IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 489 

Commemorating the Work of United Nations Peacekeepers on International 

Day of United Nations Peacekeeping. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2007 

Mr. SARBANES submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the Work of United Nations Peacekeepers 

on International Day of United Nations Peacekeeping. 

Whereas since 1945, the United Nations has undertaken 61 

field missions and helped implement 172 peaceful settlements; 

Whereas United Nations peacekeeping missions have ended 

regional conflicts and enabled people in more than 45 

countries to take part in free and fair elections; 

Whereas the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping 

Operations currently has more than 100,000 troops and 

personnel deployed in 18 peacekeeping missions and 13 

political missions world-wide, all with an annual budget 

of $6,000,000,000; 


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•HRES 489 IH 

Whereas the size of the United Nations peacekeeping force 

has grown five-fold over the last 10 years, reflecting 

international support for the work of United Nations 

peacekeeping; 

Whereas the United States has the right to authorize or suspend any peacekeeping operation in the United Nations 

Security Council and has supported and encouraged 

major increases in United Nations peacekeeping; 

Whereas in the past 3 years, United Nations peacekeeping 

has started up missions in Liberia, Coˆte d’Ivoire, Haiti, 

Burundi, Sudan, and East Timor, and expanded the missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon; 

Whereas United Nations peacekeepers have difficult and 

often complex missions that include preventing the outbreak of conflict, containing conflict and its spill-over 

across borders, and helping to implement peace agreements; 

Whereas in addition to maintaining peace and security, 

United Nations peacekeepers are increasingly charged 

with assisting in national political processes, reforming 

justice systems, training law-enforcement forces, and disarming former combatants; 

Whereas in 2005 alone United Nations peacekeepers supported elections in five post-conflict countries, including: 

Afghanistan, Burundi, Iraq, Liberia, and the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, allowing over 56,000,000 people 

to cast votes; 

Whereas United Nations peacekeepers are deployed to some 

of the world’s most remote and hostile locations; 


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•HRES 489 IH 

Whereas since 1948 more than 2,355 individuals from 113 

nations including the United States have given their lives 

to maintain peace and security while participating in 

United Nations peacekeeping missions; 

Whereas the United States does not generally contribute 

United States soldiers to United Nations peacekeeping 

missions but instead provides the largest percentage of financial support for United Nations peacekeeping operations; 

Whereas the White House Office of Management and Budget 

gave United States contributions to United Nations 

peacekeeping its highest-possible rating of three stars, 

judging the spending to be effective, achieving its stated 

goals, and contributing to United States objectives; 

Whereas the United States Government Accountability Office 

estimates that investing in United Nations peacekeeping 

is at least eight times cheaper than the cost of the United 

States undertaking its own peacekeeping operations; and 

Whereas in 2005, RAND Corporation reported that United 

Nations peacekeeping missions have a high record of success, finding that of the eight United Nations-led cases 

it examined seven were at peace: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commemorates the International Day of 

3 United Nations Peacekeepers; 

4 (2) remembers the contributions of UN peace5 keepers to providing a safer, more secure world, par6 ticularly those who have lost their lives; and 


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•HRES 489 IH 

1 (3) welcomes the efforts of United Nations Sec2 retary-General Ban Ki-moon to strengthen and im3 prove United Nations peacekeeping operations and 

4 logistical support. 

Æ 


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