Global Policy Forum

By Tarjei Kidd Olsen

"Integrated missions are here to stay," United Nations humanitarian chief Jan Egeland tells IPS, as a new report recommends integration of humanitarian and military peacekeeping efforts.

The externally commissioned report points out that modern peacekeeping missions by UN soldiers -- the "blue helmets" -- have evolved from merely "keeping the peace" to attempting to aid countries in the transition from war to peace and long-term development. This involves complex multifunctional operations that require a wide range of skills and extensive coordination to succeed, according to the report. Many countries soon fall back into conflict despite peace deals. Statistically, peace agreements' chances of failure are greater than they are for success.

"It is absolutely essential that we pool our resources as much as possible, speak with one voice, and use all our resources to build a peaceful and prosperous society in the countries where we are," says Egeland, the UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Some have voiced fears that the image of impartiality required to carry out humanitarian work is being endangered by the trend towards greater integration with military forces. UN-affiliated aid workers are particularly worried about being associated with UN soldiers. In conflict situations, they argue, such an association can endanger lives and make it difficult to carry out humanitarian work.

Egeland insists he is mindful of these misgivings. In cases where conflicts are still ongoing, "we have to do more than we have done in the past to safeguard humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality, and make sure that we have a distance between those of us who are impartial humanitarian workers, and those who are political or military actors," he says.

While the report recommends closer cooperation between as many actors as possible, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Red Cross are sceptical about integration. While the Red Cross favours coordination to bolster humanitarian work, a spokesman told IPS that they reject the idea of any further integration. As an "independent organisation that has to operate in wars and conflicts, it is out of the question for the Red Cross to subordinate ourselves to the command of the UN, which in many contexts comes across as a political player. We can cooperate, but will not carry out missions ordered by the UN," said external communications chief Bernt G. Apeland of the Norwegian Red Cross.

Apeland said the question of greater integration is raised frequently in discussions on humanitarian aid. "I am not denying that humanitarian efforts often are driven by political interests, which means that it is quite a challenge to coordinate efforts independent of the actors. But the Red Cross has 150 years of experience to refer to, and in our experience we complement each other," he said, adding that the Red Cross also is one of several large NGOs on a committee run by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by Egeland.

Egeland, himself secretary general of the Norwegian Red Cross before taking up his post at the UN, says he does not expect such organisations to integrate with the UN. "The Red Cross and the other NGOs are jealously guarding their independence, and that is good. However, the UN's local humanitarian coordinator will very often" be the coordinator of other parts of the mission such as soldiers, "and will therefore have to carefully separate the functions, particularly in regards to the non-UN actors", says Egeland.

Espen Barth Eide from Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), one of the authors of the report, said that the UN today is "too fragmented" to be able to lead effective multifunctional operations that can secure long-term peace and development. "This is not due to a lack of will or a lack of understanding of the issues. We think these elements are basically there. We are pointing out that the existing structures don't fit with the aim," he said in an IPS interview.

Eide described the challenge as successfully integrating the UN's military efforts, humanitarian efforts, and development efforts. While he sees the need for a "humanitarian space" that respects the principles of "humanity, impartiality and neutrality", the report concludes that there is "clear empirical evidence that some areas need to be more partial, while others need to be impartial", he said.

As regards the integration of military and development efforts, the "blue helmets" are "actually good at getting former warriors into camps, usually covering physical disarmament and demobilisation. The problem is that that is only meaningful if you have a reintegration of the warriors as well."

The military effort is covered by a peacekeeping budget, while reintegration is part of a development budget. "Here there is a lot of lack of coordination," he says, adding that this is just one example of "hundreds where the security and development link is recognised but not effectively applied".

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