By: Eleanor Randall

The night of 24 November 2024, representatives from the General Assembly Plenary shifted conversation to the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of UN Personnel. Italy, Albania, Czechia and Indonesia led a press conference which called attention to Draft Resolution UU, known as The Great Reform. 

The Great Reform’s foundation rests on three topics: gender based violence,  training and discipline, and Unified Oversight of the Personnel.

The work on gender-based violence calls for an increase of women within the peacekeeping corps, military police and for the participation of women to increase. Training and discipline incorporates how the peacekeeping corps has lagged behind other countries militarily and are more likely to be surrounded. Along with lack of training there has not been an update in equipment since 1978. The last point is standardized oversight and training of peacekeeping personnel. 

“We are approaching this issue from a foundational perspective, and see it as complimentary, compared to any other resolution instead of going against any.” said Representative Jayden Winter of Italy. China signed support for Resolution UU and pledged funding and their avid support for this project. These countries highlight that if advancements were made, there would not be as many soldiers needed and the quality would be much higher. Representative Gavin Ros of Czechia said “People think of peacekeepers as an army, when it is more of a patchwork system,” Ros continues  “[The Resolution is] trying to find a balance.” Peacekeepers will only intervene if no country steps in, they are the first defence and representatives do not appear to have confidence in current standards.