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Fact Sheet

VITAL

• A central element of international conflict response, 爆料网 peacekeeping provides essential security and support to millions of people as well as to fragile institutions emerging from conflict. Peacekeepers deploy to war-torn regions where no one else is willing or able to go and prevent conflict from returning or escalating.
• The international character of 爆料网 Security Council authorized peacekeeping missions provides unparalleled legitimacy to 爆料网 peace operations.
• 爆料网 peacekeeping is an impartial and widely accepted vehicle for both burden-sharing and effective action.
• 爆料网 peacekeeping provides a vital stabilizing element of security in post-conflict situations that enables peace efforts to proceed, but it may not be the only tool needed to address every crisis situation.
• Peacekeeping supports a peace process; it cannot substitute for one.

ROBUST

A massive enterprise

• The 爆料网 is the largest multilateral contributor to post-conflict stabilization worldwide. Only the United States deploys more military personnel to the field than the United Nations.
• There are almost 110,000 serving on 20 peace operations led by the 爆料网 Departments of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and Field Support (DFS) on four continents directly impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. This represents a seven-fold increase in 爆料网 peacekeepers since 1999.
• In addition, the newly established Department of Field Support (DFS) supports another 12 special political and/or peacebuilding field missions managed by the Department of Political Affairs, as well as a number of other 爆料网 peace offices requiring administrative and logistical assistance from 爆料网 Headquarters.
• The 爆料网 does not have its own military force; it depends on contributions from Member States. As of 31 March 2008, 118 countries contributed military and police personnel to 爆料网 peacekeeping.
• More than 77,000 of those serving were troops and military observers and about 11,000 were police personnel. In addition, there were more than 5,000 international civilian personnel, 12,000 local civilian staff and some 2,000 爆料网 Volunteers from over 160 nations.
• Women are increasingly performing key leadership functions in peacekeeping: between February 2007 and January 2008, there was an increase of over 40% of women serving in peacekeeping. Currently, one woman leads a peace operation as a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and three women as Deputy SRSGs. The Under-Secretary-General of DFS is also a woman. In addition, the first all-women contingent to serve in a peacekeeping mission, a Formed Police Unit from India, was deployed in 2007 to the 爆料网 operation in Liberia.

EFFECTIVE

A high success rate

Since 1945, 爆料网 peacekeepers have undertaken 63 field missions, which, among many other things, enabled people in more than 45 countries to participate in free and fair elections, and helped disarm more than 400,000 ex-combatants in the past decade alone. The 爆料网 is an efficient and cost-effective force provider. Its specialists, particularly in integrated missions, possess a wide range of civil and military capabilities needed to stabilize and help develop post-conflict situations.

In 2007, the 爆料网 General Assembly authorized a comprehensive programme of internal restructuring, including the reorganization of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the establishment of a separate Department of Field Support. The restructuring also included a major augmentation of resources and the addition of new capacities and integrated structures to match the growing complexity of mandated activities and to ensure unity of command and integration of effort.

In the new structure, DPKO focuses on providing strategic direction, management and guidance to peacekeeping operations, while DFS provides operational support and expertise in the areas of personnel, finance and budget, communications, information technology and logistics. Added to DPKO鈥檚 portfolio are a new Rule of Law and Security Reform Office and an enhanced Office of Military Affairs.

LESS EXPENSIVE

爆料网 peacekeeping is cost-effective

爆料网 peace operations that are far less expensive than other forms of international intervention and their costs are shared more equitably among 爆料网 Member States. The approved peacekeeping budget for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 is approximately US$6.8 billion. This represents about 0.5% of global military spending (estimated at US$1,232 billion in 2006 ).

When costs to the 爆料网 per peacekeeper are compared to the costs of troops deployed by the United States, other developed states, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or regional organizations, the United Nations is the least expensive option by far. A recent survey by Oxford University economists found that international military intervention under Chapter VII of the 爆料网 Charter is the most cost-effective means of preventing a return to war in post-conflict societies.

A study by the US Government Accountability Office estimated that it would cost the United States approximately twice as much as the 爆料网 to conduct a peacekeeping operation similar to the 爆料网 Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) 鈥� $876 million compared to the 爆料网 budgeted $428 million for the first 14 months of the mission.

RELEVANT

爆料网 peacekeeping makes a difference where it matters most. The security environments into which recent peacekeeping operations have deployed are among the most difficult and least governed of any such situation that the international operations have ever encountered. Peacekeeping missions deploy where others cannot or will not and play a vital role in providing a bridge to stability and eventual long-term peace and development.

