Foreword to a report on UN Multidimensional and Integrated Peace Operations

Foreword by Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

There has been a dramatic surge in the number of UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations deployed around the world, and their endeavours are increasingly multidimensional and complex in nature. Although the UN has taken important steps and adopted new and innovative policies, significant challenges remain in the quest for increased cohesiveness of multilateral efforts in countries affected by or emerging from conflict. In 2006, the Norwegian Government launched a project to take stock of, and further enhance, issues relating to the implementation of multidimensional and integrated peace operations. Through a series of regional seminars and consultations, the project aimed to map out some of the most crucial principles and recommendations for improving the effectiveness and accountability of UN peacekeeping operations. The project culminated in this final synthesis, which encompasses the most important findings concerning coherence and integration of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. 

The task of grappling with these challenges should not be left just to the UN Secretariat, agencies, funds, programmes or other multilateral actors. One of the most important lessons from the project is that no single actor can resolve the challenges on their own. The project concluded that, given the complex range of approaches and instruments that are employed in peace operations, some form of integration is necessary in order to adequately address the realities on the ground and secure lasting peace. The degree to which integration should take place should be determined by the situation in question and the desired impact of the international engagement. The report also reflects the view that integration is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. Neither is there a fixed template for how to integrate, and actors are encouraged to take context as their starting point. The report also underlines that integration is not a panacea for systemic dysfunctions and the absence of political engagement or solutions. However, it urges us to improve the way we marshal the necessary resources, including political, financial and human resources, and the way these are then used.

There is also a strong call to bring politics back into the equation for, without a deep understanding of the political nature of contemporary challenges and an informed and committed membership, we run the risk of only addressing the symptoms and not the root causes of the conflicts in question.

In supporting and promoting these processes, my Government is keenly aware of the need to accommodate the many different mandates with which the UN has been tasked, and ensure that efforts to promote better coherence and integration in countries in, emerging from or affected by conflict, are reconciled with respect for the overarching humanitarian principles. We are deeply concerned that if these challenges are left unattended, they can easily undermine confidence in the UN as a whole, because the success of UN peacekeeping is one of the key parameters by which the UN is judged. Member States interested in reform should be aware of the key findings reflected in this report, based as they are on actual operational experience. The findings point to reforms that are likely to increase the success of peace operations, provided that they are sufficiently supported by Member States.

I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank our partners in this project, extending a special thank-you to the Governments of China and South Africa, for co-hosting two of the events, and last but not least I would like to thank all the participants for taking part, and for sharing their experiences and providing invaluable contributions and insights.

Oslo, June 2008