Resumen de The age of outsourcing: UN peacekeeping operations
In the last two decades, Private Security and Military Companies (PMSCs) have become more noticeably involved in conflict management. Governments, enterprises, and humanitarian organizations have called upon PMSCs to provide a range of defense and security services such as military training, data collection, or logistic support, among others. However, such trend is not observable only in those operations conducted by States in the so-called coalitions of the willing. It is also takes place when States participate in peacekeeping operations sponsored by the United Nations and other international multilateral bodies. In fact, the use of PMSCs by the UN was legitimized by the Security Peacekeeping Operations. The goods provided by the private sector through the rise of New Public Management baed on the principles of effectiveness, efficiency and economy met to a great extent the type of services that the UN requires. This chapter analyses the costs and benefits of outsourcing peacekeeping services by the UN. Through the case study of the MONUSCO/MONUC in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we intend to explore the potential challenges the International Community faces by privatizing peacekeeping operations. We discuss the effects of the UN outsourcing policy: the field of security (e.g., disarmament, and security sector reform); the field of logistics (e.g., running airports) and the field of frontline troops (e.g., training peacekeeping troops). In DRC, the MONUSCO has worked through Saracen Uganda Corporate in the field of security, and Pacific Architects and Engineers have managed the field of logistics and frontline troops. The Mission is also an example of what is called the Somalia Syndrome, which is based on the unwillingness to provide ground troops by Western countries -especially by the US- for African operations and an example of ad extram legitimacy deficit due to the alliances built between Peacekeeping operatives and rebel groups.
