Over 50 member states pledged 40,000 additional military and police personnel for UN peace operations at a US-led summit on peacekeeping on Monday 28 September.
American and European countries pledged to almost doubled their contributions, with the UK committing 70 troops to the UN supported African Union mission in Somalia and up to 350 to the UN Mission in South Sudan. The pledges also included important equipment that UN peace operations often lack, including 40 helicopters, 10 medical units and equipment to deal with roadside bombs.
The most notable statement came from China, who pledged to contribute 8,000 troops for a peacekeeping standby force and take the lead in establishing a permanent UN police peacekeeping squad. It also pledged $100 million in military assistance to the African Union. Traditionally, China has not involved itself in peacekeeping, although it has been gradually increasing its engagement over the past five years.
US President Obama, who co-hosted the summit with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that:
"we are here today, together, to strengthen and reform UN peacekeeping because our common security demands it. It is not something that we do for others; this is something that we do collectively because our collective security depends on it".
These commitments come at a time when UN peace operations are under increasing pressure, with 16 missions in some of the most unstable countries in the world. The majority of the missions are understaffed and lack essential equipment and expertise like helicopters and pilots or field hospitals. The summit follows a year of increased international focus on improving the effectiveness of the UN's peacekeeping system, with a review panel and a report from the UN Secretary-General on peacekeeping reform.
UNA-UK has long campaigned for increased attention from the UK and others to the effectiveness of UN peace operations and welcomes this renewed commitment by member states. The UK's contribution in particular represents a significant campaigning success for UNA-UK. UN peacekeeping is a vital tool for protecting civilians and supporting states to overcome conflict. The system has been desparately in need of effective military capabilities, qualified personnel and standby or rapid reaction forces. UNA-UK hopes that these pledges represent a first step in a meaningful and long-term commitment to the success of peace operations around the globe.
Photo credit: UN Photo/JC McIlwaine
