Security & Peacekeeping

One of the principal issues across the developing world is that of security, of keeping the peace in areas prone to conflict. Innocent civilians form an overwhelming majority of the victims in low-intensity conflicts around the world. Alleviating their suffering and bringing long-lasting solutions to these conflicts is one of the most serious challenges facing the foreign policy community in the 21st century.

A number of peace and stability operations are underway in these areas, with global efforts to ensure that conflict is ended in those parts of the world detrimentally affected.

It has become clear that the private sector has a big role to play in this, and one that could be increased greatly in order to fundamentally improve peace and stability operations. Despite war being ongoing in so many countries, with lack of infrastructure and and numerous other factors leading to conflict, private sector companies have been involved in logistical matters and other services in support of peacekeeping operations.

A greater role for the private sector

In many cases, affected governments have expressed greater confidence in hired forces as opposed to humanitarian missions. However, it is the opinion of many within the industry that the role of the private sector has been somewhat ignored by policy-makers and others involved in ensuring effective peacekeeping.

One organisation heavily involved in international peacekeeping has been the International Peace Operations Association (IPOA), whose inception stemmed from the belief that more could be done to end conflicts and that there was a far greater potential role for the private sector.