UN Peacekeeping
UNA-Canada Backgrounder for Journalists
Key Points:
- Canada currently ranks 55th out of 108 military and police contributing countries to UN Peacekeeping Missions;
- Canada currently contributes 3% of the overall UN Peacekeeping Budget;
- More than 3,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and air force personnel are deployed overseas on operational missions; 126 of these are to UN peacekeeping missions.
- Please see end of document for list of UN peacekeeping experts & contact information.
Defining “Peacekeeping”: The UN defines peacekeeping as “the deployment of international military and civilian personnel to a conflict area with the consent of the parties to the conflict in order to stop or contain hostilities or supervise the carrying out of a peace agreement.” While a useful reference point, no single definition exists. Peacekeeping is continually evolving as new conflicts arise and demands to resolve them are increasingly placed on the UN. The UN is the largest multilateral contributor to post-conflict stabilization worldwide.
Statistics for UN and Canada in Peacekeeping Operations Overall (as of 30 August 2006)
|
|
UN Peacekeeping Missions Overall |
Canada’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping |
| Total UN Peacekeeping Operations since 1948 | 60 | 52 |
| Current Peacekeeping Operations | 16 | 8 |
| Current peace operations directed & supported by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations | 18 | 8 |
| Number of personnel in DPKO-led peace operations | about 92,200 | 126 |
| Number of troops | 63,813 | 14 |
| Number of military observers | 2,720 | 42 |
| Number of police personnel | 8,028 | 70 |
| Number of int’l civilian staff | 4,530 | Exact number unknown |
| Number of local civilian staff | 9,074 | 0 |
| Number of UN Volunteers | 1,790 | 68 |
| Number of countries contributing military & police personnel to UN peacekeeping | 108 | Canada’s ranking: #55 out of 108 countries, (126 personnel out of 74,841) |
| Approved UNDPKO resources for period from 1 July 06 to 30 June 07 | about $4.75 billion USD | Canada’s contribution to UN peacekeeping budget: 3% |
| Estimated total $ of UN peacekeeping operations (1948 - 30 June 06) | $41.04 billion USD | Canada’s total contribution $214.2 million CAD (3%) |
Sources:
Where are Canadian UN Peacekeepers (30 August 2006)
| UN Mission | Troop, Police, Military Observer Contributions | Numbers | Total per UN Mission |
| UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) | Troop | 4 | |
| Police | 65 | MINUSTAH - 69 | |
| UN Organization Mission in the Dem. Rep. of the Congo (MONUC) | Military Observer | 9 | MONUC - 9 |
| United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) | Military Observer | 1 | UNAMI - 1 |
| UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) - Syria | Troop | 3 | UNDOF - 3 |
| UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) | Troop | 1 | UNFICYP - 1 |
| UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) | Troop | 6 | |
| Police | 2 | ||
| Military Observer | 25 | UNMIS - 33 | |
| UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI) | Police | 3 | ONUCI - 3 |
| UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) - Jerusalem | Military Observer | 7 | UNTSO - 7 |
| # of Canadians in all UN Missions - 126 |
Source:
Canadian Fatalities in UN Peacekeeping Missions (period 1948 – 30 August 2006)
| MINUSTAH | 2 |
| MONUC | 1 |
| ONUC | 3 |
| UNAMIR | 1 |
| UNDOF | 4 |
| UNEF | 53 |
| UNFICYP | 28 |
| UNMIH | 1 |
| UNMIK | 2 |
| UNMOGIP | 1 |
| UNOHCI | 2 |
| UNOSOM | 1 |
| UNPREDEP | 1 |
| UNPROFOR | 11 |
| UNTAC | 1 |
| UNTSO | 2 |
| Total Canadian Fatalities | 114 (2nd highest after India, with 118) |
| Total UN Peacekeeper Fatalities | 2,298 |
About the Project: 50th Anniversary of UN Peacekeeping
"From Peacekeeping to Peace-building: Canada's Contribution Past, Present and Future"
A Project of UNA-Canada
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the world's first designated UN peacekeeping mission. In 1956 Canadian Lester B. Pearson proposed that the UN send a multinational contingent to the Suez region to reduce tensions. Since then, over 120,000 Canadians have served in more than 50 operations from Congo to Cyprus to Cambodia and, more recently, East Timor, Haiti, and Sudan.
Through the support of the Canadian International Development Agency, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, UNA-Canada is marking the 50th Anniversary of UN Peacekeeping with a project that reaches a wide range of regions across Canada. Activities of this multi-dimensional project include:
- Honour and commemorate Canadian innovators, leaders and veterans of peacekeeping;
- Engage young Canadians to better understand the issues that can foster conflict;
- Develop education materials for both the formal and informal education sectors;
- Foster and promote dialogue, understanding and made-in-Canada solutions;
- Work with current policy-makers and peacemakers to ensure that current and future peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts continue to be effective and efficient.
The goal of this project is to celebrate and further value Canada's lasting contribution to a more peaceful world, but also to encourage Canadians to continue to support peace, development, diplomacy and global citizenship.
Source: UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations