Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Pergantis: UN-AU Partnerships in International Peace and Security

Vassilis Pergantis (American College of Thessaloniki; Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki - Law) has posted UN-AU Partnerships in International Peace and Security: Allocation of Responsibility in Case of UN Support to Regional Missions (International Organizations Law Review, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:
In the last decade the United Nations and the African Union have forged a close partnership in matters of international peace and security. This paper attempts to shed light to the multifaceted role of the UN on the strategic and operational planning and evolution, as well as the funding, of regional (AU) peace support operations. Such involvement goes well beyond a simple authorization by the UN Security Council and raises crucial questions in respect of the allocation of responsibility between the UN and the AU. The analysis of the relevant responsibility allocation clauses showcases that a holistic approach should be adopted that does not micromanage the different aspects of the UN involvement in regional missions, but treats them as an aggregate that should be taken into account as a whole when allocating responsibility. Otherwise, the soft or indirect (but crucial) influence exercised by the UN will inevitably escape responsibility.