Yearbook of the United Nations, 2000. Part 1, Political and security questions. Chapter 1, International Peace and Security

Abstract

In 2000, the United Nations took action to reform its peacekeeping activities by laying secure and adequate foundations for an effective peacekeeping structure, while providing daily direction and support to the operations in the field. In March, the Secretary-General established a high-level panel to undertake a major review of UN peace and security activities and recommend ways to ensure that future peacekeeping operations were more effective. The panel's recommendations, contained in what was known as the Brahimi report, after the panel's chairman, Dakar Brahimi, were endorsed by the General Assembly in December. In October, the Secretary-General presented a number of practical measures, including resource requirements, to support the broad objectives identified by the panel. Equally important for the Organization were the growing concerns for the prevention of conflicts and the effectiveness of UN efforts towards post-conflict peace-building. In July, the Security Council held an open debate on conflict prevention during which Member States indicated their broad commitment to improving UN capacity for effective preventive action. In that regard, it took action to prevent the trade in illicit diamonds that were fuelling conflict in Africa. The Council also reviewed the role of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in enhancing the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping and peace-building activities. Moreover, the Council, recognizing that wars and conflicts contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS, discussed ways to incorporate HIV/AIDS prevention awareness skills and advice in UN peacekeeping operations. During the year, the United Nations deployed 18 peacekeeping operations worldwide, with some 37,719 military personnel and civilian police serving under UN command as at 31 December 2000. The year began with 17 operations in place. Three missions ended during the year, one each in Africa, the Americas and Europe, and one new one was established in Africa. The total number of missions in place at the end of the year stood at 15. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, the body responsible for reviewing UN peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, and its open-ended working group made proposals and recommendations to guide the principles, definitions and implementation of mandates and to enhance the capacity of the United Nations for peacekeeping and cooperation with regional groups, particularly in Africa. The cost of UN peacekeeping operations amounted to $1,756.8 million for the period 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000, compared to $837.8 million during the previous 12-month period, while unpaid assessed contributions for peacekeeping operations amounted to $2,128.9 million as at 30 June 2000, compared to $1,687.6 million in 1999. The Assembly considered various aspects of peacekeeping financing, financial performance and proposed budgets, the peacekeeping support account and the Peacekeeping Reserve Fund. It changed the procedure for apportioning the expenses of peacekeeping operations among States and reviewed the new procedure for the reimbursement of contingent-owned equipment and the management of peacekeeping assets, including the operation of the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy. In addition to its peacekeeping operations, the United Nations addressed peace-building and other conflict situations through a number of political and human rights missions and the deployment of the Secretary-General's Special Representatives in Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Somalia and Tajikistan.