EU-UN cooperation in peacekeeping and crisis management

Briefing 24-11-2015

In April 2015, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General's report focusing on the partnerships, concerning peacekeeping operations, between the UN and regional organisations set the goal of 'moving towards partnership peacekeeping'. This goal was set in a world characterised by violent conflict, growing demand for peacekeeping and a proliferation of multilateral actors engaged in various crisis management, conflict prevention and post-conflict peacebuilding activities. Since 2003, the European Union (EU) and UN have strived to strengthen their strategic partnership in peacekeeping and crisis management. More than a decade later, the EU and UN are cooperating systematically at strategic and operational levels, with consultation and coordination mechanisms now established. But challenges remain with regard to joint strategic planning, division of labour, joint reviews and coordination of exit strategies, amongst others. However, there are possible new prospects for strengthened cooperation between the EU and UN, as both are reviewing their strategic visions (a new European security strategy is in the works, while the UN is revising its peace operations and peacebuilding architecture). The European Parliament has encouraged the EU to support UN peacekeeping, and to cooperate with the UN in strengthening the peacekeeping capacities of regional organisations, particularly the African Union. The briefing focuses on EU-UN cooperation regarding missions managed by the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations, thus does not address the UN's political missions.