#unpeackeeping

[unpeacekeeping]

Why do we need more women in peacekeeping operations?

A 94% male military component is ill-suited to a peacekeeping environment. This is what more than 100 top military officials concluded during the 2017 Chiefs of Defence Conference earlier this month in New York.

Today women represent only 6% of deployed UN peacekeepers in the positions of staff officers and military observers.

The Head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, welcomed the conference’s focus on gender and he called on all troop contributing countries to increase this number to 15% by the end of 2017, a goal that he described as ‘modest’.

As of today only 16 out of the 120 troop contributing countries meet the required threshold: #Cambodia, #Canada, #Cyprus, #Kenya, #Liberia, #Moldova, #Mongolia, #Nigeria, #Peru, #SouthAfrica, #SouthKorea, #Tanzania, #Uganda, #UnitedStates, #Zambia, and #Zimbabwe. Deploying women in peacekeeping is a matter of efficiency and performance.

Women peacekeepers can empower women in the host communities, interview survivors of gender-based violence, strengthen the situational awareness of the mission by interacting with women in societies where women are prohibited from speaking to men, and assist female ex-combatants during the process of reintegration into civilian life.

Find out about why it is essential to have women peacekeepers here: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/women

[unpeacekeeping]

Around the world, conflict continues to exact a massive toll on people’s lives, and civilians are being increasingly trapped in conflicts that are not of their own making.

Protection of civilians by United Nations peacekeepers goes beyond just physical protection of displaced persons sheltering in camps. Our Missions also save lives through facilitating dialogue and political engagement, as well as establishing protective environments in the areas they operate by patrolling and building confidence among local populations. Our more complex UN Peacekeeping missions, such as South Sudan️, Mali️, and the Central African Republic, are working with United Nations OCHA and other humanitarian partners on the ground in investing in local communities by creating opportunities and improving the lives of those displaced.

For example, we work with our partners to create humanitarian space so they can provide essential services such as schools and health clinics across South Sudan, including in UN Protection of Civilians sites, where more than 220,000 people shelter. Efforts related to physical protection, local-level conflict resolution, and partnerships with humanitarian partners to improve lives, have resulted in more than 17,000 people in Bentiu's Protection of Civilians site returning to their homes to live with dignity. Or in the Central African Republic, where our UN Peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) has invested $10 million since 2014, including on humanitarian projects to help the Central African population get access to schools, markets, and social services.

Every year, on 19 August, World Humanitarian Day brings the world together to rally support for the people affected by humanitarian crises, and to pay tribute to those who help them.

Civilians are #NotATarget. Sign the petition: bit.ly/1fU2qac

Read more about Bentiu, "In Search of a New Life": bit.ly/2vE4pjc

[unpeacekeeping]

UN Support Office in Somalia helps to reconstruct Somalia’s premier university

Earlier this month, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) officially handed over the premises of the Somali National University back to the federal government after 10 years of using it as battalion headquarters to coordinate operations against the terrorist group of Al Shabaab. 

Established in 1954, the university closed its doors to students in 1991 as a result of the outbreak of the civil war.The United Nations Support Office for Somalia (United Nations Support Office in Somalia - UNSOS) helped AMISOM with the transition of the institution from military barracks back to its original educational purpose.

The UN will leave behind 20 hard wall buildings that were constructed for the contingent during their stay, at a value of about $12million,” said Clark Toes, Chief of Service Delivery at UNSOS.

Other than providing logistical and engineering support during the relocation exercise, United Nations Support Office in Somalia - UNSOS ensured that the premises were rebuilt with the least effect to the environment.

Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the Somali Minister for Higher Education, described the handover as “a symbol of the rebirth of Somalia,", and his sentiments were echoed by the Rector of the university, Mohamed Ahmed Jimale, who added: "Handing back the premises marked a return of peace, security and stability in Somalia.

”The first batch of student admissions to Somalia’s oldest university could start as early as September 2017.

