Fed: Aussies should delay global peacekeeping role: ADA

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-1999
Fed: Aussies should delay global peacekeeping role: ADA

CANBERRA, Dec 14 AAP - Australia should wait until the United Nations reformed its
peacekeeping structures before volunteering to become a global peacekeeper, a defence
lobby group said today.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) chief Chris Barrie today said Australia was the peacekeeping
force of choice for the UN following its successful deployment in East Timor.

Admiral Barrie said Australia may have to stand ready to provide up to 4,500 troops
on short notice to restore peace in world troublespots.

But the Australian Defence Association (ADA) said while the ADF should capitalise on
its excellence as a peacekeeper, it should wait until the UN had reformed its peacekeeping
structures.

ADA director Michael O'Connor said the UN was near incapable of running effective peace
operations.

"You would not in my opinion be too keen to put Australian forces under a UN command
the way the UN operates at the moment," Mr O'Connor said.

"It is just too dangerous. It is ineffectual and it just becomes money down the drain
for nothing and you discredit your own operation."

He said Australia was probably one of the top three nations for peacekeeping ability
in the world and it was clearly in the nation's interest to maintain a peaceful world
- but not as the sole or pre-eminent force.

"The downside is that the United Nations is bloody near incapable of running effective
peace operations for all sorts of reasons," Mr O'Connor said.

"The main one is that the Security Council insists on too close a management role."

The UN needed to restructure peace operations with the Security Council providing the
endorsement and the money but then creating a semi-independent political and administrative
structure.

He said funding also needed to be resolved as the UN was now prone to handing over
peace operations like Timor or Kosovo to some other organisation and having them fund
it.

"That means you are going to have countries like the United States paying for and calling
the shots and they are not very good at it," he said.

Mr O'Connor said the UN should be restructured before any moves were made to restructure
the ADF for peace operations.

"Here is an area where Australian diplomacy could play an important and constructive
role, not on its own, but in conjunction with like-minded countries," he said.

"Once you are satisfied, then you can think in terms of making Australian commitments."

AAP mb/mfh/apm/bwl

KEYWORD: TIMOR ADA

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