Operationalising Adaptable and Effective Peace Operations
To better respond to existing challenges and new realities, the international community needs to upgrade the peace operations toolbox, embrace innovation and agility, and address the barriers that impede rapid recalibration of response models when contexts change.
- Modular approaches. The UN should adopt a more flexible, adaptive and needs-based modular toolbox approach, drawing on the full range of capabilities within the UN system. This includes rapid deployments and partnerships with regional organisationsand international financial institutions. The Fifth Committee should to a higher degree prioritise strategic and political considerations and allow for more flexible resource allocation.
- Structural and operational coherence. UN Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions should align their approaches to planning, budgeting, financing, staffing, leadership, data and information management, strategic communication and reporting. The upcoming Review of All Forms of Peace Operations and the Peacebuilding Architecture Review provide a unique opportunity to revisit organisational structures, promote operational coherence and strengthen institutional learning.
- Incentives for organisational change.The UN should break up path dependenciesand create incentives for organisational change that address staff concerns and support staff development. Innovative recruitment processes should be developed and staff mobility between UN Headquarters and field missions as well as between the Secretariat and UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes should be encouraged. This will allow the UN to “do more with the same people.”
- Regional organisations as part of the toolbox. The role of regional organisations needs to be expanded in the future of peace operations toolbox. Before deploying peace operations, it is crucial to have discussions about the division of labour among institutions (UN, EU, AU) and the intervention logic. UN Security Council Resolution 2719 should be implemented promptly, including accountability and compliance frameworks. The EU should aim to become an enabler of security by supporting other organisations, like the AU, who are often first responders.