Head of the United Nations Liaison Office for Peace and Security, Rory Keane stated on Tuesday, 12 July, that the partnership between the UN and the EU on peace and security issues was “vibrant and working well”.
“[The] multilateral ice under our feet is melting. [...] And, therefore, we really have a lot of work to do [...] to ensure we reinforce multilateralism,” Mr Keane warned MEPs on the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence before going on to say, “[...] that’s what we’re doing here today: trying to figure out how two organisations like the European Union and the United Nations can network our actions in order to bolster multilateralism at a very, very challenging time”.
Head of Division for Partnerships and Task Force NATO in the European External Action Service, Alison Weston explained that the two organisations had, in the past, worked together closely on missions and operations, particularly in Africa. “I think those very close relationships and contacts that have been established in theatre and also between the operational headquarters [have] been extremely important, and I think this is something we want to continue to pursue”, she added.
Mr Keane specified that the UN would like to step up its work on disinformation with the EU. He also reminded MEPs that the European Union, as a political actor, could play an important role in placing peacekeeping actions within a political framework.
According to Ms Weston, other areas of cooperation include transition processes, climate, youth, children in armed conflict, peace, resilience, and the ‘women, peace, and security’ agenda.
Mr Keane also explained that certain elements of the ‘Strategic Compass’ could prove very useful for the partnership, citing the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity that the EU intends to implement starting in 2025. He also felt the European Peace Facility was “a very valuable tool, a very valuable instrument that can really support, ultimately, a sustainable [...] and an accountable security sector”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)