Annan hails new report on future of UN peace operations

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has hailed a new report on the future challenges facing UN peace operations.

Accepting the report, "Challenges of Peace Operations: Into the 21st Century" from Sweden's Foreign Minister, Anna Lindh, on Thursday, Mr. Annan said the document constituted a "timely and important contribution," which would complement an earlier report on UN peace operations by a panel of international experts led by Lakhdar Brahimi.

Like the Brahimi report, the new study "takes the same multidimensional view of peace operations," Mr. Annan said. Recognizing that peacekeeping must be a collective effort, and emphasizing the importance of rapid deployment, the new report "focuses on improving the capacity of the Secretariat in areas such as logistics, contingency planning, staffing and analysis - an effort, I should stress, that is well under way in the areas that fall under my purview."

The Secretary-General also praised the new report's attention to "the crucial role of the Member States in articulating clear and realistic mandates, and in providing the necessary human, financial and material resources."

Launching the report at a press briefing, Foreign Minister Lindh and Lt. Gen. Satish Nambiar, head of the Centre for UN Peacekeeping at the United Service Institution of India, agreed that the document complemented the Brahimi report.

The Foreign Minister said the new study's 14 chapters provided 69 practical recommendations on improving peace operations and on preparations for peacekeeping and peace support. Culminating a five-year project in support of the UN, the report underscored the importance of cooperation between the military and civilian components of peace missions as well as the importance of education and training, she said, noting that the document also stressed the role of women in peace operations.

For his part, Lt. Gen. Satish Nambiar said the report was directed at UN Member States, whose support was essential to the success of any peace operation.