Regional Organizations

1. Regional Organizations As partner in UN Peacekeeping

2. Working for the mandate • UN Peacekeeping is a unique global partnership. It draws together : -Legal and political authority from the Security Council. - Personnel and finance from the member states. - Accumulated experience from the Secretariat (in managing operations in the field.) • It is this partnership that gives UN Peacekeeping its legitimacy, sustainability and global reach.

3. Key Documents Chapter VI: Peace keeping"Pacific Settlement of Disputes" SC "may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute". The Council may "recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment" Chapter VII: Peace enforcement‘Enforcing peace’ SC has broader power to decide what measures are to be taken in situations involving "threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression". In such situations, the Council is not limited to recommendations but may take action, including the use of armed force "to maintain or restore international peace and security". Chapter VIII - Regional Organizations “SC should encourage associations or agencies that promote peace at the regional level. The SC may make use of such regional organizations to enforce its peacekeeping goals. However, regional organizations may not take any military action without UN authorization except against an aggressor state”.

4. UN Association at Regional Level Suggested Principles and Mechanisms (GA in March 1999): Cooperation Between the UN and Regional Organizations/Arrangements in Peacekeeping: (A detailed description on the suggested guidelines for cooperation between the UN and regional organizations in peacekeeping operations.) Africa • Organization of African Unity (OAU)– Due to OAU’s own doctrine of non-interference in the affairs of member states it could not get involved and end the multiple conflicts in Africa. After the AU came into existence, OAU ceased to function. • Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - ECOWAS has been actively involved in bringing peace to Sierra Leone. • African Union (AU) - States that are members of the AU can request intervention from the Union in order to restore peace and security. The AU can also intervene if war crimes, genocide, or crimes against humanity are taking place on a member's territory.

5. Regional….. Europe NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) NATO has been involved in a number of UN military operations, both officially and unofficially. Chapters 5 and 6 of NATO's Logistic Handbook outline NATO's role in Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. • EU (European Union) - EU has an ‘European security and defense policies’ in the post-September 11 world. It describes the EU involvement in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Macedonia, as well as in the Middle East conflict. - EU has policy in response to Crisis. - Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) : Describes EU's position on CFSP response.

6. Regional • OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe): OSCE's missions included, monitoring, and assistance projects that were active in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Caucasus, Central Asia and other regions. • EuroCorps: A Force for Europe and the Atlantic Alliance The Eurocorps is a multi-national army, not part of NATO, comprising of military contributions from its five member states in the Western European Union (WEU): Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain. • EU Peacekeeping Force (December 2, 2004) EUFOR, replaced NATO's SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU did take a "handful of modest military missions". EUFOR's work in Bosnia represented a test for EU policy aimed at counterbalancing US military weight, including US influence through NATO. • UK to Join Rapid Reaction Force (Feb 11, 2004) UK, France and Germany agreed on a new initiative for the creation of military battle groups capable of swift and prolonged deployments for conflict resolution and peacekeeping. Although the troops' mission is not confined to "failing states," it is likely that the groups would only be deployed "in limited, regional, crises in which the US had no direct interest.”

7. Regional… • In 2007, UN SCR -1769, authorized AU/UN Hybrid Ops in Darfur (UNAMID). In spite of the cooperation between the two orgs, the relationship between the AU and the UN remained unequal. The UN has more resources and experience than the AU, so the UN dominates and control s UNAMID. AU is overstretched, weakly mandated and under-funded. • Report of the AU-UN Panel (2008): In March 2009, an expert panel presented its report to the SC on how to improve AU-UN cooperation on pko in Africa. The panel suggested that the SC allocates UN money for AU pko missions and creates a "multi donor trust fund" of which a portion goes to early warning systems, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. (United Nations) Ban suggests that the Council clarifies the legal relationship between the UN and regional organizations governing the use of force within international relations.

8. Regional…… • Peacekeeping offers "the best return on donor investment" compared with sanctions and development assistance. • The G-8 countries are planning to train 75,000 African peacekeepers to work in the continent and possibly beyond. • Aim: African peacekeeping force for building security in Africa, but the intervention for “SSR, support to the rule of law and laying the foundations for economic growth" in African nations has to come under UN. Arab League • Arab League always wanted to play a meaningful role in Arab world politics. Unfortunately, the league has not shown much concern for regional problems and assume responsibility for tackling regional crises, (including the latest conflict in Darfur).

9. ASEAN Peacekeeping Force (2004) The UN welcomed Indonesia's initiative but it has not been materialized. • Comments on US involvement on PKO: The trend of US amassing unparalleled military power is creating a world where "the US fights, the UN feeds and the EU funds.”

10. Conclusion • UN can get a readymade force to deploy quickly. • UN has to authorize for the deployment of the Regional Organization. • Although the Regional Organization are the best to address the problem in the region, it may not be strong and big enough. • Generally, International participation is favored to Regional Organizations by the host nations. • UN must find the way out in terms of financing the regional organizations as they differ both in size and quality.

11. Regional organizations The UN recognizes regional organizations as key stakeholders in international relations. Some of these regional organizations have been granted observer status at the UN General Assembly and have a permanent representation in New York. This is notably the case for:  The African Union  The Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization  The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)  The Central American Integration System (SICA)  The Commonwealth  The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)  The European Union (EU)  The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF)  The League of Arab States  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

12. Regional orgs… (observer status)  The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States  The Andean Community  The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)  The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation  The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)  The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries  The Community of Sahel-Saharan States  The Council of Europe  The East African Community  The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)  The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  The Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB).  The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)  The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region  The Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)  The Latin American Integration Association (ALADI)  The Latin American Parliament  The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development  The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)  The Organization of American States (OAS)  The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States