The Department of National Defence has announced
that it is launching public consultations in the development of a new defence
policy for Canada. This includes a Defence Policy Review public consultation paper, a website and even an e-workbook to be filled in.
Canadian Defence Matters is attempting to come up
with some answers to
the ten questions contained in the public consultation paper.
The fourth question asked in the public consultation
paper is: What form should the CAF
contribution to peace support operations take? Is there a role for the CAF in
helping to prevent conflict before it occurs?
According to
NATO the term “Peace Support Operations” is now widely used by many
civilian agencies to describe their activities in complex humanitarian
emergencies. PSOs, as they are called, are multi-functional operations,
conducted impartially, normally in support of an internationally recognized organisation such as the UN. They involve military forces and diplomatic and
humanitarian agencies. PSO are designed to achieve a long-term political
settlement or other specified conditions.
It should be noted that Peace Support Operations
include Peacekeeping and Peace Enforcement as well as conflict prevention,
peacemaking, peace building and humanitarian relief. What distinguishes PSO
from other military operations is the impartial approach by the Peace Support
Force (PSF). At least in theory PSO are
neither in support of, nor against a particular party, but rather are conducted
in an impartial and even-handed manner.
PSO, again at
least in theory, are designed to create a secure environment in which civilian
agencies can rebuild the infrastructure necessary to create a self-sustaining
peace.
As can be seen from the foregoing definition, Peace
Support Operations are both complex operations and, of necessity, long term
operations. It also becomes clear that military operations are only one part of
a multifaceted campaign that involves both government and non-government
organizations.
Conflict prevention, although a separate discipline,
involves a similarly involved ‘whole of government and beyond’ approach, which
could include the Armed Forces, as well as requiring a long term commitment,
All of which suggests that the government should
approach the prospect of Peace Support Operations with caution and with the
assurance of public support.
Contrary to the much loved image of the Canadian
soldier patrolling a notional ‘green line’, in reality the traditional role of
the Canadian Armed Forces has been to provide technical and logistic support to
peace keeping operations. There is no reason to suppose that this has changed.
In the
publication, UN Peacekeeping Challenge: The Importance of the Integrated Approach, the point was
made that the United Nations already has enough infantry pledged from
'Troop-Contributing Countries'. What is needed, the authors point out, is
technical assistance from those countries capable of providing it.
The kind of assistance necessary to support
international peace keeping in many cases comprise the same kinds of
disciplines the Canadian Armed Forces need to exercise to fulfill their mandate
to maintain capable combat forces. These specialties include, but are not limited to;
- providing both long range and shorter range logistic support, from sea-lift capability to C-17’s, and from transport helicopters to trucks,
- delivering advanced communications technology while retaining the ability to communicate with civil authorities, NGOs and other non-military agencies,
- Offering intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 'sensor platforms' include reconnaissance satellites, UAVs (of various sizes), and manned aircraft
- Specialist Land Forces such as military police, disaster assistance relief teams, and even Special Forces.
If Canada and Canadians are willing to embrace the
complexities and the time lines that Peace Support Operations call for, then
the Canadian Armed Forces can and should train and equip themselves to aid
other government, and non-government, agencies in these kinds of campaigns.
Defence Policy Review
Public Consultation Paper
Defence Policy Review
Have your say: Defence
Policy Review 2016
Defence Policy Review
NATO Peace Support
Operations Doctrine
United Nations
Peacekeeping Challenge The Importance of the Integrated Approach
