The United States and the Government of Rwanda virtually hosted on July 21-22 members of the UN General Assembly Special Committee on Peacekeeping (known as the C-34) for a preparatory meeting focused on capacity-building partnerships ahead of the December 2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Seoul, Korea.
The U.S.-Rwanda preparatory meeting highlighted the significant contribution that capacity-building partnerships can make in enhancing peacekeeping performance and effectiveness. The meeting also underscored the importance of partnership-focused pledges at the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial.
U.S. Representative to the UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, IO Acting Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Erica Barks-Ruggles, and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Military Affairs Stan Brown reiterated the U.S. commitment to UN peacekeeping, including through capacity-building programs like the U.S. Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) and the International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support program.
Panelists from troop- and police-contributing countries shared their experiences with forming effective capacity-building partnerships. Leaders from the UN Department of Peace Operations and from UN peacekeeping missions discussed UN efforts to identify and meet the requirements of complex, multidimensional peacekeeping missions.
The United States has long been the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, providing more than a quarter of UN peacekeeping funds, contributing almost twice as much as the second largest contributor. The United States is also the world’s leading bilateral partner for peacekeeping capacity-building assistance, which enhances peacekeeper performance and accountability.
