ARF 'CAN CONTRIBUTE WIDELY TO PEACEKEEPING AND PLANNING EFFORTS'

With its wide range of expertise, capabilities and experience, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) member countries are "ideally suited" to help develop a planning template for future peacekeeping operations.

Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Neo Kian Hong said this at the 2nd ARF Peacekeeping Experts' Meeting on 5 Mar.

The ARF brings together 27 countries from the Pacific Rim, South and Southwest Asia.

"Over the years, a high level of knowledge and trust has been built among the ARF countries, and in particular, among the defence establishments of the ARF," said MG Neo.

"Today, the ARF is well-placed to move beyond dialogue to forge closer practical cooperation in areas of common interest."

This cooperative relationship was evident after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations were carried out smoothly and effectively, thanks to the familiarity and trust among the forces.

The theme for the 2nd ARF Peacekeeping Experts' Meeting was 'Planning for Peace Operations - Achieving Mission Success in Diverse Environments'.

It was particularly apt, given the growing complexities of missions and operating environments, as well as the surge in demand for peacekeeping operations over the last two decades.

"As the number and mandates of peacekeeping missions expand, the roles of the military components in today's peacekeeping missions have also grown, and military forces have had to take on more tasks and responsibilities unfamiliar to most armed forces," said MG Neo.

"We thus hope that through this meeting, the peacekeepers and the planners would be able to develop a planning template for peacekeeping operations that will be able to straddle strategic concerns as well as operational issues involved."

Close to 100 delegates attended the two-day event, including MG Per Arne Five, the acting Military Advisor from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, who delivered a keynote address.

"We are fortunate to have a diverse range of experts from various military, civil and non-government organisations," said MG Neo.

"Each has its own best practices, which will undoubtedly enliven and strengthen the discussions and create an understanding on the diverse issues that underpin the planning, preparation and deployment of complex multi-dimensional peace support operations."

Other ARF operational activities in the pipeline include a proposal by Australia and Indonesia to co-host a table-top exercise in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief later this year.

According to MG Neo, although Singapore is a small country with limited resources, the nation is committed to participating where "we are able to make a useful and meaningful contribution" to promote international and regional peace and security.

Besides participating in UN peacekeeping missions in countries such as Timor Leste and Nepal, Singapore is also part of coalition-led efforts in Afghanistan and the northern Arabian Gulf.