§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the(a) numbers, (b) efficiency and (c) effectiveness of the UN administrative staff in New York charged with planning, launching and overseeing UN peacekeeping missions; and if he will make a statement. [175122]
§ Mr. RammellAt the request of the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General requested the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to evaluate the impact of the recent restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Their report (A/58/746) was issued on 25 March 2004, and is available on the UN website (www.un.org).
Following the recommendations in the Brahimi report of 2000 on peacekeeping reform, an additional number of posts were agreed for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Civilian Police Division was granted the greatest increase, followed by the military division and then the civilian departments. Nearly all of the new posts are now filled. OIOS believe that the quality of personnel recruited has been satisfactory, and argue that reform has enhanced the UN's capacity to tackle complex, multidimensional peacekeeping missions.
We have no reason to disagree with OIOS's assessment. However, in the light of the current surge in demand for UN peacekeeping, we are closely monitoring the UN's evolving capacity to meet new and existing challenges.
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§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations his Department has made for the reform of the planning and administrative structure of UN peacekeeping missions; when these recommendations were last revised; what response he has received from(a) UN officials and (b) officials of other member states; and if he will make a statement. [175181]
§ Mr. RammellWe have been at the forefront of the push for the prompt implementation of the recommendations contained in the Brahimi report of July 2000 on peacekeeping reform My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined our commitment at the Millennium Summit 2000. Under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, run jointly by the FCO, MOD and DfID, we have developed a programme of co-operation and assistance designed to enhance the peacekeeping and peace-building capacity of the UN[...] and to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of countries contributing troops and civilian police to UN peacekeeping missions. In addition to bilateral work with the UN and other interested parties, the Government are working multilaterally in the UN and the EU to maintain peacekeeping reform on the international agenda. The Secretary-General's High Level Panel on threats, challenges and change, which we have welcomed, may recommend changes to the peacekeeping structures within the UN. The Panel's report will be published later this year.