Department of Peacekeeping Operations

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The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (or DPKO) is a department of the United Nations which is charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations.

1 History of the DPKO
2 Organizational Structure
3 Current Operations
- 3.1 "The Surge"
4 External links

[edit] History of the DPKO

The DPKO traces its roots to 1948 with the creation of the UNMOGIP and UNTSO. Up to the late 1980s, peacekeeping missions were operated by six officials in the United Nations Office of Special Political Affairs, which was headed first by Brian Urquhart and then Marrack Goulding. From the beginning, peacekeeping operations operated with a clear doctrine: peacekeepers did not take sides or discharge firearms, save in self-defense, or meddle in politics.

The official DPKO was created in 1992 when Boutros Boutros-Ghali took office as Secretary-General of the United Nations; its creation was one of his first decisions. Goulding became under-secretary-general (or USG) for peacekeeping with Kofi Annan appointed as his deputy. The role of the DPKO, however, wasn't clarified until June 1992, when Boutrous-Ghali issued a plan to strengthen the UN's capacity for preventative diplomacy and peacekeeping, entitled An Agenda For Peace.

[edit] Organizational Structure

DPKO is split into two main offices: the Office of Operations and the Office of Mission Support.

Included within the Office of Mission Support (or OMS) are the logistics and administrative divisions, which provide logistics, personnel, and financial support services to DPKO missions. OMS is responsible for determining financial reimbursement to UN member states for their contribution of Contingent owned equipment, troops, and services to peacekeeping missions. Also part of DPKO are Mine Action, Training, Best Practices, and Military and Police Divisions.

A March, 2007 United Nations General Assembly Resolution titled “Strengthening the capacity of the Organization in Peacekeeping Operations” has called for the re-structuring of the department and the establishment of a separate Department of Field Support.

[edit] Current Operations

DPKO leads 18 different missions in Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Serving in these missions are over 100 thousand uniformed and civilian personnel. Here is a list of peacekeeping missions. Total approved annual expenses are over 5 billion dollars for the period July 06 to June 07.[1]

[edit] "The Surge"

At an October 2006 press conference, the current USG Jean-Marie Guéhenno announced that peacekeeping operations had reached an all time high, and will continue to expand as UNIFIL and UNMIT reach full strength, and if a UN mission enters Darfur.[2]