Civilian
Peace-Keepers - a Future Challenge

By Christian
Hårleman
The basic paradox of
peace-keeping is the fact that it is a peaceful third
party
intervention but it is often carried out on the ground by
soldiers. (B.Fetherston)
Earlier published by ACCORD in South Africa
Introduction
United Nations peace-keeping operations have
increasingly entered internal conflict areas, in which
the role of an overstrained United Nations has become
more complex, comprehensive and, consequently, more
demanding, The United Nations now routinely faces
challenges which do not always fit into a "first" or
"second" generation of peace-keeping and the Member
States are less inclined to be involved in operations
which are considered politically insecure or may develop
into costly undertakings where lives may be lost, thus
creating difficulties in national and domestic politics.
If peace-keeping is to remain one of the United Nations'
most important instruments for securing world peace, it
requires improved as well as new peace-keeping mechanisms
in areas where the international community faces
potential or existing conflicts. This not only obligates
greater efforts by the Member States to provide a timely
availability of troops and to have them more rapidly
deployed, but it also requires them to explore and find
other means for more progressive and improved
peace-keeping.
So far civilians have been used to a certain extent,
but institutionalizing their participation similar to the
military employment, has rarely been discussed. Is it
feasible to expand civilian participation or in some
functions replace military personnel with civilians and
thus improve the flexibility and ability of an operation,
or can a cadre of civilians make the same contribution as
a contingent of military observers? This article
discusses the possibility of a more frequent and
conceptualized use of civilians which might enhance the
capacity of peace-keeping. It is not an academic essay or
an analytical exercise but more an attempt to describe
some areas and operational functions where civilian
peace-keepers may be used. Initially the document
describes peace-keeping in its historical context
emphasizing the shift from military observing and
reporting operations to current multi-dimensional
operations and their increased involvement of civilians.
The next part briefly assesses the future and the
possibilities to be considered; and the last part
proposes an enlargement of the civilian participation in
peace-keeping operations and the establishment of a
civilian peace monitor corps to be deployed in
international and/or regional settings.
Peace-keeping and the Historical Context
Peace-keeping was born out of necessity and became a
practical mechanism for containing conflicts and
facilitating their settlement. From the very outset, the
concept was based primarily on two principles: that
United Nations peace-keeping operations should take place
only with the consent of the States concerned, and that
force should not be applied to end the hostilities.
Since these very first days of the peace-keeping
endeavor, United Nations efforts in the maintenance of
peace have passed through several phases of development.
The first period between 1948 and 1956, was an
experimental phase, in which the United Nations
introduced an international observation and reporting
system with a view to maintain fragile cease-fires.
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and
Pakistan (UNMOGIP) originate from this time and both are
still in existence. The next phase--1956 to 196--was
characterized by escalating tension by the two super
Powers. Increasing rivalry for hegemony in the third
world fueled conflicts and in order to help achieve the
cease-fire and maintain international peace,
peace-keeping forces were launched in the Sinai, Congo
and in Cyprus. The introduction of military forces was an
innovative challenge. The instrument was further refined,
and terms such as "buffer zones," "interposition" and
"multi-dimensional" were used for the first time.
Although, in the beginning great expectations were placed
on these forces, the deteriorating climate between
East-West and the impaired financial situation of the
United Nations hampered the further use of the
peace-keeping instrument and the peace-keepers entered
what might be called the dormant period--1967-1973. Due
to the Yom Kippur War peace-keeping was encouraged and
revitalized and some new operations were established in
Sinai (again) and on the Golan Heights. Up to this time,
peace-keeping operations were mainly policing forces in
which the military elements were predominating. Except
for the operation in Congo, few civilians were
employed.
