The need to expand the UN’s “preventative diplomacy” capacity has been buzzing around the United Nations for quite some time. The idea is to shift the Secretariat’s conflict management resources to direct more attention to preventing the outbreak of conflict, rather than simply respond to it. To that end, it looks like B. Lynn Pascoe, the American head of the UN’s Department of Political Affairs, will be getting the staff he requires to make this shift.
The United Nations Department of Political Affairs will gain more than 100 new staff as part of a programme by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make the department more proactive in averting crises and conflicts before they can emerge and threaten peace and security.
The planned reorganization of DPA will cost about $21 million over the next two years, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told reporters at a briefing today to outline the changes.