Trends in peacekeeping, not an end but a means

ON JUNE 11, 2014, Rwanda engaged in discussions on newtrends and approaches affecting UN peacekeeping operations, whose budget is approaching $8 billion. Concerning the introduction of new technology into peacekeeping theaters, Rwanda agrees that they have the capability to help to mitigate many threats faced by peacekeepers and civilians alike. Such technology has the potential to identify and monitor armed groups and arms trafficking, assist patrols heading into hostile territory, and assess the movement of displaced refugees. However, like other states, Rwanda also shares valid concerns that need to be addressed as a way forward. For instance, concerns remain on the unmanned unarmed aerial systems being used in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whichare there on a trial basis. As background, the Security Council agreed to the deployment of UAVs in a letter to the Secretary General (S/2013/44) in January 2013. Additionally, Resolution 2098 recommended the surveillance capabilities provided by UAVs in monitoring the implementation of the arms embargo. Questions still exist regarding control of information collected, confidentiality, and third party impartiality.Once their achievements and efficacy on the ground are confirmed, then we can support their systemic integration into the requirements for peacekeeping mandates, as the situation of a particular mission would dictate.In order for that to happen however, a comprehensive and enforceable UN framework governing the collection and dissemination of drone-collected intelligence data would be essential in mitigating public and regional concerns. On robust peacekeeping, given the nature of current threats to peacekeeping, Rwanda believes that the deployment of robust peacekeepers is essential to not only effectively protect civilians but also to protect themselves in increasingly hostile and volatile environments. We cannot expect peacekeepers to engage in robust peacekeeping tasks without necessary preparation and resources. If we do not have the ability to insert forces and to conduct casualty and medical evacuations or airlifts, then we have major problems and should not have deployed in the first place. Thus, in order for robust peace operations to work, the peacekeeping community must agree on the development of robust ideas at the strategic level and adequately prepare forces at the operational and tactical level. In particular, it requires timely provision of defence stores, strong regional standby capacities and timely deployment of enablers. While Rwanda supports well-prepared and well-planned robust peacekeeping when it is called for, we do not believe that peacekeepers have a role to play in asymmetric warfare. Rather, there needs to be a concerted effort by all stakeholders in the region to train and develop asymmetric warfare strategies. We should not continue to focus on military solutions and related strategies while losing track of the peaceful settlement of conflicts. We need political robustness more now than ever. That being said, the challenges we have identified with all these new trends in peacekeeping are not in actual sense related to United Nations’ ability or creativity in enhancing performance of its mandates, but rather the double standards in the use of these good initiatives. It is absurd that there are those who use these advantages in the way they choose and only when it fits their interests. How else can you explain that with the new technology and a robust mandate given to MONUSCO, they have chosen to fight some armed groups while ignoring others, such as the longest surviving armed group in eastern DRC, the FDLR? I may recall that the FDLR is a movement that committed genocide in my country twenty years ago; a group that has been terrorizing the Congolese people, raping women and girls; recruiting children; and a negative force that has been the cause of most other rebellions in eastern DRC. Whose interests are these supposedly good initiatives serving while the people we are supposed to protect are still being raped and killed? We have called upon the UN Security Council so many times to hold MONUSCO accountable.We all know that investing resources where there is no transparency and accountability is a waste of time and money, and bleeds irresponsibility. On regional partnerships, Rwanda believes that when talking about the strategic future of UN peace operations, we must consider this organization’s ability to function successfully with partner organizations that can share the burden and bring their own comparative advantages to the table. This is especially true on the African continent, where we have seen critical partnerships in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and currently in South Sudan. While the role of regional organizations was recognized in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, the added value and increasing role that they have brought in more recent years requires less of an ad hoc process and more of a streamlined framework within UN peacekeeping architecture. This will take time but is essential in order to cope with inevitable challenges related to resources, preparedness, and political and operational aspects of cooperation. That is why, next month during our presidency in the Security Council, Rwanda will convene a high-level open debate, mainly to discuss the evolution of regional partnerships in peacekeeping. Their role in helping secure international peace and security is rapidly expanding and we have to adapt the status quo to reflect this evolution. This article is extracted from a statement by the Minister in Charge of Cooperation and Rwanda’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Eugene-Richard Gasana, at the UN Security Council debate on peacekeeping: new trends.