UN peacekeeping force facing extinction Fazle Rashid in New York The United Nations peacekeeping force is facing the uncomfortable prospect of total extinction owing to the twin problems of working under hostile condition and a severe cash crunch. The UN is currently managing 18 peace missions worldwide deploying 112,000 uniformed personnel at the cost of almost $8 billion a year. Bangladesh ranks second among countries providing manpower to the peacekeeping contingents. Pakistan is the biggest provider, India occupies the third slot. United Nations military operations might have reached their limits with two largest peacekeeping operations stretched to the breaking point, the Financial Times reported. UNSC under attack The Security Council (SC) has come under blistering attack for authorising big new peacekeeping missions round the world in spite of the warnings that demands on troops are overtaking their ability to deliver. The system has been described by a diplomat as ?breaking at the seams?. The UN peacekeepers found themselves in dangerous and violent situation that stretched their ability to function to the breaking point. There are two types of peacekeeping missions. Developed world peacekeepers are deployed principally in non-UN missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Balkans. Developed countries are reluctant to commit their own forces in an era of financial stringency; it is unlikely that funding states would agree to increase the current global expenditure on UN peacekeeping. Poland pulling out Poland has already announced that it is pulling out of UN peace missions because of spending cuts due to economic meltdown. Meanwhile more than 70 US military advisers and technical specialists are secretly working in Pakistan to help its armed forces battle al-Qaeda and Taliban in the country?s tribal areas, the New York Times reported. Americans are training Pakistan Army personnel, paramilitary troops and providing them with intelligence and advising on combat tactics. |
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