Read more here: goo.gl/ckCXuN

[unpeacekeeping]

UN Peacekeeping meets Member States on sexual exploitation and abuse

Heads of Peacekeeping and Field Support, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Atul Khare, met yesterday with more than 60 Member States in a special meeting on sexual exploitation and abuse.

The UN senior officials discussed with Member States investigation standards, guidance on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2272 and strengthening partnerships between the UN and Member States to ensure victims' access to justice.

Head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, called on all Member States to work together with the UN to put an end on this scourge.

“Sexual exploitation and abuse is not a problem limited to blue helmets, it is a system-wide problem that requires a system-wide approach,” said Mr. Lacroix during the meeting.

The meeting followed last week's Chiefs of Defence conference, where over 100 national chiefs of defence came together with UN officials to collectively address a number of issues, including conduct and discipline.

To learn more about the UN Peacekeeping approach to sexual exploitation and abuse, please visit our conduct and discipline site here: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/cdu/index.shtml

[unpeacekeeping]

Protection of Civilians: a critical task for UN Peacekeeping

More than 95 percent of our peacekeepers are currently deployed in 10 missions with a mandate to protect civilians.

Protecting civilians is one of the most pivotal and visible tasks in UN Peacekeeping, and often the yardstick by which our peacekeepers are judged.

But what does this really mean in practice?

There are three main activities by which we are protecting civilians: dialogue and engagement; physical protection; and creating a secure environment.

Though armed protection is often the most visible of these, our missions are actively engaged in unarmed protection strategies, such as engagement with local communities, the host government and regional partners, as well as coordinating with the entire UN system and partners such as UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, United Nations OCHA and United Nations Human Rights that have protection responsibilities.

Protecting civilians remains at the top of the peacekeeping agenda. Peacekeeping troops must be ready, willing and able to use all necessary means – up to and including the use of deadly force to prevent, pre-empt and respond to threats to civilians.

This is going to be one of the main topics of discussion at the second Chiefs of Defence conference this week where more than 100 top military officials from troop contributing countries are gathering in New York.

To learn more about the protection of civilians mandate in UN Peacekeeping, please go here:

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/civilian.shtml

[unpeacekeeping]

Beware - Risk Education Song

To promote awareness about explosive hazards, UNMAS has launched the Risk Education music video, Beware, a collaboration between local South Sudanese rap art...

South Sudan's got talent! And it uses it to raise awareness on mines.

In South Sudan, the escalation of insecurity and subsequent mass population movement has made civilians increasingly vulnerable to the threats of mines and unexploded ordnance. Children are one of the most at-risk groups due to their inherent curiosity, which leads them to play with explosive items without knowing the danger.

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and UNMAS South Sudan work together to seek creative ways to visualise the risks of mines and alert children and the rest of the population widely, using posters, leaflets, radio programmes, SMS, and social media.

Most recently, UNMAS called on children and youth from primary schools in Juba to challenge themselves on a song writing context on the risks of mines. The winner school got the opportunity to have their song recorded by the prominent Sudanese pop group Jay Family.

“I’m teaching my family and friends about mines,” stated Sunday, one of the girls from the winning school of Ft.Giada Girls Primary School.

The involvement of girls in the competition and song production prompted them to be more aware of the problems of explosive hazards and they have become advocates for raising awareness about these issues among their friends and family.

To learn more about the activities of the UN mission in South Sudan go here: https://unmiss.unmissions.org/un-mine-action-service-unmas

[unpeacekeeping]

Investing in peace around the world!

This is the story of Dr. Bny Agyri, a Ghanaian physician currently serving with our peacekeeping mission in the (United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)​ whose medical duties include tending to pregnant South Sudanese women in Leer County.

Take a look at this video to learn Dr. Agyri’s work and why #investinginpeace matters to communities affected by conflict.

[unpeacekeeping]

Head of peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited #Mali this week where he paid tribute to the fallen UN peacekeeper from Mission des Nations Unies au Mali - MINUSMA who died during a site attack in Timbuktu earlier this month.

Check out the highlights of his visit to #Mali here: http://bit.ly/2riof29