The end of the Cold War lifts a central obstacle to the strengthening of multilateral peace keeping and the extension of multilateral operations beyond traditional peacekeeping tasks. A revived United Nations Security Council and energetic Secretary-General are the global center of this rapidly evolving effort, but the passing of the Cold War also brings other institutions into the picture in different ways. The Use of NATO as an executing agent for the United Nations in implementing the “no-fly zone” in Bosnia-Herzegovina is but one remarkable example.
The strengthening of multilateral peacekeeping is in the broad interest of the Trilateral countries. The new era we are all entering is one in which disorder is spreading in many corners of the world and multilateral frameworks often provide structure in which to address conflict situations. And though a number of these “peacekeeping operations” are faltering, the UN still calls for ambitious multilateral operations. If this is the case, the future of the Trilateral Community and the NATO could face disastrous consequences.
An attempt to strengthen the multilateral peacekeeping operations in the post-Cold War era will not happen automatically. Additionally, strengthening the UN and other multilateral frameworks should not be done for Trilateral countries or other governments to avoid their responsibilities and their conflict situations, but should rather be done in a shared manner.
The essential chapters contained in this book address particular aspects of this current challenge. Focusing on four specific and identifiable concerns facing not only the United Nations’ framework, but also that of the Trilateral countries and other multilateral frameworks.