United Nations peacekeeping has been growing quickly in both the number and size of missions.
What has happened to Canada?
In 1992 we were the number one contributor of UN peacekeepers. Today Canada is number 53.
Canada formerly contributed up to 3,300 soldiers to UN peacekeeping. That number now is just 57 troops and military experts, plus another 180 men and women in the police contribution.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are now the biggest contributors of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions.
The total number of personnel from all countries on U.N. peacekeeping missions dropped from about 80,000 in the mid-1990s to less than 20,000 in the late 90s, to more than 100,000 today.
There are now 16 UN peacekeeping missions around the world, most of them in Africa.
Despite several being understaffed and under-resourced, they are achieving real results, and the demand is expected to grow.
Mike Pearson more or less invented peacekeeping as a solution to the Suez crisis in the 1950s when he was Canada’s representative to the U.N. (this was before he became prime minister).
In the decades following, Canada’s armed forces took a lead role in developing the protocols, training and procedures that allowed peacekeeping to achieve what it has.
Our nation is presently winding down its combat role in Afghanistan.
Canadians have always been proud of the work our Canadian soldiers have done while on U.N. peacekeeping missions.
Perhaps now is the time to renew that commitment and take back part of the lead role we formerly held.