Establishing independent UN standby military force
Context
In recent years, UN peacekeeping operations in Rwanda, Bosnia and Somalia have been neither effective nor successful. Reasons include among others: the operational structure of UN Peacekeeping was not effectively adapted to respective conflict zones; the UN lacked the necessary political and military backing from its member states to fulfill its mandate. Thus, the possibility of early and/or swift action has been undermined by the necessity to obtain, first, agreement in the Security Council, and then, a multi-national force financed by the voluntary contributions of the member states. In order to make UN peacekeeping operations more effective in the future, apart from reforms in the UN peacekeeping's operational process, the UN should be given a mandate to call on a trained standby force of its own, with a permanent military staff to run the operations.
Claim
During the Rwandan crises the UN appealed to 60 nations for peacekeepers and all those nations declined. The USA is reluctant to participate in UN actions unless it retains independent control of its forces.
Counter-claim
Establishing an independent UN standby military force is a misguided priority that distracts from pressing global issues like poverty, climate change, and health crises. Instead of pouring resources into a military solution, the UN should focus on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and humanitarian aid. A standby force risks escalating tensions and undermining the very principles of peace and cooperation that the UN stands for. Let’s prioritize meaningful solutions over militarization and foster a world built on dialogue, not force.
Broader
Value
SDG
Metadata
Database
Global strategies
Type
(G) Very specific strategies
Subject
Defence » Military forces » Military forces
Content quality
Yet to rate
Language
English
1A4N
J4459
DOCID
12044590
D7NID
203699
Last update
Dec 3, 2024