Mr.
Peter Leentjes, Seminar Content Manager, was part of
the Canadian Army for more than thirty years prior to
retiring as a Colonel. He has served under various commands
including the Green Berets. He has an extensive background
on peacekeeping operations, having participated in different
peacekeeping operations all over the world, the most
recent of which as Chief of Staff of Operations in Bosnia
& Herzegovina.
Issues
and Concerns
Peace
operations are one kind of complex emergency. Complex
Emergency was defined, using the IASC of the United
Nations, "as a humanitarian crisis in a country,
region or society where there is a dramatic disruption
in the political, economic and social situation, resulting
from internal or external conflict or natural disaster,
seriously disrupting the population's capacity to survive
and the national authorities' capacity to respond ...".
Emphasis was given to the phrase "dramatic disruption."
Disaster
Response, Humanitarian Assistance and Peace Operations
are used by modern peacekeeping operations in responding
to Modern Complex Emergencies. The three are considered
pillars that cover Modern Complex Emergencies.
The
range of civilian activity and that of the military
overlap. Civil-Military Coordination is key to properly
handling Modern Complex Emergencies.
Peacekeeping
operations, though practiced for more than forty years,
have no legal basis. They are pragmatic solutions
to a problem. It is used based on resolution of conflicts,
conducted after an agreement and is a separate force
used to monitor agreements.
The
most confusing issue in peacekeeping operation by
the United Nations is whether to deploy under Chapter
VI or Chapter VII. The two chapters are very different.
Even though there are certain conditions for deploying
peacekeepers, modern conflicts nowadays are complex.
There
is a need to deploy peacekeepers using Chapter VI
reinforced with Chapter VII elements. But the United
Nations cannot undertake any operations with sustained
combat operations. United Nations peacekeeping operations
are also limited. An operation with sustained combat
operations requires a multi-national force because
the UN has no combat operations capability.
Peacekeeping
evolved with the onset of new challenges. Several
factors now make peacekeeping complex. The rise of
military factions and warlords, proliferation of weapons,
and the total breakdown of key state structures, among
others, now make peacekeeping a complex undertaking.
Rules of any kind no longer apply. Peacekeepers are
deployed to resolve intra-state conflicts due to the
absence of an effective government that can control
the population. They intermingle with the population
and work together with a full range of civilian agencies
and NGOs.
Prospects/Recommendations
Towards
the end of the lecture, a summary of changes in present
peacekeeping operations were emphasized.
Operations
will be multi-dimensional and multi-national and the
use of force or deployment via Chapter VII Operations
will be the norm.
The
focus of the operations will be on integrated political,
economic and social solutions.
Various
tasks of the operations will be integrated under one
mandate.
The
military will have a broader range of tasks with a
full range of civilian intervention.
New
coordination mechanism exists for the military and
non-military components.
There
will be complimentary roles for the various components.
Humanitarian
Operations
Background
On The Topic
Ms.
Sharon McHale of COE presented the lecture entitled
"Humanitarian Operations." The United
Nations (UN) agencies and programs concerning the aspect
of humanitarian operations began in the 1950's with
the creation of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1951 up to the establishment
of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
in 1994. The presentation examines issues concerning
humanitarian activities in transition from relief to
rehabilitation and development.
Non-Government
Organizations (NGOs) have played key roles as the implementing
partners of UN agencies/funds/programs such as the U.N.
Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization
(WHO), and the UNHCHR among others, throughout the years.
Issues
And Concerns
NGOs
respond because of the following reasons: there is
a right and need to assist and intervene in critical
areas; host nation invitation/agreement; humanity
and humanitarian need; humanitarian principles and
the Geneva Conventions; and the "CNN Effect".
NGOs
are considered significant components of humanitarian
organization. There are different types of NGOs categorized
as Advocacy, Development, Disaster Relief, Indigenous
and Human Rights, but most of them are a combination
of one or more of these categories.
NGOs
will participate in humanitarian efforts but usually
have their own respective coordination bodies. Some,
by policy, will not collaborate with uniformed/armed
military.
The
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) was created in the early 1990's because of
the need to consolidate and coordinate the various
relief and humanitarian operations into one single
organizing body.
