacekeeping, Conflict, and Training
Political Geography:
Uruguay and Global Focus

79. Fourth MPOME Regional Workshop Report: Making Peace Operations More Effective

Author:
Claire McEvoy
Publication Date:
03-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Small Arms Survey
Abstract:
This Report summarizes both the formal contributions made by presenters at the fourth MPOME Regional Workshop and the discussions that ensued. The workshop was held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
Topic:
NATO, Arms Control and Proliferation, Peacekeeping, and Peace
Political Geography:
Belgium and Global Focus

80. Beyond Blue Helmets: Promoting Weapons and Ammunition Management in Non-UN Peace Operations

Author:
Eric G. Berman
Publication Date:
03-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Small Arms Survey
Abstract:
This report details efforts to improve weapons and ammunition management in non-United Nations (UN) peace operations in order to enhance force protection and mandate implementation. More than 25 organizations apart from the UN have deployed more than 100 peace operations to date. These non-UN organizations face the same challenges as the UN in securing their contingent-owned equipment (COE) and the lethal materiel they recover. Non-UN peace operations may even be more vulnerable to these challenges than UN operations. Thousands of small arms and light weapons as well as millions of rounds of ammunition have been lost in recent years as a result of attacks on fixed sites, patrols, and convoy movements. Forced abandonment of COE, burglary, theft, corruption, as well as poor discipline and practices also contribute to diversion of materiel. Beyond Blue Helmets: Promoting Weapons and Ammunition Management in Non-UN Peace Operations focuses on defining key terms, identifying the actors undertaking non-UN peacekeeping operations, and analyzing the challenges they face as well as the control measures that exist to mitigate the risks and reduce the loss of arms and ammunition. The report also highlights efforts some of these actors are presently undertaking to develop more effective checks and balances to enhance weapons and ammunition management (WAM) practices in peace operations, and suggests additional measures that could be undertaken towards these ends.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, United Nations, Peacekeeping, and Weapons
Political Geography:
Global Focus