peace operations are gaining in complexity, such as civil wars,
and domestic and international conflicts. Most of the modern
missions after 2000 have broad mandates to recover and rebuild
the functions of a country. These mandates require the mili-
tary components to function in support of various tasks other
than cease-fire monitoring, such as maintaining and recovering
security capabilities, eliminating perpetrators, and supporting
disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. But many of
the T/PCCs and the UN are not able to perform these func-
tions. The Cruz Report calls this the Chapter VI Syndrome, 4
and asks both elements to change their traditional mindset for
such missions.
The report also points out the deficiencies in the capabilities
of deploying units. More precisely, T/PCCs do not meet UN
operational requirements. In addition to this, the report poses
questions about the operational cooperation between contin-
gents, the information activities, the use of technology, and the
inconsistent medical posture between contingents. 5
United States Army War College Commandant Major General
John Kem provides the opening remarks at the International
Day of United Nations Peacekeepers held in Bliss Hall at
Carlisle Barracks on 31 May 2018.
The Cruz Report also mentions the critical problem of account-
ability for the UN as it requests soldiers from member state
and T/PCCs. LTG Cruz, who provided the keynote speech in
the general meeting of the Association of the Asia Pacific Peace
Operations Training Centers in May 2018, repeatedly told
the audience that T/PCCs must provide thorough training to
peacekeepers prior to mission deployment. The comment by
Mr. Guterres that the UN needs well-trained, well-prepared,
well-equipped, and well-supported peacekeepers means that the
UN must be accountable to the T/PCCs to ensure the appro-
priate training requirement are provided to the units, and the
T/PCCs must be responsible for the quality assurance of their
troops. Requesting the dispatch of the soldiers and ensuring the
accepted units are adequately trained is indispensable for UN
peacekeeping mission success.
In this way, the challenges to UN peacekeeping operations are
not only incumbent upon the UN. It is imperative for the UN,
as well as the T/PCCs, to change their culture and operational
capabilities standards to incorporate the new mindset into their
organizations.
The United States and the UN Peacekeeping
As of July 31, 2018, the United States military has 53 personnel
participating in UN missions, although they are not unit-base
deployments. 6 Stabilizing struggling countries in Africa is an
essential issue that directly links to the security of the US. UN
peacekeeping operations matter to the US, and although the US
does not provide military units to UN operations, the US is one
of the permanent members of the UN Security Council that
has a decisive influence on peacekeeping missions, and it still is
the most prominent financial contributor to missions. 7 It is an
inherent privilege and responsibility for the US to ask the UN
to fix the problems of safety and the effectiveness of the UN
peace operations, including budgetary aspects.
The Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI)
plays a significant role for the US government in formulating
peacekeeping reform suggestions and collaborating with the
army service component commands, sister services, and the
Departments of Defense and State in providing expertise to
implement partner nation’s capacity building projects.
The ceremony for the International Day of Peacekeepers at
the US Army War College
MG John Kem, the commandant of the US Army War Col-
lege, Ms. Margee Ensign, the President of Dickinson College,
and War College senior leaders attended the USAWC cere-
mony for UN Peacekeepers Day on May 31, 2018. This annual
event held at the end of May is a tradition at the USAWC. The
UN Peacekeepers Day ceremony celebrates the International
Fellows, who have participated in UN missions. UN peace
operations are not uncommon to the international community.
The biographic sketch of the AY2018 International Fellows
indicates that almost 50% have some experience working in
UN missions. After the remark of MG Kem and COL Michael
Rauhut, the director of PKSOI, Brig. Gen. Abu Noman Md
Shibbir Ahmed from Bangladesh and Lt. Col. Yakhya Diop
35