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Is Un Peacekeeping Seriously Flawed?

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Is UN Peacekeeping seriously flawed?
Hello fellow students, I am one of the debate leaders this week. I hope we can all bring some valid points to this debate, enjoy…
Firstly I believe to fully understand what peacekeeping is, we should explore the meaning “peacekeeping” and how that is relevant to this debate. The Collins World English Dictionary defines peacekeeping as the maintenance of peace, esp. the prevention of further fighting between hostile forces in an area. The broad consensus on the term “peacekeeping” is a little different however - non-violent intervention, being the voice of reason and bearing witness to (and in the way of) violent and oppressive acts; tend to be what the average person would recognise as peacekeeping.
How does this align with the current operational expectations of the United Nations in regards to peacekeeping? The UN commenced peacekeeping duties during the Cold War as a way to resolve conflict (aid the resolution) by observing the peace process as a neutral party. Since that time the United Nations Security Council has approved and engaged peacekeeping troops all over the world into many civil and international situations. However is this visual form of peacekeeping effective? Does having a military force on the ground that is committed to the protection of the civilian population in a war zone or facing inevitable oppression really work? In theory the answer is yes, frankly I think you would have to be inhumane to say otherwise. However the practicality of it has proven otherwise.
The UN do some exemplary work, such as humanitarian/aid work - assisting the people pre-conflict, during-conflict and post-conflict, peace building - prior to the conflict and peacemaking - mediating issues during and post conflict, assisting in resolution. However the peacekeeping element is flawed. I will use the Rwandan Genocide as an example.
Firstly, they did not/were unable to keep the peace; the violence was inevitable and planned for a long time prior to the genocide initiating, this is evident in the mass import of weapons (primarily machetes) and the Hutu Ten Commandments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu_Ten_Commandments
Secondly the UN’s idealistic approach to keeping the peace in hostile environments comes across as a “soft” approach; Enabling the oppressed to continue placing their hopes on the UN. Therefore the UNs presence creates a false hope in the population because the people’s expectations are very different to what the UN peacekeepers are equipped, capable and permitted to carry out. The Collins World English Dictionary definition leans to being a partially violent act, prevention of further fighting, how can you truly keep the peace by simply observing and having a non-violent intervention?
It continues with the Sudanese people in Darfur, China’s decision to veto has given the Sudanese government the right to dictate who can and cannot deliver aid into Darfur. This not only slows the functionality but handicaps humanitarian aid immensely to impoverished and oppressed citizens suffering horrendously. This highlights the fact that China, one of the five heads of the Security Council has a sense of realism when the economic challenges become a real threat; for the UN Security Council to function efficiently, they need to employ an Idealistic approach to all situations.
I believe currently UN peacekeeping is flawed, I am optimistic however if changes are made to the Security Council’s approach; and the ability to act/react is improved. If the soldiers serving in the conflict zones gain more freedom to truly prevent the oppression caused to the citizens by freeing up some of the ridiculous constraints put upon them, and if the funding put aside for the UN is increased than we may have a system that works reasonably.

References:
Anthony Scaletta 2009, Is UN peacekeeping seriously flawed, www.slideshare.net, viewed 11 April 2013 http://www.slideshare.net/anthonyscaletta/is-un-peacekeeping-seriously-flawed United Nations Organisation 2013, protection of civilians peacekeeping, www.un.org, viewed 11 April 2013 http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/ Wikipedia 2013, Hutu Ten Commandments, www.wikipedia.org, viewed 11 April 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu_Ten_Commandments Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/peacekeeper?qsrc=2446 wikipedia2013, United nations, www.wikipedia.org , viewed 11 April 2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_nations

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