UN vows to strengthen peacekeepers

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed on Friday for greater international commitment to peacekeeping missions around the world, with a record high of more than 130,000 security personnel currently taking part in UN operations.

"The global security landscape is shifting dramatically. Civil conflicts coupled with terrorism, organized crime and health crises such as Ebola are threatening millions of people. More often than not, these dangers transcend borders," Ban said. "United Nations peacekeeping missions are a leading part of the international response to a wide array of threats."

According to UN figures, 102 peacekeepers died in 2013, 36 of them from direct attacks and others from accidents or illness.

Ban's statement identified six key areas where peacekeeping missions could be improved, putting "rapid response," or the ability to get troops "to the right place at the right time," at the top of the list. One recently-deployed UN force in the Central African Republic took over from the African Union on September 15, nine months after violence between Christians and Muslims broke out. The force is still far smaller than the one theoretically authorized by the Security Council back in April.

The UN maintains no standing army, meaning its deployment of peacekeeping forces is usually dependent on when member states send money, troops, or both.

Choppers, medical equipment, explosives protection

Once on site, greater mobility, "above all through helicopters," was second on Ban's list. The secretary-general also specified strengthened medical support, better protection against IEDs (improvised explosive devices), improved information and analysis and better coordination with regional organizations when UN peacekeepers are operating alongside African Union or European Union missions.

Ban said that "the risks are also growing" for blue berets, asking the audience to remember "that peacemakers are also peacebuilders."

"From northern Mali to the Golan Heights, peacekeepers work in environments where they themselves are subject to attack," Ban said. "I thank the troop-contributing countries for their strong commitment to world peace and security. We are very proud of the women and men who are working so hard under difficult and often dangerous circumstances."

The meeting was arranged by the US government as part of the UN General Assembly in New York, with Vice President Joe Biden and US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power also in attendance. Power said that more than 30 countries had stepped up with "concrete commitments" to improving operations.

On Wednesday, Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto said that his country had decided to take part in UN peacekeeping missions for the first time in years. Ban Ki-moon appealed to individual members to consider what assistance they could best provide, be it troops, equipment, money, or unique expertise.

"What our missions need from all of you is sustained political and diplomatic backing," Ban said.

msh/jm (AP, dpa)