Coordination
of NGOs in relation to humanitarian aspects has been
described as voluntary, consensus-based and personality-driven,
which sometimes poses problems in the implementation
of programs and activities.
Issues affecting transition and exit strategies in
humanitarian operations include: no simple continuum
linking relief, recovery and development; few donors
have budgetary processes designed to meet transitional
needs falling between relief and development assistance,
and relief and development activities.
Prospects/Recommendations
There
is need for host nations to protect the territorial
integrity and national unity of the State.
Mainstream
NGOs should work more for a "needs driven"
situation rather than a "supply driven"
situation, that is, critical areas should be given
more priority in assistance rather than areas that
are not in serious condition.
Humanitarian
Assistance should be in support of - not instead of
- the needed tasks and responsibilities that the host
country should have.
Role
of the Military
LtCol
(ret) John Derick Osman of COE made a presentation on
the "Role of the Military in the UN Peace Operations."
Background
On The Topic
It
is now the perception that conflict necessitates peace
operations. The military plays a crucial role in peacekeeping
operations. They support and assist the UN mission leadership
in achieving the designed military objectives by providing
security, protection, training and medical support and
assistance to reconstruction process and long-term development.
They also serve as support to other peace operation
components, which make their role a very important component
in the peacekeeping mission itself.
Issues
And Concerns
It
is important to address the tension brought about
by different factors such as politics, funding, different
interests and source of authority.
Modern
peacekeeping, which is complex and non-traditional,
poses tension since it is very different from the
traditional way of peacekeeping.
The
variety of the military involved in the peacekeeping
missions also creates conflict since any national
contingent has the tendency to respond first to their
chain of command, which significantly affects the
peacekeeping mission.
The
difficulty of identifying at which point to proceed
during the transition period is also a problem commonly
encountered by peacekeepers. It is therefore important
to effectively identify and assess the indicators
to know when is the right time to proceed with the
transition period.
The
bottom to top process is still the best approach,
especially in terms of coordination, consensus and
cooperation.
Prospects/Recommendations
It is a challenge for peacekeepers to refrain from
using force especially if the situation compels them
to use it. It is therefore important to inculcate
to the peacekeepers that their mission is to bring
peace.
Peacekeeping
is very difficult to implement, that is why it's necessary
to plan the mission well.
It
must be remembered that even if a plan is simple,
it will still require sophisticated and complex decision-making,
especially if a coalition force employs the plan.
Future
peacekeeping operations will still employ the complex
non-traditional mission involving both the political
and military components.
It
is also envisioned that in the future more international
organizations as well as countries will be interested
and involved in peacekeeping operations.
Transition
and End State Issues in Complex Emergencies
Background
on the Topic
Mr.
Leentjes delivered the fourth and last presentation
of the series. The lecture series guided the participants
as they were divided into smaller groups for detailed
discussions during breakout sessions.
Issues
and Concerns
Even
though the United Nations and other similar organizations
have been involved in more than a dozen peace operations
that involved internal conflicts, sustainable peace
has not been attained.
The
case of East Timor was cited as an example. Everything
was going smoothly for the peacekeepers and an election
was nearing. The peacekeepers thought that their job
would end after the elections. But they were proven
wrong when the whole region was plunged into total
disarray after the elections.
Several
concerns were raised after East Timor. Managing the
transition to sustainable peace and the insufficient
preparation of the military/peacekeeping force to
handle complex emergency were highlighted. Having
simple military security will not suffice. It needs
to go hand-in-hand with other factors. The civilians
are also needed in peace operations.
Another
concern raised was the failure to resource critical
aspects of the peacekeeping mission. Bosnia was cited
as an example. Four humanitarian organizations operated
in the country did not coordinate with each other
and were later used by the people they were trying
to help.
In
the case of East Timor, conducting an election is
not the end state but a start. A transition from peace
operation to local government (end state) was determined
to be completely effective if: (1) significant conflict
did not begin again; (2) there were no politically
motivated violent disruptions of civil society; and
(3) the political system survived an indigenously
and internationally recognized national level election.
The
end state of the condition of the country prior to
the exit of peacekeeping forces should be examine
using seven categories: 1) political resolution; 2)
demilitarization; 3) basic needs; 4) public security;
5) governance; 6) economy; and 7) civil society.
