Ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, and to mark the launch of UNA-UK's new programme, UNA-UK is asking its members and supporters to demonstrate their support for greater UK engagement with UN peacekeeping.
Click here to show your support
Background
This month, UNA-UK will be celebrating the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. For more than six decades, peacekeepers have supported peace processes, protected civilians and helped communities around the world to rebuild their lives and lay the foundations for a more stable future.
The International Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the crucial work of the 'blue helmets', show solidarity with peacekeepers currently serving in fragile situations, and remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, over 30 so far in 2014.
As in previous years, we will join with our Westminster branch and the Royal United Services Institute to hold a public conference and wreath-laying ceremony on Whitehall to mark the occasion. The conference on 22 May will review the UK's current contribution to UN peacekeeping and assess its potential to increase support in the future.
UK and UN peacekeeping
UN peacekeeping is widely recognised as one of the best tools for the international community to assist countries in moving from conflict to peace.
The UK's Building Stability Overseas Strategy recognises the important contribution of UN peacekeeping missions in stabilising post-conflict situations without the need for direct UK military intervention. It notes that UN missions are relatively low-cost in comparision with coalition missions. This echoes an influential study by the RAND Corporation, which found that UN-led operations have higher success rates, lower costs and greater legitimacy than US-led ones.
While the UK continues to play a key role in UN peacekeeping, both financially and through its seat on the Security Council, there has been a signficant reduction in practical engagement over the last two decades.
Today, the UK contributes around 350 troops - 10% of what it did in the early 1990s. Just two UK police officers currently serve in missions and the UK does not provide any military experts to UN peacekeeping at present.
We believe that increased UK involvement in UN peacekeeping missions will not just benefit the operations themselves, but also contribute to the UK's own security priorities. This need not mean large increases in funding or boots on the ground. There is much scope for the UK to provide smaller, strategic contributions, such as rapid response teams, equipment, training and expertise.
Take action!
Ahead of the 2015 General Election and Strategic Defence and Security Review, UNA-UK will work hard to bring this case to policy-makers.
To be effective, we will need to demonstrate that there is public support for greater UK involvement in peacekeeping.
