HC Deb 06 November 1973 vol 863 cc141-2W
Sir Gilbert Longden

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping has come to any conclusions as a result of its study of United Nations document A/3943 suggesting guidelines for a permanent United Nations peacekeeping force.

Mr. Amery

In the study in question, the then United Nations Secretary-General concludedinter alia that the maintenance of a nucleus United Nations force of the type generally envisaged would be without great practical value and certainly would not warrant the substantial sacrifices involved" (paragraph 153). Instead, the study favoured agreement on broad guiding principles for future peacekeeping operations. The United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping has debated these principles for nine years, but has failed to reach agreement—principally over the questions of command, control and finance. Her Majesty's Government submitted a Memorandum on Decision-taking in Peacekeeping Operations on 6th September (Document A/9144) as their most recent contribution to the continuing debate.