The Chronicle interview.

• Author: Guehenno, Jean-Marie
• Position: Interview

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated that "peacekeeping is bearing the brunt of escalating demands".

Today's peacekeeping is reaching unprecedented levels. There are, as we speak, roughly 100,000 personnel--military, police, civilian--in 18 missions around the world. There are two ways to look at this expansion: one can say that it is a good sign that a number of conflicts is coming to an end; however, it presents an enormous challenge not just for the Secretariat, but also for Member States, to provide the resources, the troops and the political engagement necessary to make those 18 missions successful.

What are the main priorities of DPKO in 2007?

Our priorities are to intensify the reform process towards greater integration and more and more effective support for our peace operations, because the comparative advantage of the United Nations is the combination of the military, the police and all the support worldwide. We also have the priorities of specific missions, where a lot is at stake. We had a huge achievement in 2006 with the first elections in decades in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and for the first time there is hope for this country that was devastated by war. We wish to consolidate that achievement in 2007, which is of immense importance not just for the people of the DRC, but also the whole of Africa--this is one big challenge that we want to face successfully in 2007. Second is the continuing tragedy in Darfur, which we see in the broader context of what has already been achieved in the Sudan, where we have made real progress in ending the largest conflict in Africa: the north-south conflict. There is a big peacekeeping operation in south Sudan, and one needs to keep focused on that operation so that the progress made so far is not compromised. We are working with the African Union towards a new situation, where there could be a joint effort to end the conflict. Another priority is the situation in Kosovo, which was devastated by violence and yet has regained stability, thanks to the massive engagement of the United Nations, but clearly the situation needs to evolve. Negotiation on the future status of Kosovo is under way, led by the former President of Finland, and in the months ahead this process will be at the centre of diplomatic efforts. For us, the challenge is to move the United Nations, which has undertaken specific responsibilities, to another phase where it could disengage and leave the place...