The Crisis over Peace-keeping Costs

Abstract

When the first UN peace-keeping force was established in 1956 the arrangements for financing it, like everything else connected with the force, had to be improvised. Because there was no provision in the Charter for peace-keeping, there was no guidance about the way such forces should be paid for (the Charter did not even define how the type of security force it did provide for, to undertake enforcement action under Articles 42–8, should be financed). Either special ad hoc arrangements would therefore have to be made, or it would be assumed that the costs represented normal running expenses of the organization, and would be undertaken by all member-states through their regular contributions. Certainly many governments hoped and assumed, when it was established, that UNEF’s costs would be borne by all members: this seemed to accord with the notion of collective action by the international community to maintain the peace.