PEACEKEEPING, R2P AND CIVILIAN PROTECTION: ‘Third Pillar Contributions’

PEACEKEEPING, R2P PEACEKEEPING, R2P AND CIVILIAN AND CIVILIAN PROTECTION:PROTECTION:

‘Third Pillar Contributions’‘Third Pillar Contributions’The Rationale for a UN The Rationale for a UN

Emergency Peace Service Emergency Peace Service (UNEPS)(UNEPS)

Issues of R2P Issues of R2P ImplementationImplementation

As the norm of Responsibility to As the norm of Responsibility to Protect is more broadly recognized Protect is more broadly recognized as integral to the mission of the as integral to the mission of the international community, the focus international community, the focus on R2P is shifting from protecting on R2P is shifting from protecting the norm to building robust tools the norm to building robust tools of implementation. of implementation.


Each of the three R2P “pillars” Each of the three R2P “pillars” requires attention to the tools by requires attention to the tools by which we act to prevent atrocity which we act to prevent atrocity crimes or stop the violence crimes or stop the violence quickly once it begins. quickly once it begins.


Too often, ‘third pillar’ proposals Too often, ‘third pillar’ proposals exist in isolation from the other exist in isolation from the other pillars focused on prevention and pillars focused on prevention and capacity building. Many states are capacity building. Many states are concerned about a ‘rush to concerned about a ‘rush to intervention’ and are demanding intervention’ and are demanding full attention to the UN’s full attention to the UN’s preventive/early warning tool kit.preventive/early warning tool kit.


States also want assurances that States also want assurances that proposals to upgrade our tool kit proposals to upgrade our tool kit on atrocity crimes reflect the on atrocity crimes reflect the security needs and aspirations of security needs and aspirations of those regions most likely to be those regions most likely to be impacted by their impacted by their implementation. implementation.


The UN is also investing The UN is also investing significant energy in early significant energy in early warning mechanisms, largely warning mechanisms, largely through the new ‘joint office’ on through the new ‘joint office’ on Genocide Prevention and Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect. Responsibility to Protect.


We and other partner We and other partner organizations within the organizations within the International Coalition for R2P International Coalition for R2P continually advocate for continually advocate for transparent mechanisms to more transparent mechanisms to more effectively track ‘early warning’ effectively track ‘early warning’ findings through the UN system. findings through the UN system.


We also contribute research and We also contribute research and advocacy on ‘genocide ideology advocacy on ‘genocide ideology laws’ – helping to ensure that any laws’ – helping to ensure that any such laws are narrowly drafted, such laws are narrowly drafted, mandate proportionate mandate proportionate punishments, and include punishments, and include provisions for independent provisions for independent assessments of wrongdoing. assessments of wrongdoing.


Mostly, we seek to ensure that Mostly, we seek to ensure that the preventive and capacity the preventive and capacity provisions of R2P are honored provisions of R2P are honored fully and that any ‘third pillar’ fully and that any ‘third pillar’ response clearly emerges from a response clearly emerges from a preventive framework. preventive framework.


However, no matter how robust However, no matter how robust our preventive/early warning our preventive/early warning framework, there are times when framework, there are times when more vigorous, rapid responses more vigorous, rapid responses to atrocity crimes are needed, to atrocity crimes are needed, responses which are difficult for responses which are difficult for the UN to manage.the UN to manage.

The Rationale for a UN The Rationale for a UN Emergency Peace Service Emergency Peace Service

(UNEPS)(UNEPS) Given this, more and more Given this, more and more

policymakers and diplomats believe policymakers and diplomats believe that the UN must develop standing, that the UN must develop standing, complementary, service-integrated complementary, service-integrated peacekeeping capacities, consisting peacekeeping capacities, consisting of individually-recruited UN of individually-recruited UN employees who can be deployed employees who can be deployed rapidly and under ‘last-resort,’ rapidly and under ‘last-resort,’ limited mandates. limited mandates.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS)

UNEPS UNEPS represents a cost-represents a cost-effective complement to what effective complement to what are too often expensive, late-are too often expensive, late-arriving peacekeeping operations arriving peacekeeping operations that inadequately fulfill our that inadequately fulfill our responsibility to protect civilians responsibility to protect civilians and pose needless risks for and pose needless risks for peacekeepers.peacekeepers.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS) The development of UNEPS The development of UNEPS

presupposes core concerns shared presupposes core concerns shared by several of our global R2P/civilian by several of our global R2P/civilian protection partners, including what protection partners, including what we see as threats to the legitimacy we see as threats to the legitimacy of the UN by virtue of its inability to of the UN by virtue of its inability to respond effectively to the crises for respond effectively to the crises for which it is held accountable by the which it is held accountable by the global public.global public.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS)

Despite ongoing political Despite ongoing political obstacles, semi-autonomous, obstacles, semi-autonomous, limited-mandate capacities such limited-mandate capacities such as UNEPS have been cautiously as UNEPS have been cautiously endorsed by a number of states endorsed by a number of states from diverse global regions -- but from diverse global regions -- but only under conditions of strict only under conditions of strict control.control.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS)

While capacities such as UNEPS While capacities such as UNEPS involve carefully trained military involve carefully trained military troops, we seek primarily to troops, we seek primarily to develop tools that can prevent develop tools that can prevent violence before it starts as well violence before it starts as well as address violent outbreaks in as address violent outbreaks in their earliest stages.their earliest stages.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS)

UNEPS faces many of the political UNEPS faces many of the political obstacles encountered by R2P advocates, obstacles encountered by R2P advocates, including concerns about:including concerns about:

The ongoing lack of effectiveness and The ongoing lack of effectiveness and accountability within the Security Councilaccountability within the Security Council

Creating a new rationale for ‘humanitarian Creating a new rationale for ‘humanitarian intervention’ by the major powersintervention’ by the major powers

Compromising state sovereigntyCompromising state sovereignty


(UNEPS)(UNEPS) We believe that UNEPS and related We believe that UNEPS and related

capacities represent a viable capacities represent a viable option for the UN as it seeks to option for the UN as it seeks to improve preventive mechanisms, improve preventive mechanisms, ensure effective gender and ensure effective gender and service integrated deployments, service integrated deployments, and decrease response time when and decrease response time when and only when robust diplomatic and only when robust diplomatic efforts fail to stem the violence. efforts fail to stem the violence.


(UNEPS)(UNEPS) Despite valiant efforts by DPKO Despite valiant efforts by DPKO

officials and military advisors, the officials and military advisors, the troop-contributing-country model troop-contributing-country model cannot be made fully successful cannot be made fully successful unless supplemented by limited-unless supplemented by limited-mandate, UN-based, rapid-mandate, UN-based, rapid-response capacities and related response capacities and related civilian peacekeeping tools. civilian peacekeeping tools.

For More InformationFor More Information

The Project for a UN Emergency Peace The Project for a UN Emergency Peace

ServiceService

c/o Global Action to Prevent Warc/o Global Action to Prevent War

866 UN Plaza, Suite 4050866 UN Plaza, Suite 4050

New York, NY 10017New York, NY 10017

www.globalactionpw.orgwww.globalactionpw.org

PEACEKEEPING, R2P AND CIVILIAN PROTECTION: ‘Third Pillar Contributions’

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