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Le Canada et l’ONU > Newton Bowles Reports Ce document est disponible seulement en anglais.
Peacekeeping Celebrated at Fifty It was our Ukrainian friend Ambassador Udovenko who noticed that 1998 was the fiftieth anniversary of U.N. peacekeeping, and arranged for its celebration by the General Assembly on 6 October. Speaking there, the Secretary-General observed that this soldiering for peace was without precedent in history, "an attempt . . . to counter violence with tolerance, might with moderation, war with peace." There have been 49 U.N. peacekeeping operations in which over 750,000 people (military and civilian) from 118 countries have served. More than 1,500 men and women have given their lives in this service. Today there are 14,000 peacekeepers in 17 operations. All regions, speaking at the G.A., praised U.N. peacekeeping. NAM's tribute, delivered by South Africa, was embellished by critical comment: there must be full participation by troop-contributors in relevant Security Council deliberations; civilian policing and humanitarian assistance must be distinguished from peacekeeping as such. NAM is not happy, he said, about the delay in reimbursing troop-contributors. Nevertheless, NAM stands behind peacekeeping. There followed the first ceremonial presentation of Dag Hammersjkold Medals honouring the memory of three who died in U.N. service: Secretary-General Hammersjkold himself, killed in a plane crash in 1961 while mediating conflict in the Congo; commandant René de Laberrière of France, killed by a land mine in 1948 while serving in the Truce Supervision Team in Palestine; and Count Folke Bernadotte of Sweden, assassinated in Jerusalem in 1948 while negotiating a settlement over Palestine. Surviving members of the families received the awards. U.N. Peacekeeping received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. With all this celebration going on, in-house in the Peacekeeping Department,
capacity is crippled by the departure, under instructions from the Assembly,
of the many skilled and seasoned staff on loan (not on regular U.N.
budget) from governments. Since most were from the "North,"
the NAM regarded these people as infiltrators from across the divide,
buttressing U.S.-European domination and manipulation of the Security
Council. Overall reduction in the U.N. budget means that few can be
replaced. HQ backup of field operations will be strained. Makes that
G.A. tribute sound hollow. Bring money. |
