Securing peace for humanitarian aid?

Abstract

Multi‐dimensional UN humanitarian interventions involving elements of enforcement are likely to be the rule in the future. Peacekeeping can become a later phase in a wider process of peace support, which must start with securing peace as the overall priority, without which humanitarian aid becomes unduly compromised. Enforcement to secure peace allows for flexible escalation within an overall strategic mandate, where rules of engagement (ROEs) may change in discrete, acknowledged steps over time and location. UN institutions could reform to respond to this priority. Unified command of all sectors of a security operation in the field is essential. For humanitarian aid, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) would recruit personnel from the existing agencies directly into a new combined military and civil UN secretariat. For the military, under crisis conditions, unified command can only be obtained either with UN‐sanctioned, sub‐contracted operations under Chapter VIII, which for some time will inevitably require US participation, or with trained ‘stand‐by’ units or a UN permanent force.