The end of the Cold War altered the tone of United
Nations peace and security activities and the
international community witnessed a dramatic development,
which testified to the changes in the political
environment . The newly established harmony between the
major Powers contributed to the Security Council's
capability for solving long-standing conflicts and the
United Nations was inundated with requests for
peace-keeping operations. Operations in South West Africa
(later Namibia) and Central America experienced a new
dynamic--more complex and more comprehensive
peace-keeping, in which the United Nations was asked to
advance international peace and security on a wider
scale. This new development required combining
traditional peace-keeping with some novel methods such as
upholding basic legal standards, monitoring of local
police forces, supervision of elections and humanitarian
assistance. As a consequence the employment of civilians
increased considerably. So far peace-keeping adhered more
or less to the traditional concept but the development in
Cambodia, Somalia and former the Yugoslavia changed the
pattern. The United Nations now became involved in
conflicts which were more of intra-state character and
the complexity and comprehensive nature of these
conflicts sometimes went beyond the capacity of the
United Nations. The massive intervention in these
countries produced some gray areas between peace-keeping
and peace-enforcement and sometimes the combination of
political and humanitarian mandates was less successful.
Despite considerable financial and political support,
some very visible operations were not fully achieved;
often they were launched too late to be effective; and
became too expensive to sustain international
support.
Between 1948 and 1987, the United Nations had
initiated 13 peace-keeping operations but only five of
them were still in existence in 1988, of which four were
related to -state conflicts and only one to an
intra-state dispute. Out of the 28 operations established
1988-1996, only eight may be referred to as conflicts of
inter-state character and the rest considered as
intra-state conflicts.
As a result, the international community is now more
concerned with the major causes of systemic and
intractable violent conflict such as ethnic, religious
and socio-economic factors with less emphasis on
preventing or containing conflicts between nations.
Although security and stability remain a major problem,
the means to achieve it have changed dramatically. Today
there is a new political context that requires a broader
and more collaborative approach, which considers
traditional notions of diplomacy along with the
socio-economic development of nations and peoples
involved in conflict. Therefore, the use of highly
visible tools, such as multilateral peace-keeping forces,
is no longer always feasible.
The Experience of the Expansion and Functions of
Civilians in Peace-keeping (Peace) Operations
Experiences indicate that the Member States are less
inclined to be involved in operations which are
considered politically insecure or might develop into
costly undertakings or with the loss of lives and thus
create difficulties in domestic politics. Therefore, the
use of traditional peace-keeping operations has become
less common and as a result the number of peace-keeping
troops has decreased from 75,000 in mid-1994 to 25,000 in
mid-1997. Compared with previous and traditional
peace-keeping operations, this @second@ generation of
peace-keeping has also witnessed a dramatic enlargement
of civilian participation mostly as a result of several
operations having become more accessible and more
humanitarian in nature. The following section briefly
discusses the preconditions and consequences of the
military and civilian employment.
Military Forces (Force Level Missions)
Peace-keeping has developed from what is sometimes
called first generation (traditional) to second
generation peace-keeping activities. The first generation
of peace-keeping consists of operations where maintenance
of cease-fires and separation of forces were the major
objectives and the second generation operations are
generally said to include; preventive deployment;
implementation of comprehensive settlements; and
protection of humanitarian operations during continuing
conflicts. There is a significant difference in staffing
between first and second generations of peace-keeping.
The traditional operations employed primarily military
personnel although some civilian functions, particularly
in the administrative fields, were staffed by civilians
from the United Nations Secretariat. The second
generation of peace-keeping witnessed a multiplicity in
the operational demands which could not be met by the
military and subsequently civilian personnel were
recruited to a greater extent. Initially, they were
employed from the Secretariat but due to the increasing
need, the recruitment was later expanded to include the
United Nations system and thus all UN organizations and
UN agencies. However, the expansion of peace-keeping and
its comprehensive activities, particularly in Cambodia,
Somalia and the former Yugoslavia asked for a further
enlargement of the civilian components, which forced the
Organization to find suitable candidates from outside the
system. Unfortunately, this recruitment too often
resulted in employment of unqualified personnel with
limited ability and almost non-existent knowledge and
understanding of United Nations political and operational
concepts.
