Alain Le Roy, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, today called on the UK to help strengthen peacekeeping by providing expertise and equipment for missions, drawing particular attention to the lack of helicopters, field hospitals and capable reserve forces.
Mr Le Roy was speaking at a major event in Whitehall to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. He urged the international community to remember that peacekeepers were undertaking life-saving work with relatively meagre resources, comparing his annual budget of $7.5bn for 15 missions across the world with the $116bn spent every year in Afghanistan.
He said that the UN would continue to reach out to the UK and other key powers to fill critical resource gaps. In particular, he hoped that the UK might offer helicopters and specialist troops after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014. The UK is the third-largest funder of UN peacekeeping but contributes fewer than 300 troops, down from 10,000 in 1995.
Organised by UNA Westminster branch, UNA-UK and RUSI, this annual event comprises a one-day conference and a ceremony at the Cenotaph. This year, Mr Le Roy joined diplomatic and military representatives from around the world, UN veterans, widows and schoolchildren in laying wreaths in memory of those who have died whilst serving as peacekeepers.
Click here to read Mr Le Roy's speech I Click here for photos
Prior to the event, Mr Le Roy met with FCO officials and spoke to the Guardian, The Times and the Independent. He also gave an exclusive interview to UNA-UK, which will be printed in the next issue of our flagship magazine, and recorded this video message:
