Peacekeepers

It is in the interest of the U. S. to have an effective United Nations. For this to happen, the U. N. must carry out its responsibilities competently and effectively and efficiently. It must operate in a transparent and accountable fashion. It must hold itself and its employees and representatives to the highest standards of conduct. This is particularly critical for U. N. peacekeeping where the organization sends civilian and uniformed personnel to protect and assist the most vulnerable. U. N. peacekeeping is being conducted with unprecedented pace, scope, and ambition. These increasing demands have revealed ongoing serious concerns and problems, such as negligence and disregard that can lead to unintended tragedy such as the introduction of cholera into Haiti by U. N. peacekeepers. Because the U. N. and its employees enjoy broad protections and immunities, the organization has an extremely heavy responsibility to self-scrutinize, self-police, self-correct, and punish wrongdoing.