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<TITLE>Former Netherlands Defense Minister J.J.C. Voorhoeve's Address to
XVth NATO Workshop, Vienna</TITLE>
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<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="6" FACE="Palatino">Post-Conflict
Peace Building and Disengagement</FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE="+1"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="4" FACE="Palatino">Former
Netherlands Defense Minister Dr. Joris J. C. Voorhoeve</FONT></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Defense
Ministers prepare troops to deter aggressors and to send soldiers into
combat or on peacekeeping operations. Traditionally, we do not concern
ourselves with civil reconstruction, development assistance, or building
democracy in other countries. But the time has come to also concern
ourselves actively with those non-military tasks. The possibility of
bringing our troops home after the completion of their military operations
depends on the progress made in civil reconstruction, and military
disengagement depends on post-conflict peace building. As we have seen in
Bosnia, the length of time our troops must stay in a war-torn zone depends
on the progress we make in building a stable, peaceful state. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The rising
number of peacekeeping operations during the 1990s has justifiably
increased the attention paid to post-conflict peace building. The concept
of this effort was introduced in 1992 by then-Secretary General of the
U.N. Boutros Boutros-Ghali in his “Agenda for Peace.” There he
defined the concept as “action to identify and support structures
which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a
relapse into conflict.” In a recent report to the Security Council,
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan once more pointed out the importance of
integrated peace building and effective coordination by the U.N. The
Secretary-General proposed establishing a strategic framework that
includes aid structures for peace building. </FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEACE BUILDING AND PEACEKEEPING</B></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">I would like
to discuss with you some of the problems concerning peace building. In the
Netherlands, the strong relationship between peace building and
peacekeeping is widely acknowledged. We have, therefore, started to break
down the traditional division between various forms of aid in the context
of development cooperation and other forms of foreign aid. Defense
Department activities used to be focused strictly on the particular
conflict, and “development cooperation” on the post-conflict
situation. We are now looking to establish integrated and, therefore,
well-coordinated, peace-building operations. </FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><FONT SIZE="+1">Working
Toward Peace Building</FONT></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Steps in
this direction have also been taken by the international community. Along
with the Netherlands, the United States has supported the idea of a
special facility at the World Bank for releasing aid money to poor
countries that have been through an armed conflict. In addition, in 1997,
the OECD developed special guidelines within its Development Aid Committee
that are also applicable to peace building. NATO carries out an important
task in Bosnia with its “Cimic” (civil-military cooperation)
units. NGOs such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, Doctors
Without Borders, and the International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance also play a major role. And regional organizations
such as the European Union, OSCE, and the Council of Europe are active as
well, though their expertise in peace building should perhaps also be
applied beyond their regions. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">But more
coordination of reconstruction activities is still needed. The example of
Bosnia, where 450 international organizations and various NGOs are active,
shows that coordination by the U.N. and the Senior Representative could be
improved. Part of the problem is that all of the various organizations
have different mandates: political, military, and humanitarian. This makes
cohesion among political mediation, military and security operations,
emergency aid, and development aid even more vital. </FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>THE
ELEMENTS OF PEACE BUILDING</B></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Successful
peace building requires a clear idea about the society that needs to be
built. In order to rebuild a war-torn nation, social and economic
reconstruction, a secure environment for the population and the
reinforcement of democracy are necessary. Active participation by local
institutions is also important, because these are the very institutions
that will run the country when the international community withdraws. When
peace building is undertaken, attention to specific national circumstances
is as important as the determination to adopt universal values. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Good
government and democracy are the foundations of a stable and peaceful
society. In areas outside Europe, the donor must not be obsessed with
introducing a Western-style multiparty democracy. More important is the
creation of conditions for the division of power; pluralism and
proportionality in political decision-making; and anchoring the legal
security of the individual in a democratic constitutional state. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">International
support for the police and justice system of the country is essential for
the restoration of the legal order. The Netherlands, therefore, advocates
the foundation of a UN Standby Police Force which could play a major role
in the peace-building phase with regard to the restoration and maintenance
of the public order, the supervision of human rights violations and, if
necessary, tracking down war criminals. In many peacekeeping operations,
there is a shortage of international police advisors, observers and
trainers. Donor countries are slow to make contributions from their civil
police forces. Countries which have <I>gendarmerie, carabinieri, </I>or
<I>marechaussee </I>organizations at their disposal can react more
adequately. The combination of their military and police training has
proved essential in Bosnia, Haiti and elsewhere. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>DEMARCATION
OF CIMIC TASKS</B></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">As I
indicated, there is often only a thin line between civil and military aims
during peacekeeping operations. Obviously, reconstruction activities
should be carried out primarily by civil institutions. Still, there are
certain tasks to which military organizations are more suited than civil
organizations, due to their earlier presence, mobility, and equipment. An
example is the contribution by the NATO Cimic forces to the civil
reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">NATO is
currently considering a structural expansion of its Cimic capacity. I
welcome this initiative, but I also believe that some form of
distinguishing among Cimic tasks is desirable. Cimic tasks should not
obscure the fact that defense forces are first and foremost for the
maintenance of peace. Moreover, certain Cimic tasks could endanger the
impartiality of the peacekeeping force. We also should make sure that
local authorities and international organizations do not become
structurally dependent on the peace force’s Cimic operations. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The
Netherlands is investigating whether we can contribute to the expansion of
the NATO Cimic capability , for example, by providing a framework Cimic
group as described in the Force Proposals for 1998. This Cimic capability
can also contribute to operations in other contexts, such as UN
peacekeeping operations which are based on the UN Standby Arrangements
System (UNSAS) and, in the future, also the Standby Forces High Readiness
Brigade (Shirbrig). </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>CONCLUSION</B></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">It is clear
that there are no easy answers with regard to peacebuilding, but we are
learning with each experience. The lessons about the relationship between
peace-building and peacekeeping may provide us with tools for durable
peace in the next century. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">One thing is
clear: peace-building requires patience, consistency and coordination.
Long-term involvement is a precondition; attempts to force immediate
results are doomed to fail. Better structured and more effective
reconstruction is essential for societies that have been destroyed by war,
civil war, collapse of government or harsh suppression. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">In Europe,
Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia (FYROM) and the rest of the Balkan countries
require our attention. Elsewhere, Afganistan, Ruanda, Sudan, Somalia,
Liberia, and Haiti are currently examples of countries which require the
attention of the world community in order to help create a more stable
society by means of peace-building.</FONT></P>
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<P ALIGN="LEFT">Copyright © 1998 Center for Strategic Decision
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