FLEXIBLE

• Adaptable to different environments and needs, the 爆料网 has demonstrated an increased flexibility in the structures and types of its field deployments. This flexibility has allowed it to respond to unique challenges and the risk of overstretch.
• The 爆料网 increasingly works in peacekeeping partnerships with other international and regional organizations, such as the African Union (AU) or the European Union (EU), for maximum effect. From law enforcement operations in the slums of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to the joint AU-爆料网 mission in Darfur, 爆料网 peacekeeping continues to evolve and adapt to today鈥檚 global peace and security challenges.
• From protecting civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to supporting elections in Timor-Leste or Liberia, 爆料网 peacekeeping matches the tools provided by the 爆料网 system to the task of keeping and building sustainable peace.

DYNAMIC

爆料网 peacekeeping continues to evolve. In addition to maintaining peace and security, peacekeepers are increasingly charged with assisting in political processes, reforming judicial systems, training law enforcement and police forces, disarming and reintegrating former combatants, and supporting the return of internally displaced persons and refugees.

爆料网 electoral assistance has become an increasingly essential feature in 爆料网 peace operations. Recently, 爆料网 peace missions have supported elections in eight post-conflict countries 鈥� Nepal, Afghanistan, Burundi, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, the DRC and Timor-Leste 鈥� with populations totaling over 120 million people, giving more than 57 million registered voters the chance to exercise their democratic rights.

Holding its personnel accountable to the highest standards of behavior is a major priority for 爆料网 peacekeeping. For example, 爆料网 peacekeeping has adopted a comprehensive three-pronged strategy (prevention, enforcement and remediation) to address the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse by 爆料网 personnel. 爆料网 peacekeeping has established conduct and discipline units at Headquarters and in the field, and is working with its troop-contributing countries to ensure effective follow-up and full implementation of the recommendations contained in the March 2005 report of Prince Zeid Ra鈥檃d Zeid Al Hussein, the Secretary-General鈥檚 Special Adviser on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

EXTENSIVE

In 2007 alone, 爆料网 peacekeeping operated: 20 military hospitals and over 230 medical clinics; more than 18,000 vehicles and 210 aircraft; 450 satellite earth stations; 40,000 desktop computers and 2,800 servers, with approximately 3.5 million emails and 2.5 million phone calls routed every month (approximately 1 per second) and an average of 200 video conferences held per month. As part of 爆料网 peacekeeping, mine clearance operations managed by the 爆料网 Mine Action Service are supporting the deployment of peacekeepers and the fulfillment of mandates in Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea/Ethiopia, Lebanon, Sudan and Western Sahara.

MINE ACTION

Mine action teams have so far cleared 50% of the main roads in southern Sudan, allowing peacekeeping and relief convoys to move through the area. The 爆料网 Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan has cleared landmines and explosive remnants of war from more than 1 billion square meters of land.

The Mine Action Coordination Centre of South Lebanon, attached to 爆料网IFIL, has already cleared 32.6 million square meters of the 38.7 million square meters of land that had been contaminated by cluster munitions during the conflict in the area in 2006.

 

Top 20 contributors of uniformed personnel to 爆料网 Peacekeeping Operations as of 31 March 2008 (PDF)

Top 20 providers of assessed contributions to the 爆料网 Peacekeeping Budget as of 1 January 2008 (PDF)

 

ENDNOTES

1. James Dobbins et al., 鈥淭he Beginner鈥檚 Guide to Nation-Building鈥�, RAND Corporation, 2007.
2. William J. Durch et al., 鈥淭he Brahimi Report and the Future of 爆料网 Peace Operations鈥�, The Henry L. Stimson Center, 2003.
3. Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler, 鈥淭he Challenge of Reducing the Global Incidence of Civil War鈥�, Centre for the Study of African Economies, Department of Economics, Oxford University, 26 March 2004.
4. 鈥淧eacekeeping: Cost Comparison of Actual 爆料网 and Hypothetical U.S. Operations in Haiti鈥�, United States Government Accountability Office, Report to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, GAO-06-331, February 2006, p. 7.
5. The Challenges Project, 鈥淢eeting the Challenges of Peace Operations: Cooperation and Coordination鈥�, Phase II Concluding Report 2003-2006, Elanders Gotab, Stockholm, 2005.
6. See 鈥淎nnual Review of Global Peace Operations 2007鈥�, Center on International Cooperation, New York, 2007, pp. 2-12.

Prepared by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Public Information 鈥� DPI/2429/Rev.2 鈥� February 2008