Guterres calls for review of UN peacekeeping operations — Anadolu Agency
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, during a UN Security Council debate in New York, called for a review of approaches to deploying and supporting peacekeeping operations. According to him, changes in the nature of armed conflicts have exposed the limitations of current approaches to shaping and implementing the mandates of such missions, Anadolu Agency reports.
Guterres said that peacekeeping is primarily a political tool intended to support political solutions rather than replace them. He noted that comprehensive peace agreements are becoming fewer, harder to achieve and more fragile. Most peacekeeping missions now operate where peace has not yet been achieved.
Peacekeeping after agreements
The UN secretary-general named intensifying peace efforts before peacekeepers are deployed as the first priority. In his view, such operations should be deployed only when there is a peace agreement or at least a credible ceasefire. Guterres stressed that peacekeepers can help preserve peace but cannot ensure lasting peace without a political settlement.
He also drew attention to the dangers faced by peacekeeping missions: peacekeepers are attacked, civilians become targets, and international law is increasingly violated with impunity.
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Five areas for renewal
Guterres identified a new format of partnership with host countries as the second priority. He called for consultations with the governments of these countries when establishing and renewing mandates, while also taking into account the views of other parties to the conflict and civil society.
Among other areas, he named designing mandates in line with the actual conditions in which missions operate, and protecting civilians at the planning, mandate-setting and resource-allocation stages. The secretary-general also advocated greater operational flexibility for peacekeeping missions and stronger UN cooperation with regional organizations and host countries.
Guterres separately distinguished between peacekeeping operations and peace enforcement. He stressed that the effectiveness of peacekeeping depends on the political unity of UN Security Council members, which cannot be replaced by mandates, budgets or technology.
