73
United Nations, Civil Society and Peace Soldiering
Ms. Nasra HASSAN, Pakistan
Director United Nations Information Service, UN Vienna
29 May: International Day of Peacekeepers
On 29 May 1948, the first United Nations peacekeeping mission began operations with a group of unarmed military observers. In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe this day as the International Day of Peacekeepers, to pay tribute to all men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
In his message on the third observance of this Day in May 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General, honoring the sacrifice of UN peacekeepers from many lands, stated that the demand for UN peacekeeping was as high as it had ever been and with more missions deployed than ever before. He thanked the 103 Member States who contribute uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping, and expressed the hope that other countries, which had unique capacities to meet some of the specific needs of peacekeeping, would follow suit.
“UN peacekeepers work every day to give practical meaning to the words of the United Nations Charter ‘to
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United N ati
ons, C ivi l Societ
y and P eac
e
Soldier ing
Ms. Nasra HA SSAN, Pakistan
Director United Nations I nfo
rmation Service, UN Vienna
29 May: International Day of P eac ekeepers
On 29 May 1948, the first United Nations pea
cekeepin g
mission began operatio ns with a group of unarmed
military obse rvers.
In 2002, th e United Nations Gener
al as the this day observe solved to y re Assembl
Int ernat ional Day
of P eacek eepers, t
o pa y t ribut e to al l
men and women who have serv
ed and continue to serve erations for their hi g op epin in UN peaceke
gh level of
professionalism, dedica tion and coura
ge, and to honor the
memory of those who ha ve lost their lives in the c
ause of peace.
In his messa ge on the
third observance of this Da
y in
May 2005, the Unite d Nations Secretary-
General, rom ers f acekeep f UN pe sacrifice o honoring the
many
lands, stated that the demand for UN p eaceke
epi ng was
as high as it had ever been
and with more mission
s Member ed the 103 e. He thank er befor d than ev deploye
States who contribute uniformed
personnel to UN
peacekeepin g,
and expressed the hope that other ities to meet some of countries, which had unique capac
the speci fic ne
eds of peacek eeping
, woul d follo
w suit.
“UN peacek eepers wor
k ever y d
ay t o g ive pract ical
mean ing to the wo
rds of the United N
ations Char ter ‘
to
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save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’, ” he stated.
The year 2004 saw an unprecedented surge in UN peacekeeping operations, widening prospects for ending conflicts and raising hopes for peace in war-torn countries; this has forced the UN Secretariat to develop new and innovative strategies. In his recent report to the UN General Assembly, titled In Larger Freedom, the Secretary-General pointed out that UN peacekeeping capacity was stretched to the limit. He called for Member States to create strategic reserves for UN peacekeeping, support the efforts of regional organizations to establish standby capacities as part of an interlocking system of peacekeeping capacities, and establish a United Nations civilian police standby capacity. He also called on all Member States to enact a policy of “zero tolerance” of sexual exploitation of minors and other vulnerable people in their national contingents, to match the policy he had put in place covering all personnel engaged in UN operations.
The UN sets out four principles which should guide decisions by the international community if peacekeeping is to succeed: avoiding UN engagement in hot wars;
placing greater emphasis on partnerships; matching mandates with resources; and committing to see the job completed, i.e. until peace takes root. To prevent the recurrence of conflicts, peacekeeping must be backed by long-term peace-building and development activities.
The UN engages in building peace, inter alia, through elections support; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and rehabilitation of ex-combatants;
74
save succeedin g gener ations from the scourg
e of war’, ”
he stated.
The ye ar 2004 sa w an unpre
cedented sur ge in UN
peacekeepin g op
erations, widening prospe
cts for ending
conflicts and raising hope s for pea
ce in
war-torn etariat to e UN Secr ed th countries; this has forc develop
new and innovative strategies.
