§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the advantages of establishing a standby military headquarters unit within the UN department of peacekeeping operations in New York; [30732]
(2) what is his policy in respect of developing and strengthening the ability of the United Nations to undertake effective and detailed military planning; and if he will make a statement; [30733]
(3) what proposals he has in respect of the development of (a) generic and (b) specific contingency plans for the UN for future peacekeeping operations; and if he will make a statement. [30734]
§ Mr. SoamesThe proposal to establish a standby headquarters unit is a natural extension of earlier work by the Secretary-General which identified the need to strengthen the UN's capacity to conduct and plan peacekeeping operations and which the UK has fully supported. The Secretary-General has already taken important steps to improve the UN's capabilities, in particular by the development of a mission planning service. Increasing the operational effectiveness of the UN is one of the Government's principal foreign policy objectives and both the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are involved in discussions aimed at continuing to take these initiatives forward. To give practical help, we currently attach nine military officers and one civil servant to the department of peacekeeping operations, and we continue to co-operate fully with the UN standby forces planning team.