Observer and Similar Missions
In addition to the force level missions, sometimes
combined or under command, there are observer or
verification missions. The Observer Missions emanate from
the end of the 40s and in the Cold War era, five Military
Observer Missions were set up and assigned tasks such as
supervising a cease-fire and/or an armistice agreement,
verifying the withdrawal of troops and monitoring border
areas. In general, the officers are full-time
professionals but some countries have contributed
part-time reserve officers. This healthy blend of
professionals and @civilians@ has proven to be useful,
particularly in mission where a high level of hostile
military activities are not prevailing. Experience
demonstrates that the military observers have been an
excellent complement to peace-keeping forces, since their
"unarmed" presence is generally not considered as a
threat to the conflicting parties. Due to these
circumstances the military observers have, in a number of
operations, been able to promote consent and positive
cooperation not only between the United Nations and the
conflicting parties, but also between the parties
themselves and not surprisingly, their tasks have
gradually been expanded to include duties within the
humanitarian, political, administrative and logistical
areas. Their ability and general competence has proven
that services of military observers quite often overlap
both military and civilian functions and therefore they
may be considered more or less as General Purpose
Officers.
With the expansion of United Nations peace-keeping
other types of observer missions were established such
as: civilian police monitor missions; geographical
observers mission (UNHCOI in Iraq); @verifiers@ (UNSCOM
in Iraq); election monitors; election observers, and EC
monitors, etc. In general these missions only employ
civilians, although some with a military background,
whose functional titles like supervisors, monitors and
observers indicate the level of responsibility. Even if
the military observers have gained an excellent
reputation, the question arises if in the future their
military appearance (uniform) is more required than their
general competence, and if this is the case, is it
possible that some of their traditional functions can be
the responsibility of civilians with the necessary
experience. The question concerning uniform is important
as the uniform serves as a recognized and visible
confirmation of the international community=s support of
a mission and that the host country has officially
accepted the presence of national and international
bodies.
Civilian Police
In the beginning of the 60s the first civilian police
mission was deployed in Cyprus as a complement to the
already existing peace-keeping force. Under the umbrella
of the force, the mission had a weak mandate and its
usefulness was sometimes questioned. However, the gained
experience became important and served as useful guidance
when the civilian police concept was extended to other
missions. The financial and political constraints on
United Nations peace-keeping promoted an increased
deployment of civilian police contingents and
particularly the huge missions in the beginning of the
90s witnessed contingents of several hundreds of police
officers . Their "unarmed" presence and non-military
appearance made them more politically eligible than
military observers and their tasks, with no law
enforcement power, comprised of monitoring/counseling of
local police activities concerning basic security and
law-and-order e.g. criminal investigation,
arrest/detention and crowd control. In the last years
their duties have been further expanded to include
training and assistance in creation of reliable police
forces in countries where the law and order resources are
not adequate. In their specific role the civilian police
monitors have proven to be an excellent instrument in the
peace-keeping environment and except for some general
areas their functions can not be handled by civilian
personnel.
Security Components
Traditionally, provision of security has been a task
for peace-keeping units which were repeatedly asked to
provide secure conditions for international personnel
engaged in humanitarian activities. Although gradually
accepted, the last years experiences have resulted in a
reluctance from not only the providers and beneficiaries
but from involved humanitarian agencies and organizations
as well. There are various reasons for this, but the
involvement of military forces in humanitarian operations
has not always been appreciated and has raised a number
of conceptual and operational questions. Therefore other
means have been explored. United Nations Guard Contingent
in Iraq was established in 1991 as a response to the
requirement of security for the humanitarian community
working in Northern Iraq. Its operations are based on
three elements: the local authorities, the humanitarian
community, and the UN Guard. The operational concept
consists of protection and confidence-building activities
in which the three elements are simultaneously
responsible. These kinds of burden-sharing activities
have contributed to an enhancement of the security
environment which has allowed the humanitarian community
to efficiently provide assistance to suffering groups. A
study undertaken by the UN Department for Humanitarian
Affairs, recognized the usefulness in utilizing civilians
instead of military entities. Although dressed in the
uniforms of the United Nations security, the organization
is considered as a civilian entity. This interesting but
little-known concept deserves closer attention
particularly in combination with the concept of the new
safe-and-rescue unit currently deployed in Haiti.
