Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is both their short and long term policy towards support for, and participation in, UN Peace Operations and how much priority they are giving to its implementation.

As set out in the Strategic Security and Defence Review, the UK attaches great importance to UN Peacekeeping Operations. The Government is committed to working with partners to further strengthen the UN’s capability to support global stability and end conflict. In the Security Council, we champion reforms that increase the efficiency and impact of UN engagement on conflict prevention and mediation, peace building and human rights.

The Government plans to double the number of military personnel that we contribute to UN peacekeeping operations, increase UK law enforcement and civilian experts on UN peacekeeping operations and in UN headquarters, and continue to train international peacekeepers. The UK will be hosting an international conference on UN peacekeeping, which is part of a sustained effort to increase the capabilities available to UN peacekeeping. The Government is also in the process of forming a cross-Whitehall joint UN Peacekeeping Policy Unit to bring further focus to our efforts and coordination on peacekeeping.