The Age of Outsourcing: UN Peacekeeping Operations

In the last two decades, a more noticeable involvement of Private Security and Military Companies (PMSCs) in conflict management has been observable. Governments, enterprises and humanitarian organizations have called upon PMSCs to assure a range of defense and security services like military formation, data gathering, or logistic support among others. However, such trend is not only concerning those operations conducted by States in the so-called coalitions of the willing but also States taking part in peacekeeping operations sponsored by the United Nations and other international multilateral bodies. In fact, the use of PMSCs by the UN has been legitimized by the Security Council in its 6675 th meeting becoming an accepted tool by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Under the umbrella of the mainstream debate risen by New Public Management and epitomized in the concepts of effectiveness, efficiency and economy, the range of goods provided by the private sector are related to 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 of the MONUSCO/MONUC in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we address the potential challenges faced by the International Community regarding this privatization of peacekeeping operations in the International System. We discuss the effects of the UN outsourcing policy: the field of security (i.e. disarmament, or security sector reform); the field of logistics (i.e. running airports) and the field of frontline troops (i.e. example training peacekeeping troops). In DRC, the MONUSCO has worked through Saracen Uganda Corporate in the field of security, and Pacific Architects and Engineers managing the field of logistics and frontline troops. The Mission is also an example of what is called the Somalia Syndrome based on the unwillingness to provide ground troops by Western countries and especially by the US in African soil and an example of ad extram legitimacy deficit due to the alliances built between Peacekeeping operatives and rebel groups.