Civilian Functions
In the early years of peace-keeping and particularly
in the Cold War era, the civilians were mainly personnel
from Field Administration Division (which later became
Field Administration and Logistic Division), United
Nations. Their main responsibility was to provide all the
administrative and logistic support which was not
directly provided by in the operation participating
Governments. In the end of the 80s and beginning of the
90s, the involvement of the civilians had largely
expanded and particularly where a peace-keeping operation
had to perform duties which were of non-military nature.
In missions such as those in Cambodia, the former
Yugoslavia and Somalia the civilians, a part from their
traditional support to the military forces, performed
duties similar to those of a civilian society, as well as
large and mandated humanitarian assistance programmes.
The involvement of civilians changed the peace-keeping
concept. The military dominance decreased and their
operations were mainly mandated to support and protect
the humanitarian activities. The second generation of
peace-keeping was born and assumed that a more robust
role of the military elements should be an advantage in
enhancement of a secure environment and thus facilitating
the delivery of humanitarian commodities in affected
areas. The combination of military and humanitarian
mandates raised conceptual and operational concerns and
has fostered the international reluctance to deploy
peace-keeping operations with any kind of enforcement
capability. Not much has been written about the civilians
and their lessons learned in peace-keeping although there
is a comprehensive documentation and a number of studies
on the political and humanitarian activities and their
impact on affected populations. It is estimated that the
number of civilian working directly in an operation
authorized by the Security Council has increased in
traditional peace-keeping from 6-9 percent up to
approximately 20 percent during the last huge
operations.
The Future
The peace-keeping world was, by the nature of the
conflicts, a military world, and there was, very
understandably, a bias for the military vocabulary and
terminology. Although the language is understood, it is
not always correctly interpreted by the civilian
community and vice versa. Already with the word
Aconflict@ there is--a conflict. Currently the words, pre
conflict, conflict and post conflict, are used in an
attempt to define the level (sort of) and the period of
diverse interests. Conflicts are possible whenever or
wherever diverse interests are activated. Consequently it
may be argued that a conflict is always present either as
a potential or as an existing conflict. Thus, conflicts
are inevitable and dramatic changes, to a certain extent,
preventable. Correct or not--conflicts have their own
identities and there are always numerous attempts to
define and establish different categories of conflicts.
Nevertheless, adequate preparations for the next century
demand an analysis of potential and existing
conflicts.
Future Conflicts
Mohammed Sahnoun (UN/OAU Representatives ..???) has
discussed five realistic potential and/or existing
conflicts. Some of them may be argued not to be relevant
but the lessons learned proves that violence may be a
potential outcome of all of them : (i) failure in
creation of nation states where a slow process of
national integration may experience a dangerous process
that causes monopolization of power by a specific ethnic
group; (ii) products of a colonial legacy are mostly
linked with the drawing of borders by the colonial
powers, but also unrealistic constitutions are linked to
an uncertainty in which marginal population found
themselves after independence; (iii). products of Cold
War legacy where commenced liberation wars or social
revolts became compounded and where old links are still
maintained to dubious forces in the outside world; (iv)
conflicts of religious character where the population is
separated along religious lines and where populations are
the victims of manipulation from over-ambitious leaders;
and (v) conflicts of socio-economic character where the
conditions are perceived incorrectly and violence is a
potential outcome in the absence of a democratic
system.