In his rec ent repo
rt to the
UN Gene ral Asse mbly,
titled In Larger
Freedom, the
Secret ary -Gen era l poi nted out that
UN pe acekeepi
ng d for limit. He calle d to the tche was stre y acit cap
Member S tat
es to creat e strat
egi c reserves for UN
peacekeepin g, support
the efforts o f r
egi
onal part of s as pacitie y ca blish standb sta nizations to e orga
an
interlocking s ystem of peacekeepin
g cap acities, and
esta blish a Unite
d N ations c ivilia
n police sta
ndby es to enact tat ber S on all Mem led so cal He al ty. capaci a
polic y of
“zero t ole rance” of s exu
al ex ploi tati on of
minors and other vuln erable
people in their national
contingents, to m atch t
he policy he
had put in place ged in UN operations. rsonnel enga covering all pe The UN sets out four principles which
should guid
e ing cekeep pea y if ommunit onal c ati intern sions by the deci
is to succe ed:
avoiding UN
eng age ment in h ot wa
rs;
placing gr eater empha sis on partne
rships; matching ommitting ; and c ces esour tes with r manda to see
the job
completed, i.e. until peace t akes root.
To prevent the
recurrenc e of conflic
ts, p eacekeepi ng m
ust be bac ked b y
long-t erm pe ace
-buildin g a
nd deve lopment a
ctivitie
s. , through inter alia peace, ges in building The UN enga elections support; disarmament, demobiliz
ation and
reinteg ration a nd r
eha bilitation of
ex- comba tants;
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restoring the rule of law and transitional justice for a stable society in states which are facing or emerging from conflict; and integrating gender issues into its activities.
Peacekeeping and Civil Society
Although peacekeeping operations face unique political, economic, social and security challenges, with different mandates, a key element in keeping and building peace and ensuring human security is partnerships -- of many kinds: among the UN and other organizations; civil and military cooperation; between peacekeepers, police and civilian staff; and, most importantly, with civil society and NGOs. Broadly speaking, “civil society” refers to the social and political sphere where voluntary associations attempt to shape norms and policies which affect public life.
This partnership is important not only during peacekeeping and peace-building, but also in maintaining peace and strengthening institutions and infrastructure.
Civil and civilian components have a crucial role in the area of assisting the consolidation of a sustainable peace, a role praised by the Secretary-General not only in peacekeeping, but in the wide spectrum of international affairs.
Operating on the ground in unstable areas, engaged in early warning and analysis, civil society groups and NGOs are indispensable partners in peace and capacity- building by supporting humanitarian, reconstruction and development needs of war-affected societies. And civil
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restor ing the
rule of law a nd tran
sitional justi ce f
or a
stabl e soci ety i n st ates whi ch are faci
ng or emer
ging
from ctivitie s into its a er issue gend ting nd integra lict; a conf
s.
Pea cek eeping and C ivil Soc
iety
Although pe acekeepin
g operations fa
ce unique political, challen ty and securi , social economic
ges, with different
manda tes, a ke y e
lem ent in ke epin
g and building p
eac e
and ensuring human sec urit
y is partnerships -- o f man
y
kinds: among the UN and other org aniz
ations; civil and cekeepe cooperation; between pea military
rs, police and
civilian staff; and, most importantl y, with civil societ y
and NGOs. Broadly sp eaking,
“civil society”
refers to voluntary ere re wh al sphe and politic ial the soc
assoc iations a ttempt to
sha pe nor ms and polic
ies whic h
aff ect public lif
e.
This partnership is important not only during
peac eke epin g a nd peace
-building, but a lso in ma inta
ining
peac e a nd streng
thenin g institutions and inf
rastr uct ure.
in the ole ial r ruc ve a c onents ha n comp ivilia Civil and c
area of assisting th
e consolidation of a sustain able
peace,
a role prai sed by t
he S ecretar
y-Gen era l not only i
n tional um of interna spectr g, but in the wide epin eke peac
affairs.
Operating on the g roun
d in unstable areas, engaged in
early wa rning
and anal ysi
s, ci vil soci ety
grou ps and
NGOs are indispens able
partners in p eace and
capacit y-
building b y suppo rting h
umanitarian, re
construction and ed societ ffect development needs of war-a
ies. And ci vil
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society is a powerful force for good governance, one of the best “keepers” of peace.
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society is a po werful for
ce for good gov
ern ance, one of
the best “keepers” o
f pe ace.