Troop-Contributing Nations Feel Disempowered In Peacekeeping Operations

By Josh Butler Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 24 2015 (IPS) - Nations contributing troops to U.N. peacekeeping missions often feel disempowerment and a lack of influence over mission strategies, according to a new European report.

The ‘Future Peace Operations Landscape’ report, launched at U.N. headquarters in New York last week, found that troop contributing countries, or TCCs, feel they are treated with less respect and have less purview over mission planning than financial contributing countries, or FCCs.

Dr Jair van der Lijn, Head of Peace Operations and Conflict Management at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said it was important the relationship between FCCs and TCCs be carefully managed.

“TCCs feel they have better ideas of what is realistic and what’s not, and the FCCs have lost touch with operational reality,” Van der Lijn said. “The relationship must be addressed, or it will lead to less solidarity in the peace operations system.”

The report – a project between SIPRI, German institute Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs – was compiled from interviews with diplomats, military personnel and peacekeeping experts.

Van der Lijn said it was critical TCCs be better included in operational strategy and planning.

“They feel entitled to have influence over practicalities, as they are the ones putting their lives at risk,” he said, citing many TCCs feeling a “broad lack of respect” from FCCs.

“The solution is to increase the role of TCCs in decision making, and more respect for TCCs, particularly those from Africa, by acknowledging their efforts and increasing training and equipment.”

Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, also spoke of the need to “rebalance” the relationship between contributors to peacekeeping missions.

“Partnerships are essential as we look to the future of U.N. peacekeeping,” Mulet said.

“We need to acknowledge each organisation has different strengths and standards. About 80% of U.N. peacekeepers are deployed in Africa, so our partnerships with the African Union and African sub-regional groups are absolutely fundamental.”

Van der Lijn said MINUSMA, the U.N. mission in Mali, was currently the most dangerous operations to deploy peacekeepers to. Mulet also reinforced the need for more effective mission plans.

“We need to align aims with means, and manage expectations. The secretariat needs to be clear in what it can achieve,” he said. “The Security Council should grant realistic mandates, and ensure the sequencing of deployments is right.”