U.N. Peacekeepers at Record High

UPI

U.N. officials say peacekeeping forces at the end of October reached nearly 81,000 military and police and 15,000 civilians, the highest number ever.

The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations said Friday they were deployed in 18 missions around the world and required a budget that could reach US $7 billion.

"The unprecedented growth represents a growing confidence in U.N. peacekeeping as a means to help build stability after conflict," said Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno.

"These new demands have also brought unprecedented challenges to the United Nations, including in the areas of personnel, resources, management, logistical support, quality assurance, professionalism and oversight, as well as the challenge of maintaining the political engagement of (U.N.) member states," Guehenno said.

The previous peak in 58 years of U.N. peacekeeping operations was in July 1993, when 78,444 troops were deployed, almost one-third of them in the U.N. Protection Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The current surge began in October 2003, with the deployment of major operations to Burundi, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sudan and expansion of the mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Over the past three months, the newly established U.N. Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste and the increased deployment in the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon contributed to the record-breaking number of uniformed personnel in the field.

Peacekeeping is paid for by all Member States according to an agreed upon formula which they established.

The current top 10 financial contributors are: the United States at 27 per cent, Japan paying 19 per cent, Germany contributing 9 per cent, Britain giving 7 per cent, France 7 per cent, Italy 5 per cent, Canada and Spain at 3 percent each and China and the Netherlands each paying 2 per cent