Policy Decision Considerations for UN Peacekeeping Missions

September 12, 2002

Major Policy Considerations:

(1) Threat to international peace and security? Compelling practical necessity?

(2) Consensus for action by the international community?

(3) Unacceptable consequences for inaction?

(4) Agreement provisions empower the UN to accomplish its role?

(5) Host nation gives access, security, support and cooperation?

(6) Parties agree to pre-deployment conditions?

(7) Appropriate UN role and realistic mission?

(8) Sufficient troops and police to accomplish the mission?

(9) Financial resources available?

(10)Realistic and clear mission objectives, operational concept, duration and endstate?

Mission Success Considerations (enabling factors)

Ripeness of the Conflict: How "ripe" is the conflict (or dispute) for resolution so as to undertake (or continue) a UN peace operation?

Critical questions: Has the conflict progressed to a point in which the parties no longer feel they can use force or violence to achieve their aims without incurring excessive costs? Do the parties perceive the costs and prospects for continued fighting to be more burdensome than the costs and prospects of settlement? To what extent are the parties' aims irreconcilable? How deep and visceral is the animosity among the parties that would preclude cooperation? What is the degree of consensus within the warring factions for taking a different approach other than fighting? Do the party leaders have sufficient control over their forces so as to control disruptive actions? To what extent will UN activities and operations be hampered by rogue operations, extremist or terrorist activity, banditry, or criminal operations on the ground? Are the risks to peacekeepers or relief personnel unacceptable?

Acceptability of the Political Arrangements in the Peace Agreement: Have the parties of the conflict redefined their interests and developed a real commitment to a political settlement?

Critical questions: Have the warring parties taken a seat at the negotiating table and are they involved in the discussions? Have the parties realized that there are better options other than continued military violence and civil conflict? Is the peace process on track according to desired milestones? Will the peacekeeping operation contribute to advancing toward the next stage in the peace process? Are the details of the agreement suitable for implementation by a peacekeeping force?

Power-sharing Arrangements: Will the agreement’s power sharing arrangement mitigate further conflict?

Critical questions: Does the agreement really share power, or will it result in a winner take all election? Do the settlement's power sharing arrangements include provisions for both winners and losers to be represented in the new government? To what extent will the parties fulfill their commitments and obligations?

Consistent Mandate, Political Objectives, and Military Tasks: Are the purpose and scope of the mandate as defined consistent with the political objectives of the peace process and the associated military tasks?

Critical questions: Are the provisions of the Security Council mandate clear? Does it support the peace process? Are they appropriate for peacekeepers to perform? Are they realistically achievable by the military force, given the state of the conflict; or, are they too ambitious for the conditions on the ground? Are the rules of engagement appropriate? Will the tasks assigned to the military force lead to the achievement of the mission's political objectives and the accomplishment of the mandate? If not, what military tasks are necessary to be performed, given the forces available? What tasks are not feasible or appropriate for the military force?

Durable Commitment of the Parties to the Conflict: How willing are the parties to help the peacekeeping mission accomplish the mandate?

Critical questions: What is the host nation's position on the mandate and the mission? Will the host nation comply with the Security Council provisions and support the peace operation on the ground? Does the indigenous population support the mission's activities in local areas? Does the current level of consent from the warring parties appear adequate to accomplish the mandate? What are the prospects that the parties will sustain their consent to peacekeeping activities during the period of the mandate?

Availability of Effective Leverage: Does the UN have the will and the capacity to apply leverage to maintain the support of possible spoilers?

Critical questions: Have potential spoilers been identified and realistically diagnosed? Do the tools to apply leverage match the spoiler’s commitment and goals? Will the UN strategy to leverage consent in the future be effective--what are the carrots and sticks can be used should a party fail to live up to its commitments and obligations? Under Chapter VII peace enforcement authorities, what tools are available to apply leverage should a party withdraw consent? How should public support for the UN mission be bolstered?

Control of Powerful Economic Incentives for Continued Conflict: Are the economic incentives for continued conflict under control?

Critical questions: Are the economic incentives on the side of the peace process or do they support continued war? Can they be changed? What will it take—sanctions, regional cooperation, etc? Are the economic interests of the neighboring regional powers threatened by the peace settlement?

Assistance of the Neighboring Regional Powers: Will the neighboring regional powers help--is the success of the peace operation consistent with their interests?

