Originally published on the CGS blog on October 19, 2011.
Citizens for Global Solutions, as a partner organization in the Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping, launched a new peacekeeping report today at the National Press Club. The report provides Congress and the Administration with tangible recommendations on how the U.S. can improve its participation in international peacekeeping missions.
The impetus for the report came from a desire to implement the aspirations of the Obama Administration for the U.S. to increase involvement in peacekeeping missions. In 2009, President Obama delivered a speech to the leaders of the top troop contributing countries where he said,
“We will consider contributing more U.S. civilian police, civilian personnel, and military staff officers to U.N. missions.”
This report’s goal is to provide a plan for implementing this mission.
The event featured a key note address from Amb. Nancy Soderberg, President of the Connect U.S. Fund and former Alternative Representative to the U.N. Soderberg believed the report’s recommendatoins were important, and said,
“This report should be read by senior policymakers within the U.S. government writ large.”
Soderberg also noted,
“U.S. Engagement in International Peacekeeping: From Aspiration to Implementation is really a great blueprint for the state now of U.N. peacekeeping and where it needs to go. This report provides a summary of where things stand and what needs to be done.I fully endorse this report’s recommendations.”
Victoria Holt, the Deputy Assistant Secertary for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs also provided remarks at the report release. Holt said,
“The analysis, the policy ideas, and the work you all do really is helpful to us as an Administration, trying to think ourselves about how to move forward on this.”
Holt highlighted the report’s chapter on women in peacekeeping, stating,
“We know the U.N.’s own aspiration to increase the number of women, both in leadership roles as well as within the civilian police and military ranks of peacekeeping personnel is a top priority for them and one we completely share.”
The recommendations, detailed in the report, “U.S. Engagement in International Peacekeeping: From Aspiration to Implementation” asks for:
- Full funding of the U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping missions
- United States leadership at the U.N. to advance peacekeeping reforms that provide for more timely and cost-effective delivery of human and material resources to peacekeeping operations and permits changes to the Peacekeeping Reserve Fund and flexible funding to speed the initial deployment or the expansion of missions
- Bolster the Presidential Peacekeeping Initiative, which contemplates increasing the number of U.S. personnel sent to peacekeeping operations
- The Department of Defense provides a contingent of military support and increases the number of women sent to peacekeeping missions
- The U.S. supports an increase of U.N. police standing capacity
The entire report details 26 specific recommendations to enhance and increase U.S, involvement in international peacekeeping.
Don Kraus, Citizens for Global Solutions CEO and co-chair of the Parntership for Effective Peacekeeping said,
“This report provides a pragmatic blueprint developed by leading experts on how the Administration and Congress can work to better leverage U.S. participation in international peacekeeping efforts, to provide greater peace and security for the United States and the world.”
To read the full report, click here.
