The Role of Europe in Peacekeeping and International Security

Abstract

All of the States in Europe belong to the United Nations and two of them enjoy status as Permanent Members of the Security Council, which is the primordial organism for dealing with peacekeeping and international security. Besides this, one or two European States have almost always been chosen to form part of the Security Council as rotating, non-permanent members, with voting priviliges and the capacity to design policies for peacekeeping and international security. Such State participation in the Security Council is not carried out collectively, but rather individually, which explains, in part, Europe’s political “dwarfism” in regards these two matters. Another aspect to consider is this: The 15 Member States of the European Union pay, on time, 35.41% of the United Nation’s budget, whereas the one State that pays the most, 25%, the United States of America, is a nation in persistent arrears, if not an endemic debtor. Before this, though, national egoisms ask each European country to impart its own foreign policy, a fact observed when each deals with security and peace matters. This individualistic isolationism is prejudicial to the many European interests, which are seen as fragmented if not in confrontation. The problematic above is seen to be growing in complexity for lack of a common defense structure that allows for pre-existent structures and logistics to facilitate the work of the United Nations in matters of peacekeeping and international security. To an analysis of these issues are these pages dedicated.