As a result of their obstruction, each new act of aggression and mass murder finds the international community as incapable of responding as the last one. Recent developments, however, show that progress can be made. Austria, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden are setting up a Standby Forces High Readiness Brigade which can be used for peacekeeping when the parties to a conflict agree. Governments will only strengthen the UN if their voters demand it. In recent years we have seen all too many examples, such as Rwanda and Bosnia, where the UN has been unable to act in time to prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
World leaders express deep concern, but behave as if there is little they can do.
But there is something they can do right now to help prevent the next disaster. This is an idea which has been proposed by more than one UN Secretary-General and a number of governments over the years. The problem remains, however, that when a bloody and dangerous conflict breaks out, national governments are reluctant to risk the lives of their own soldiers to save the lives of foreigners. Until there is a UN Volunteer Force trained and ready to confront and if need be arrest those committing mass murder, all too often the victims will be left to die. Our country should place as many troops as possible on stand-by for UN duty at the maximum level of training and readiness, and we should declare our support for a permanent UN Volunteer Force, as recommended by the Commission on Global Governance.