INTERNATIONAL DAY SPOTLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE WOMEN IN UN PEACEKEEPING

INTERNATIONAL DAY SPOTLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE WOMEN IN UN PEACEKEEPING
New York, May 29 2009 11:00AM
The United Nations is marking the annual International Day of Peacekeepers by honouring the brave troops, police and civilians who serve in some of the most difficult places around the world, and by stressing the unique role played by women and the need to deploy more of them.

This year's commemoration comes at a time when the services of UN peacekeepers are in greater demand than ever. Deployment is at a record high, with more than 113,000 peacekeepers serving in 18 operations on four continents.

Yet, "there are still far too few women peacekeepers," as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted in his <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12240.doc.htm">message for the Day, pointing out that women make up only 8 per cent of the UN police and 2 per cent of its military personnel.

"With women joining national militaries and police in greater numbers, it is critical that Member States contribute even more female personnel to the United Nations," he stated, highlighting the "power of women" to strengthen UN peacekeeping while helping women and girls themselves to transform their destinies – and societies – for the better.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has urged troop- and police-contributing countries to deploy more women. India was among the first to answer the call in 2007 with the deployment of a 125-member all-female police contingent to Liberia.

The world body is also working to increase the number of women in senior positions at Headquarters and in field missions.

"We have done a lot but we need to do a great deal more," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Alain Le Roy stated.

"Peacekeeping has become more multifaceted. We assist in providing security, reforming State institutions and supporting political transitions. Our women peacekeepers make a critical contribution in all of these areas and their work encourages others to participate in local peace processes," said Mr. Le Roy.

General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto, in his message for the Day, stressed that peacekeepers do not just carry out their mandated tasks. "They create a lasting legacy by exemplifying how military and police can engage in humanitarian work while interacting respectfully with civil society.

"UN operations do more than just silence the guns," he said. "Increasingly, they help to foster a culture of sustainable peace in countries devastated by conflict, some that have lasted for decades."

From New York to Naqoura, Darfur to Dili, the Day is being marked globally with a range of events, including ceremonies to honour those who paid the ultimate price in the service of peace. In 2008, 132 peacekeepers – including 10 women – lost their lives, whether through attacks, illnesses or accidents – the highest one-year total in the history of the Organization.

Designated by the General Assembly in 2002, the International Day is observed on 29 May, the date in 1948 when the first UN peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine.
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UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF ‘IMPRESSED’ WITH WORK OF BLUE HELMETS IN MIDDLE EAST

UN PEACEKEEPING CHIEF 'IMPRESSED' WITH WORK OF BLUE HELMETS IN MIDDLE EAST
New York, May 20 2009 7:00PM
The head of United Nations peacekeeping today praised the efforts of blue helmets in the Middle East who, along with their peers in volatile regions such as eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Darfur, face huge challenges.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Alain Le Roy said he "was quite impressed by the work done by the mission" in Lebanon, one of several operations he visited on a recent trip to the region.

Mr. Le Roy noted that no soldiers have been killed or wounded at the border between Lebanon and Israel since 2006, when the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/">UNIFIL) was bolstered in the wake of the war between Israel and Hizbollah.

He also underscored the role UNIFIL played during the recent Gaza crisis as a deterrent from opening up another front for hostilities.

"The civilian population is extremely pleased by the presence of UNIFIL," said Mr. Le Roy, adding that Government officials in Israel and Lebanon had expressed appreciation for the mission.

The Under-Secretary-General noted that a few days after his visit, Israel handed over data and maps to the UN on the cluster munitions it fired over southern Lebanon during the 2006 conflict.

Voicing hope that ongoing talks will lead to a quick end to the dispute over Ghajar, a village that straddles the so-called Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel, he said that he continued to apply pressure on Israel to withdraw from the north of the dividing line.

In a related development, UNFIL reported that it has been informed by the Lebanese authorities of a number of Lebanese citizens who crossed the Blue Line into Israel, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

She noted that UNIFIL is in the process of ascertaining all the facts concerning this issue, adding that "any illegal crossing would constitute a violation of the Blue Line and a violation of Security Council resolution 1701," the resolution that ended the 2006 war.

Mr. Le Roy also spotlighted the UN Disengagement Observer Force (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/undof/">UNDOF), which was established by the Security Council in 1974 following the cessation of hostilities between Israeli and Syrian armed forces on the Golan Heights.

UNDOF is a "very small mission but it's an example of a traditional peacekeeping mission which still exists and is still very much appreciated. I saw with my own eyes another mission which is clearly making a difference," he said.
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FRAGILE SOMALI PEACE PROCESS NEEDS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – UN OFFICIALS

FRAGILE SOMALI PEACE PROCESS NEEDS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – UN OFFICIALS
New York, May 13 2009 3:00PM
Top United Nations officials today urged the international community to continue to nurture the fragile peace process in Somalia and help the country consolidate its hard-won gains, in spite of recent threats to the new Government.

"We meet today at a critical moment for Somalia," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told a meeting of the Security Council. "One in which the response of the international community to an embattled Government's pleas for help could make the difference between consolidating hopeful steps toward peace and a descent once again into anarchy and hopelessness."

Mr. Pascoe said the situation remains "quite fragile" following the attempted coup on 9 May by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Al Shabaab fighters, and noted that the latest surge in violence is clearly a response to the Government's strategy to reach out and build a critical mass in support of peace.

In a news release issued today, UN envoy for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah described the attackers as extremists who know do not have the support of the Somali people, and accused them of bringing in foreign fighters who have no connections to the situation in Somalia.

Mr. Pascoe said that despite heavy fighting, recent months have witnessed newfound reasons for hope, and the Somali people have the best chance in two decades to end their suffering and move towards a better and more stable future.

"The Government's efforts at building a consensus for reconciliation are slowly gaining ground, despite the serious challenge by well-funded radicals," he stated. "The international community must make a vital investment at this time to nurture the fragile peace process, help the Government establish its authority throughout the country and build its security and rule of law institutions.

"Now is not the time to analyze and discuss, but to provide concrete help while it can still make a difference," said Mr. Pascoe.

In January, the Council signalled its intention to establish a UN force, when conditions permit, in the Horn of Africa country. It also requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish a trust fund to help support the existing African Union (AU) force, known as AMISOM, and to facilitate a logistical support package, training and equipment, in anticipation of its eventual absorption into a UN force.

UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy informed the Council about the three-phase approach Mr. Ban has outlined for UN engagement in Somalia, saying that the incremental approach is the right strategy for the country at the present time. It is important to emphasize, he added, that this is a flexible strategy and not one based on a rigid timetable.

He said important benchmarks for establishing a UN force include implementation of a credible ceasefire, consent to the deployment by all the major Somali actors on the ground, and adequate pledges of troops and required military capacities by Member States.

"It remains the assessment of the Secretary-General that deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation at this stage, in the absence of these conditions, would be a high-risk option, and that an ill-timed mission would fail."

Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, told the Council that the gains achieved in building peace by the Somali leaders and the international community must not be lost.

The current situation on the ground evidences that the Somalia's nascent and yet fragile peace process must be protected. Among other things, she said, the disbursement of donor pledges must be expedited.
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