Romanian Military Thinking

Geopolitics • Geostrategy • International Security
the governments of the participating states to plan and fund the possible contributions
to peacekeeping operations, to personnel training and preparation and, if necessary,
it facilitates the acquisition of the necessary equipment required for fulfilling the missions.
The resources agreed through individual negotiations remain in their home country
on “stand-by” status. This means “the state of readiness for the immediate fulfilment
of a mission, distribution or redeployment” 6 .
Once deployed, the normal period of the employment of military personnel is
six month for formed units and one year for individual observers and liaison officers.
After this period, the personnel are repatriated. Member states are in charge of stand-by
resources until they physically leave their home country. During their period of assignment
to peacekeeping operations, the personnel made available by member states remain
in their national service, but under the operational command of the UN.
The member states assume all costs as long as the resources remain on stand-by
in their country. The United Nations are in charge of the funds for the necessary resources
from the moment these are embarked for the mission area or if they are required for
briefings at the UN Headquarters, prior to deployment. Reimbursement is carried out
according to the “Manual on Policies and Procedures Concerning Reimbursement
and Control of Contingent-owned Equipment of Troop-contributing Countries Participating
in Peacekeeping Mission”, the 2002 edition.
The Stand-by Arrangements System deals with both military and civil resources,
personnel and material ones, provided by member states in order to facilitate rapid
deployment for peace support missions. The military resources consist of military
elements, subunits or units, personnel and equipment included, organised and trained
to fulfil missions, as well as individual military personnel, respectively military staff
officers, observers or liaison officers included in the military “On-Call List”. In addition,
this category of resources comprises materials and pieces of equipment, as well as air,
land and naval support services.
The logistic support for peacekeeping operations normally falls under the UN’s
responsibility. However, quite often, the stand-by forces that are rapidly deployed must
be self-sustained until the United Nations logistic support is established. Consequently,
any formed contingent must supply itself with resources capable of ensuring its activity
in the area where the missions takes place for at least 90 days, which are needed by the
UN in order to finalise the contracts with civil providers.
Information regarding contributions to the UNSAS is used by military planners in
order to evaluate and propose the most appropriate capability to meet the analysed
operational requirement and to plan the forces distribution. To do this effectively,
information must be up to date. Consequently, a system of quarterly reporting is used,
which also takes into account the eventual commitment of resources in various missions.
6 United Nations Stand-by Arrangements System Military Handbook, Department of Peacekeeping
Operations, Military Division, New York, Edition 2003, p. 14.
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