Page 13 - The CoESPU Magazine N 1 - 2018

Once tasked to
merely monitor and
report, UN Police
officers are now
problem-solvers
and mentors. They
often substitute for
local police or build
whole organizations
from the ground up.
On any given day,
they are protecting
civilians from harm,
helping to secure
elections,
investigating incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, or fighting transnational organized
crime and violent extremism alongside their host-state counterparts.
In particular, the deployment of well-trained police with consolidated investigation skills could play
a key-role in combating international crimes.
However, the concern for the safety and security of UN personnel involved in Peace Operations has
grown in the last two decades, mainly because of the increased risks deriving from deployment in
volatile environments and mandates comprising multiple tasks.
As a consequence, Peacekeepers face often increasing risks in being involved in armed conflicts
and being attacked.
On the other hand, with the increase of peace operations, particularly after the end of the Cold War,
growing numbers of Peacekeepers from different nationality and backgrounds have been accused of
engaging in serious criminal offenses and international crimes.
As a result, it has been widely acknowledged that such allegations have proven extremely damaging
to the image of the United Nations and have also threatened to seriously undermine the mandate of
on-going and future UN missions.
These converging issues are the focus of the on-going global reform in the UN peace and security
architecture, in the UN management system and structures, as well as in the UN development
system.
The current UN reform of peace operations has the overall objective of reducing fragmentation for
better course of action, to make the peace and security pillar more coherent, nimble and effective by
prioritizing prevention, sustaining peace and delivery on Agenda 2030.
A series of strategic reviews of major peace operations have also been initiated which will focus on
assessing the presence of conditions for successful mandate implementation with a view to
recommending adjustments to the Security Council. Parameters of assessment for the reviews will
include the relevance and pertinence of mandates, the political environment and will of key parties,
operations’ comparative advantage vis-à-vis regional, UN and other partners, and the configuration
of support for the missions.
These reviews will identify ideas for new, enhanced approaches and will strengthen UN cooperation
for prevention through early action, as opposed to merely reacting to outbreaks of violence.

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