But
not every aspect of these requirements should be met
as a condition to pull out peacekeeping forces. There
is a minimum requirement, defined as sustainable security.
Sustainable security is the capacity of a society
to address its own problems peacefully without an
external administrative or military presence.
The
minimum standards of Sustainable Security are 1) provide
for the basic needs of the people (security, shelter,
food, water medical care, basic economy); 2) a political
framework (acceptable agreement and political will);
and 3) rebuild key state institutions (military, police,
judiciary and the civil service).
With
the Sustainable Security approach, we can define the
mission more precisely. A measure of effectiveness
(MOE) can also be used to evaluate the peacekeeping
mission. MOEs are primarily used to evaluate whether
the mission is succeeding or not. It minimizes confusion
and risk and provides an end point for the peacekeeping
mission. Due to the complexity of the mission, several
transitions or end states exists. A number of considerations
will have to be factored in for transitions and end
states.
Prospects/Recommendations
There
are several considerations for transition and end state.
When
planning an intervention, it is important to coordinate
the various components and include in the plan a transition
and/or exit strategy.
Transition
or end-state for one component is not necessarily
the same for another and successful transition from
one component may depend on the other components.
Develop
Measure of Effectiveness (MOEs) based on success in
the key areas of sustainable security. Requirements
should be attainable and based on something that can
be measured.
The
local population should be included especially when
meeting conditions for the end state. Use working
elements of indigenous capacity.
The
transition strategy will evolve throughout the duration
of the peacekeeping operation.
There
should be support elements in the domain of other
components.
Case
Study
Lieutenant
General Jaime S. De Los Santos, AFP (Ret) presented
his lecture entitled "The East Timor PKO Experience:
Issues and Concerns."
Background
On The Topic
Lt.
Gen. De Los Santos was the former Peacekeeping Operations
(PKO) Commander of the International Force East Timor
(INTERFET) under the United Nations Mission in East
Timor (UNAMET) in 1999. The main objective of this unified
command structure was to restore peace and security
in the region, to protect and support UNAMET in carrying
out its tasks and, within force capabilities, to facilitate
humanitarian assistance operations.
The
INTERFET under Lt. Gen. De Los Santos made successful
efforts in its peacekeeping operations, which significantly
assisted in the establishment of the United Nations
Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).
This administration was conceived as an integrated,
multidimensional peacekeeping operation fully responsible
for the administration of East Timor during its transition
to independence.
Issues
And Concerns
The
political disturbance and civil unrest in East Timor
necessitated the creation of the 8,950 multinational
force (MNF) and the 250 military observers to generally
perform peace enforcement operations.
The
cultural and ideological differences in East Timor
became a challenge to the leadership of the PKO. A
certain degree of respect, integrity, discipline and
professionalism was required to recognize the different
cultural practices and background of the region.
According
to Lt. Gen. De Los Santos, it is important that peacekeepers
should always be prepared in a multidimensional manner.
This means that peacekeepers should know the country,
territory or region through its history, culture,
religious viewpoints, and if possible, even the local
language before participating in such operations.
The
concepts and practices in PKO continue to change as
new trends emerge in the international scene.
Lack
of common peacekeeping operations doctrine often contributes
to the difficulties of the MNF in synchronizing their
activities.
Prospects/Recommendations
A
common doctrine for Peacekeeping Operation should
be formulated to serve as a common reference for all
players.
Continuous
participation in peacekeeping operations by countries
greatly improves and upgrades their own military equipment
as well as enhances the skills and knowledge of the
individual peacekeeper.
Lt. Gen. De Los Santos stressed the importance of
involving Filipino servicemen in peacekeeping operations
worldwide so that they will be able to understand
and appreciate the kind of work needed to facilitate
peace and development in areas where their presence
is needed
He
cited the idea of making the Philippines a "trade
nation" in peacekeeping because of the vast experiences
it acquired in its PKO missions in East Timor and
lately in Iraq. He also envisioned setting-up a Regional
Peacekeeping Training Institute in the Philippines
that will become a center of learning and training
in peacekeeping operations.
He
noted that if the Filipino peacekeeper will acquire
the needed professional experience by participating
in various PKOs worldwide, they could immensely contribute
to peacemaking and peace enforcement in conflict areas
within the country such as in Mindanao.
