Picture Credits: Jonny Gios via UNSPLASH
We are thrilled to announce our second conference sub-session: Superpower Animosity and the Future of UN Peacekeeping.
Three experts: Tom Buitelaar, Willem van Dullemen and Jaïr van der Lijn, will dive into the consequences of growing superpower animosity for current and future UN peacekeeping operations.
How do conflicting interests might affect the deployment of new peacekeeping missions? How can a divided United Nations Security Council jeopardise the legitimacy of ongoing operations and could this pose serious risks in the field? Could growing disinformation and anti-UN sentiment make countries more willing to rely on private military actors as a substitute for UN peace operations? If you are curious to know the answer to these questions, then make sure to regularly check out our webpage and follow our social media accounts for more relevant conference updates (e.g. opening ticket sale) to be released in the coming weeks! The link to our website can be found in our bio.
Tom Buitelaar is an Assistant Professor in War, Peace and Justice at the Institute for Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University. His research and teaching focus on the field dynamics of international conflict management, in particular United Nations peacekeeping operations. His work has been published by the European Journal of International Relations and the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding.
Willem van Dullemen is a (retired) Colonel of the Royal Netherlands Army with a long and distinguished career in security and defence, particularly in peacekeeping and stabilization operations for the UN and NATO. He has held several key posts at UN headquarters, including Chief of Current Military Operations Service and Special Assistant Office of Military Affairs within the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Among other tasks, he oversaw the military operations of 20 UN Peacekeeping Missions, which included over 100,000 Blue Helmets deployed worldwide.
Jaïr van der Lijn is a Senior Researcher and Director of the SIPRI Peace Operations and Conflict Management Programme. His research focuses primarily on current trends and future developments in multilateral peace operations (e.g. AU, EU, NATO, UN); their handling of complex environments; their evaluation; and, their relationship with local actors in host nations. As part of the New Geopolitics of Peace Operations initiative, he focused on the role of rising powers in the future of peace operations and the role of peace operations in dealing with non-traditional challenges, such as climate change, crime, migration, piracy and terrorism. He also has an extensive background in future foresight and scenario planning.
