U.N. Council Supports Recommendations on Peacekeeping OperationsThe United Nations Security Council on Wednesday expressed its support for the general thrust of the recommendations on the peacekeeping operations made by a U.N. panel.The Security Council was briefed on the recommendations September 27 by Louise Frechette, U.N. deputy secretary-general, and Lakhdar Brahimi, head of the panel on U.N. peacekeeping operations. The 15-member Security Council expressed determination to take final decisions on them as quickly as possible and agreed to establish a working group to take this work forward. The council agreed that the mandates of U.N. peacekeeping operations must be clear, credible and achievable. The council emphasized the need to improve the Secretariat's ability to provide accurate, timely, frank and comprehensive information and analysis. The council agreed on the critical need to ensure that peacekeeping missions are deployed rapidly with necessary levels of qualified, equipped and well-supported personnel, with a unified chain of command and clear rules of engagement. In its report presented to the Security Council on August 23, the panel recommended extensive restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, a new information and analysis unit to serve all United Nations departments concerned with peace and security, an integrated task force at headquarters to plan and support each peacekeeping mission from its inception and more systematic use of information technology. Chaired by Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister, the panel was established early this year at the request of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. |
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