Critical questions: Are the neighboring regional states actively committed to reinforcing the success of the peace process? Are the interests of the neighboring regional powers threatened by the peace settlement? Will they assist, reinforce, or shore up the peacekeeping mission's peace-building efforts to include arms control, demobilization, elections, refugee repatriation, and civil order? Will the key regional actors take constructive measures to promote peaceful settlement of the conflict?

Sufficient International Support: Do key players within the international community and among the major powers have sufficient unity of purpose regarding the mandate, and will they give support to the peacekeeping operation throughout its anticipated duration?

Critical questions: Does the UN Secretariat/DPKO support to the peace operation? Do interested major powers and neighboring states that are not parties to the conflict support the operation? Is there a sufficient, robust consensus for action within the Security Council to authorize actions needed to accomplish the aims of the international community? So far as their help is required, will nations contribute the resources needed to achieve success with the peace operation?

Credibility of the Deployed Force: Will the peacekeeping force adequately perform its assigned military tasks to accomplish the provisions of the mandate?

Critical questions: Will the provisions of the mandate be implemented by the peacekeeping force? Can the peacekeeping force establish a safe and secure environment so as to instill trust (via confidence-building measures) between the warring factions? Does the peacekeeping force have the credibility to maintain the consent of the parties? To what extent is the force accomplishing its assigned tasks? Is the performance of peacekeeping force meeting high expectations--are units patrolling, observing, escorting, disarming, etc. to acceptable standards?

Is the peacekeeping force adequately commanded, especially considering the likelihood of peace enforcement operations? Is the force appropriate in size and composition to accomplish the mandate? Are the operational strategy and force deployments appropriate to achieve stated objectives? Does it have the required capabilities--for example, staff planning, command leadership, intelligence collection, operational mobility, communications, logistic support, force protection, demobilization, demining, etc.? Is the force mix of national contingents appropriate and conducive to unity of effort?

Integration Strategy in Pol-Mil Action Plan: Is the mission's leadership--the Special Representative, the Force Commander, and the Chief Administrative Officer--successful in accomplishing the full range of tasks defined by the Security Council's mandate for the mission?

Critical questions: To what extent are the mission's military and civilian operations integrated and synchronized to accomplish the provisions of the mandate? How successful are military and civilian agencies in accomplishing the mandate? Where are the gaps and disconnects? Have the mission's planned post-conflict peace-building activities met milestones and performance expectations?

Unity of Troop Contributing Nations and Other Participants: What is the level of support for continuing the peacekeeping mission among troop contributing nations?

Critical questions: What is the level of unity and support among troop contributors to accomplish the mandate? Do the troop contributors have the resources and the staying power to remain fully engaged? Is the level of support by troop contributors sufficient to sustain the UN mission during the anticipated period of the mandate? What are their concerns about progress being made? Will all participants in the mission work continue to work together to achieve planned objectives in pursuit of the mandate?

Impact of the Physical Environment: How will the physical environment affect the performance of the peace operation during the anticipated period of the mandate?

Critical questions: What effects will climate and terrain have on the peacekeeping force's ability to achieve the provisions of the mandate? What is the condition of the country's available infrastructure, such as seaports and airports, roads, communications, utilities etc., to support anticipated operations? What additional assets or facilities will need to be made available to the peacekeeping mission? What assets or facilities must be constructed and improved?

Availability of Resources and Support: Are the resources to accomplish the mandate available to include funding, support forces, intelligence, logistic support, technical expertise, and contractor services?

Critical questions: Are the available financial resources adequate to support the peace operation during the period of the mandate? Does the peace operation have adequate forces, intelligence support, lift, equipment, transportation, logistic support, technical expertise, and contractor services to accomplish the provisions of the mandate? How well are existing assets being managed in support of the operation? Will the peacekeeping mission efficiently manage additional assets and forces?

Adequacy of a Transition Strategy: Will the mandate establish stable conditions that lead to the desired end state and the eventual transition of the mission and termination of the operation?

Critical questions: Does the operation have a realistic transition strategy that establishes a security environment acceptable to all parties of the conflict? If not, is the international community engaged in an open-ended commitment? Does the duration of the mission depend on stated milestones or conditions that are realistically achievable and consistent with the mandate? Does the transition strategy have realistic milestones? Are these milestones or conditions being met by the warring parties? If not, what are the criteria for ending the operation? Does the situation call for downsizing or terminating the operation?