Although briefly referred to, the analysis indicates
the new pattern of conflicts in which the military
conflicts no longer are the dominating factor. Instead
the conflicts appear to be more of national or regional
nature where injustices of various kinds seems to be the
prevailing factor. The root causes must be addressed and
the involvement of military forces seems to be less
required. Use of the military capacity can, however,
never be excluded but should, if necessary, be used more
as a coercive force in combination with other more
rewarding mechanisms as later indicated.
Future Operations
Although the United Nations in recent years has
greatly improved its capacity in managing complex
emergencies, the Organization is to find further
innovations if it is to be prepared for the challenges of
the next century. Recognizing the current development of
possible conflicts, a new generation of peace-keeping is
considered: the "inducement of peace" operations. These
operations--third generation if implemented--have the
intent of restoring civil societies where they have
broken down by using two applications "(i) the use of
positive incentives to induce, in the first instance,
consent and cooperation with the peace operation and
beyond that reconciliation and (ii) the threat of
coercion to gain consent and cooperation". The major
objective with inducement of peace operations is an
active approach to promote the peace-building process
including political objectives. (The Namibia operation
may serve as a foundation).
In the "positive inducement", the strategy is not to
detain or contain but rather and initially to convince
and later, if so required, to influence the conflicting
parties by providing positive rewards such as development
assistance of various kinds - or simply to find
substantial means for rebuilding the confidence among and
between the parties. However, to implement this strategy
requires a new philosophy. An understanding of the local
complexity and a flexible response at various levels but
also a knowledge of the "rewarding tool" are expedient.
The technique requires civilian or military personnel
with an excellent understanding not only of the conflict
itself but also of the local implications of the
conflict, as well as a profound knowledge of the various
means available for the "rewarding" implementation. Under
these circumstances the possibility to mobilize national
or regional competence should be explored.
The second option "the threat of coercion" intends to
intimidate non-cooperating elements into cooperating.
When the objective has been achieved and necessary
consent/assurance obtained then a positive inducement
operation ensues. "Such an operation takes into account
that consent was granted only in the face of the
intimidating force and that a credible force is required
if consent is to be maintained. Simultaneously, however,
it operates on the basis of freely-given consent on the
part of much of the population and regards this as a
valuable asset to be protected and nurtured". The
limitations are obvious and the lessons learned from the
past less successful operations indicate the
difficulties. However, to be successful it requires a
"credible coercive capacity" force. Nevertheless,
"coercive inducement" should not be considered as an
isolated activity but more as a complement to "positive
inducement"--or very simply--a responsive and flexible
use of the carrot and the stick. Thus the positive
inducement requires a more broad and rewarding approach,
the coercive objective probably demands a more robust
solution and subsequently it becomes more an obligation
for the military.
To challenge future conflicts the international
community must be flexible. Peace-keeping is one of the
means at which one generation of peace-keeping should not
exclude the use of the others. The two generations of
peace-keeping together with a new third generation will
provide necessary and flexible response when the
peace-keeping tool is to be used.
Requirements
Since the conflicts seem to be less military in nature
and instead a more complex blend of political
exploitation and severe socio-economic injustices and
factionalism, there is a requirement to broaden the
understanding of existing conflicts and a need to create
a common culture of preventive action and peace-building
and less of peace-keeping as experienced. This can only
be achieved with a more de-centralized system and with
involvement from all parties concerned which subsequently
requires a mechanism with necessary institutional and
conceptual arrangements enabling a better mobilization of
the civilian capacity. Although less in demand, the new
generation of peace-keeping must further widen its
competence, and civilians should be more conceptually
integrated than in previous operations. Such an
integration will allow the future missions to have a more
constructive and confidence-building character than in
the past.
