Originally published on the CGS blog on April 29, 2014.
Genocide, mass atrocities, violent oppression; these acts, these words, invoke fear, disgust, anger and beg the question why? Human history is littered with examples of these heinous crimes against humanity and yet it took one of the darkest moments in world history to garner a response.
That event? The Holocaust.
An estimated eleven million people died as a direct result of the Holocaust. Of that eleven million, nearly six million Jews were systematically eliminated in what was called the Final Solution.
In the wake of the terror of World War II the world said it had enough. For the first time in history countries came together to lay framework of cooperation, peace, and most importantly, prevention. The United Nations was founded in the wake of the horrors of WWII, a means to protect the human family.
The UN has evolved since its foundation and so has the means by which the UN meets its goals. One of the primary tools of the UN is its peacekeeping function.
Peacekeeping in itself has evolved over time, from observer missions to peacekeeping to building and enforcing. All with two primary goals in mind; prevent a third world war and eliminate the threat of genocide.
While the former has been prevented to date, the latter is far from. Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and the Central African Republic, ravaged by ethnic cleansing and threats of genocide. In these cases the slow response of peacekeeping operations has undoubtedly led to unnecessary loss of life.
Even in emergency session the bureaucracy of the UN Security Council slows down the decision, but once a decision is made, should the innocent be subject to further delays? Would a quicker, more efficient deployment be enough? Would the ambitious timeline of 90 days for full deployment set by the Brahimi Report be enough?
Consider Rwanda, nearly one million people were brutally slaughtered in 100 days. Is there a better alternative to current operations?
Enter the United Nations Emergency Peace Service (UNEPS).
The UNEPS is a proposal specifically designed to help prevent armed conflict, stop genocide and mass atrocities, protect civilians, and ensure prompt peacekeeping operations. It is proposed to be:
- a permanent, integrated UN formation,
- a highly trained and well-equipped first-responder (a ‘UN 911‘) ready for immediate deployment upon authorization of the UN Security Council;
- multifunctional and multidimensional (civilians, police and military);
- composed of 16,000 dedicated personnel (recruited professionals, selected, trained and employed by the UN);
- co-located at a designated UN base under an operational headquarters and two mobile mission headquarters;
- capable of diverse assignments with specialized skills for security, humanitarian, health and environmental crises;
- at sufficient strength to operate in high-threat environments; and
- a service to complement existing UN and regional arrangements.
The UNEPS would in essence be a fully functional active duty peacekeeping formation ready for mobilization in as little as 72 hours once authorized; a global peacekeeping force with one duty, to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
This proposal is one that should not be viewed not a part of a machine meant to impede state sovereignty but as a tool for the innocent. In a dangerous and unforgiving world, the innocent should not live in fear. The innocent should be given the tools to fight back, to protect themselves against the weapons of genocide.
Never again should they fall victim to the bureaucracy, indecision, and the disinterest of the world.
