UN peace-keeping activities need broad support.

UN peace-keeping activities require the "broadest and most informed popular support", Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar told a forum on "Peace-keeping in the 1990s," sponsored by Parliamentarians for Global Action at UN Headquarters on 2 November.

Formerly, the image of a peacekeeping operation was that of one conducted mainly with the help of soldiers drawn from neutral countries, he said. Now with operations having many functions, combinations of military, police and civilian personnel were being deployed, such as that of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia.

Conditions for success in peacekeeping operations, he specified, included: a workable mandate, consistent support of the Security Council, aid provision by Member States of military personnel and adequate finances.

He suggested that Member States earmark units in their armed forces for use, when necessary, by the UN. Logistical support should also be readily available. Advanced technologies should be used to monitor cease-fires and troop withdrawals.

The 1989 session of the General Assembly was marked by the search for innovative approaches to UN peace-keeping operations, with new ideas and suggestions being discussed. And some steps have been taken to translate those ideas into practical action. On 8 December, the Assembly asked (44/49) the Secretary-General to provide Member States with information on the requirements for peace-keeping operations and to invite States to identify what they would be ready to contribute to such operations. He was also asked to create a registry of potential contributions by States and to study tasks and services that could be performed by civilian personnel in peace-keeping operations.

The world body also called for exchange of experiences acquired through participation in peacekeeping operations and establishment of national training programmes for military and civilian personnel for such operations. A model "status-of-force" agreement between host countries and the UN should be formulated, it said.

In its other action, the Assembly urged (44/192A) all Member States to ensure payment of their assessments for peace-keeping operations in full and on time. It also noted (44/192 C) with concern that troop-contributing States were not being reimbursed to the full extent of the established rates for some operations and asked the Secretary-General to pay arrears due to current and former troop-contributing States.

The Assembly welcomed the idea to establish a planning and monitoring group for peace-keeping operations within the UN Secretariat. On 4 January, the Secretary-General announced the establishment of such a group.