Some Possible Solutions
Utilization of Civilian Personnel in Peace-keeping
Forces
All operations, as all complex organizations, consist
of a variety of functions which respond to a specific
task. The following break down of a multi-dimensional
force in functions, and thus separating the military from
the civilian function, clearly shows where there are
requirements for civil personnel. The following should
not be considered as a complete definition of the
different and various roles but more an indication of the
areas where civilian personnel may be used:
Involvment of:
Functional
Areas
|
Mil. Forces
|
Mil.Pers
|
Civ, Pol
|
Civ.Pers
|
Military Functions:
|
|
|
|
|
Observation and verification of
cease-fires
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Observation of buffer zones and withdrawal of
foreign troops
|
MF
|
MP
|
|
|
Separation of forces
|
MF
|
MP
|
|
|
Demobilization and destruction of weapons
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
|
Establishment of secure conditions for
delivery of humanitarian supplies
|
MF
|
|
|
|
Preventive deployment
|
MF
|
MP
|
|
|
Enforcement actions
|
MF
|
|
|
|
Civilian Police Functions:
|
|
|
|
|
Monitoring, training and counseling of
national/local police forces
|
|
|
CIVPOL
|
|
Investigation of human right abuses
|
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Protection (Haiti)
|
|
|
CIVPOL
|
|
Governmental/Political
Functions:
|
|
|
|
|
Ensuring political independence
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Management of communal strife
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
|
Negotiation with non-governmental
entities
|
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Assumption of temporary governmental
authority and administration
|
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Administration and conduct of
elections/referendums
|
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Verification of human rights agreements
|
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Civil Functions:
|
|
|
|
|
Humanitarian assistance
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Repatriation of refugees
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Management of local disputes
|
|
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Confidence-building measures
|
MF
|
MP
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
Provision of security (Iraq)
|
|
|
CIVPOL
|
CP
|
This figure clearly testifies the multiplicity of
United Nations peace-keeping from military policing to
multi-disciplinary functions, in which the political
element, humanitarian intervention/assistance and
development assistance are significant and expanding
subjects. Some are simple and obvious and some more
interesting. For example it is believed that properly
trained civilians can assume some tasks concerning
observation and verification of cease-fires. Although it
has been done to a certain extent it can be done more
extensively. The establishment of a civilian peace
monitor corps or an increased employment of civilians in
the military observer are both feasible solutions. A
50/50 percent mix of civilian and military observer will
provide necessary efficiency, visible confirmation of
international support (the use of national uniforms) and
an healthy utilization of the civilian and military
competence. The figure also communicates the overwhelming
presence of military forces and other military personnel
which puts pressure on the civilians when the military,
for political or other reasons, is not participating. The
figure also shows the usefulness of civilian police
personnel which have the capacity to serve as a useful
bridge between the military and civilian functions In
light of this, it is obvious that the need to find and
mobilize capacities outside the military establishment
are far more demanding than currently addressed.
However, it is not only a question of quality but also
of quantity, which surfaces another problem. The civilian
society is not organized as the military establishment
and even if the resources exist, the question of
accessibility still remains: How to find appropriate
means to mobilize and prepare available assets? To
mobilize the civilian capacity, more attention should be
given to the establishment of a focal point which should
advocate a better cooperation and collaboration between
and among regional/sub-regional and non-Governmental
organizations. Such an arrangement should permanently
assist the United Nations as well as the
regional/international community to engage and prepare
appropriate resources for a prompt and timely response.
Subsequently, the United Nations would thereafter
gradually share its burden of diplomatic and operational
activities with regional organizations/institutions and
non-Governmental organizations not only in international
conflict management but also in the national or regional
settings.
Establishment of a Civilian Peace Monitor
Corps
These challenges, combined with pressures on scarce
United Nations (and national) resources and less
involvement from external powers, manifest the obligation
to find an instrument capable of meeting the increasing
requirements of the new political and humanitarian
environment. In this respect, considerable attention
should be given to the feasibility of
institutionalization and education of civilian
professionals, not only to supplement military
peace-keeping forces but also by establishment of a
separate peace monitoring and confidence-building
instrument. Eligible individuals with needed knowledge
and experience should be further trained in a systematic
way and thus be able to undertake functions which
generally comprise preventive activities, peace
monitoring and assistance in the peace-building
processes. Governmental assistance, political advice and
assistance in humanitarian emergencies are all tasks that
fall under these overreaching functions. Such a civilian
cadre, with all its potential expertise, should be
established within appropriate regional and sub-regional
organizations and dispatched to areas in conflict at the
apropriate time.
