United Nations Secretary General's Peacekeeping Proposals

Abstract

In January 1992, the United Nations (UN) Security Council held the first summit meeting in its 46-year history. Basking in the relative warmth of the end of the Cold War, the council re-acknowledged its responsibility for international peacekeeping and pledged to improve that capability. The Security Council invited the new UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to analyze and recommend ways to improve the effectiveness of the UN's preventive diplomacy, peace enforcement, and peacekeeping activity. Boutros-Ghali answered in June 1992 with an "Agenda for Peace," outlining a plan to improve the UN's ability to be a guarantor of international security. Among other things, he advocated enhanced peacekeeping capability by improving the availability of military personnel, strengthening training, creating a pool of equipment and supplies for peacekeeping operations, and financial management of peacekeeping. In response to the "Agenda for Peace," President Bush, in a September 1992 address to the UN General Assembly, pledged to enhance U.S. participation in peacekeeping activities by providing military planning expertise and facilities for peacekeeping force training. He pledged to strengthen the United States' ability to undertake joint peacekeeping missions, and to establish a permanent peacekeeping curriculum in U.S. military schools. Significantly, he indicated that he had directed the Secretary of Defense to place new emphasis on peacekeeping. The opportunities for U.S. participation in UN military operations are greater than ever before. The U.S. Congress has requested that the President analyze Boutros-Ghali's "Agenda for Peace" proposal. In effect, it appears that Congress has asked for a U.S. policy on peacekeeping. This article analyzes the proposals to create a standing UN peacekeeping force with U.S. participation, to alter the U.S. strategy of funding UN peacekeeping, and to improve U.S. logistical support to the UN.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 06, 1993
Accession Number
ADA441094

Entities

People

  • C. W. Hoffman Jr.

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Combat Forces
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • Financial Management
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Logistics
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United Nations
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.