Un Proyecto por la Paz
La Plataforma Challenges Forum fue lanzada en 1996 como respuesta al aumento del número de misiones de mantenimiento de la paz durante los años 1990. Los desafíos enfrentados en conflictos regionales en todo el mundo llamaban a redoblar esfuerzos para analizar y reflexionar acerca del papel de la comunidad internacional en este nuevo contexto.
Fundado en 1996 por la Sra. Annika Hilding Norberg, en ese momento estudiante de investigación en la London School of Economics and Political Science, el Challenges Forum fue desarrollado como parte de su tesis doctoral, en estrecha colaboración con la Escuela Superior de Defensa de Suecia, el Centro de Políticas Públicas de Rusia, el Instituto de Diplomacia del Reino Hachemita de Jordania y la Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte (OTAN).
El primer seminario se celebró en 1997 en la Escuela Superior de Defensa de Suecia sobre el tema Los Desafíos del Apoyo a la Paz: Hacia el Siglo XXI. Su objetivo era explorar resoluciones eficaces y legítimas a los conflictos regionales, reconociendo los emergentes desafíos enfrentados en las operaciones de paz.
Between 1999 and 2002, a series of Challenges Forum initiated events were conducted that focused on United Nations peacekeeping policy and reform. They attracted military as well as civilian personnel and researchers in the field of peace operations. 230 organisations in 50 countries were represented. A concluding report, Challenges of Peace Operations: Into the 21st Century, was presented to the United Nations Secretary-General at a high-level seminar in New York. It addressed 14 areas of inquiry with 69 recommendations directed at troop- and police contributing countries to peace operations.
The period saw an increase in number of Challenges Forum partner organizations as part of a wider global constituency. A set of issues identified in the 2002 report were addressed under the overarching theme Meeting the Challenges of Peace Operations: Cooperation and Coordination. Examples of topics addressed were Regional dimensions of peace operations; the Rule of law; and Education and training.
2006 marked the formalisation of the partnership into The International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations. The establishment of the Challenges Annual Forum as main yearly event followed in 2008, another significant milestone in this period. It was hosted by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the French Ministry of Defence as part of the France’s EU Presidency agenda.
Partner organizations in cooperation with colleagues in their regions host all but one of the workshops in the ensuing series (2006-2008).
In consultation with UN DPKO, the Partnership conducts a study to operationalize UN Principles and Guidelines for mission purposes in ten workshops and meetings (2009-2011). The Challenges Forum Considerations for Mission Leadership in UN Peacekeeping is published and used globally in senior mission leadership courses.
Former USG DPKO Jean-Marie Guéhenno is now the Challenges Forum’s Patron.
Challenges Annual Fora are hosted by Egypt, Switzerland and Argentina (2011-2013).
In 2014, the Challenges Forum contributes to the consultation process in support of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations through Challenges Annual Fora in China and Armenia, and through a Challenges Forum seminar in the US.
The 20th Anniversary of the Challenges Forum’s Partnership was held in recognition of challenges and achievements in UN Peace Operations in recent years. The Partnership’s focus is steadfast to make peace operations more effective and to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
2017 marked the launch of a revision of the Challenges Forum partnership’s UN Peace Operations leadership guidance, Considerations for Mission Leadership in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. The Considerations Study was first published in 2010 and has since then been used globally in senior mission leadership courses in the UN, AU, EU, ECOWAS and by national governments.
The Annual Forum 2017 was hosted by the Centre for Strategic Studies (SAM) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Turkey. The forum was dedicated to mission leadership and provided important insights for the revision of the Considerations Study. Also, at the Partner Meeting, partners decided to activate the Partner Organizations’ Advisory Committee, providing support to the International Secretariat, improving governance and increasing transparency of daily operations. For its first period 2018-2019, the United Service Institution (USI), India; Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC); Institute for Security Studies (ISS), South Africa; and Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI), USA, joined as members.The Challenges Annual Forum 2018 was held in Stockholm in November on the theme `Action for Peacekeeping: Strengthening the Effectiveness of Future Peace Operations´. Recommendations on how to implement the UN Secretary-General’s agenda were presented at a briefing to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) in January 2019.