Capacity-building requires not only that the civilians
have a good working knowledge of a complex
multi-disciplinary system, but also that they acquire the
ability to handle these intricate concerns. Therefore,
the objectives will be to establish a peace monitor corps
and to provide a better and coherent knowledge of the
political and humanitarian environment but also to the
theories of modern conflict management in general and the
United Nations` role in maintaining international peace
and security in particular. Additionally, they will be
given an improved understanding of the military elements
in peace-keeping settings. Considering the national
context and existing resources, it is further required to
explore the potential for a combined national
mobilization of military officers, civilian police and
civilian professionals. The main objective should
encompass the following:
- to build a corps of international peace monitors
which are adequately trained/educated and prepared for
immediate dispatch to duty in the
international/regional arena;
- to augment the knowledge and proficiency of the
region concerning the United Nations role in
international, political and security orders;
- to explore the potential for increased combined
utilization of military officers, civilian police and
civilian professionals in the international/regional
arena
- to improve the civilian/military relations.
Although, the expressed idea concerning a peace
monitor cadres is tentative and requires further
development and conceptualization, it outlines the
possibilities to build a new structure which goes far
beyond the traditional and highly centralized approach
that currently exists. It is expected that a realization
of a peace monitor corps will provide the international
community with an efficient and cost-effective instrument
with a broad knowledge and understanding of political and
humanitarian operations, and with a flexible competence
which can be utilized in most United Nations operations.
It is assumed that the monitors should have such
integrity that they also are able to undertake national
and regional collaborative endeavors in the field, as
required. Such burden-sharing undertakings will broaden
the mechanics of mediation and conciliation and provide
opportunities to monitor existing or potential conflicts
and advocate peaceful solutions.
Conclusions
In the past military officers have dominated the stage
and their professionalism and knowledge have been
valuable assets for the operational management of complex
situations. Their resources and military education have
made them suitable for conflict management where disputes
have escalated to hostilities and volatile situations,
and where the military machinery has become a necessity.
Their experience and professionalism advocated a new
strategy for peace-keeping and in the beginning of the
90s, the world experienced the second generation of
peace-keeping. However, the new political environment and
the nature of existing and potential conflicts demands a
more comprehensive and far-reaching approach. Conflicts
need to be addressed at an early stage where the root
causes and underlying differences require a new and more
human approach. Preventive actions and peace-building
must be considered as the global objectives Therefore,
the next generation of peace-keeping must be more
progressive and civilian in nature in order to keep up
with these new requirements. Subsequently, the civilian
society must be mobilized in a more coherent way.
This article has outlined the possibilities for an
expanded use of civilians in UN peace-keeping. The needed
civilian resources exist (of course) and should be
utilized not only in the military operations but even
more extensively by creating a new and innovative
instrument suitable for the new environment. In order to
realize these objectives, the United Nations, regional
organizations and non-Governmental organizations need to
develop an institutional cooperation, enabling the
international community to meet the challenges of the
next century.
Note
Minor parts of this article have been used in articles
concerning Psychological Aspects on Peace-keeping on
the Ground presented to the College of William &
Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, US, d UN Guard
Contingent in Iraq presented to Department of
Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations and as a resource to
the Conflict Management and Peace Monitor Program
developed for the Central American region
Sources
Five realistic root causes to a conflict; M. Sahnoun:
Talk given CIIR October 1995
Inducement of peace: A Annan: Peace Operations and
the Un; Preparation for the Next Century
Indications of social Change and Emergent Conflict:
Toward explanation of Conflict Processes D. Bond, the
Harvard University US (A position paper)
.
Copyright: C. Hårleman 1998

Tell a friend about this article
Send to:
From:
Message and your name
To
NONVIOLENCE
FORUM
|
|