Peacekeeping After Brexit

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What is the state of the United Kingdom’s current engagement with the UN, where might this go in the future, and what possible impacts would leaving the European Union have on the ability for the UK to influence the United Nations’ actions on a political level?
These were among the questions raised at a roundtable on September 7, 2018 at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Organized by the British International Studies Association Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Working Group in partnership with RUSI, the roundtable took as its starting point the broader question of the role of multilateral institutions in UK foreign and defense policy after the UK formally leaves the EU, and sought to identify and understand the role of peace operations within the framework of the ‘Global Britain’ agenda.
Some 30 delegates from academia and the policy and NGO sectors provided perspectives on how different forms of engagement with UN peace operations could strengthen the UK government’s commitment to supporting a rules-based international system.
A challenge underlying the roundtable was that the UK has yet to formally leave the EU, write DAVID CURRAN GEORGINA HOLMES and PHILIP CUNLIFFE in this conference report capturing the key themes and issues raised by the participants.
Related to this was the limited understanding (beyond Global Britain) as to the UK’s current foreign policy objectives, and what role the UN plays in them. “There appears to be little policy which indicates how approaches to the UN will alter as a result of Brexit,” according to the report.
There is a need for a cross-governmental strategy to guide how the UK engages with UN operations, and the extent to which the UK could maintain or build upon its present commitment after 2020, the roundtable heard.
The UK has built a modest but strong base of engagement in the field through UN Mission in South Sudan. When placed alongside the UK’s political activities in the UN Security Council, and having effective people in key positions, the opportunity for stepping up engagement is clear. This, however, should be undertaken in a coordinated manner, based on where the UK can best complement UN requirements, the participants stressed.