Although the interviews of UN officials and other experts found that little attention is being given to threats to environmental security, there was great interest expressed in exploring this possibility in greater detail and an understanding that such threats are increasing and require more attention. As a result, it is likely that greater awareness and acceptance within UN circles will be created for the need to factor environmental security into the planning and implementation of peacekeeping operations.

This awareness might manifest itself in the development of standards and guidelines governing in-theater operations.

Increasing involvement of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in this process seems logical and inevitable. At its inception in 1972, a primary function envisaged for UNEP was to coordinate environmental activities in the UN system. In the matter of UN peacekeeping – a UN activity of tremendous importance – it has performed this role only minimally. During the tenure of Boutros Boutros-Ghali as Secretary General, a new framework for coordination of peacekeeping operations was developed by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Political Affairs, and Peacekeeping Operations. This framework was to be expanded as needed to include other UN departments, programs and specialized agencies, including the planning and implementation of field operations. UNEP has not been involved in this process. Such participation would be a logical step in involving UNEP in such a way that it could play its mandated role as regards peacekeeping. The role given UNEP in the Needs Assessment Mission to Kosovo is an important step in this direction.

What might create such future arrangements?

An inter-agency task force could be established, under the formal co-chairmanship of the Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Executive Director of UNEP, to examine issues related to peacekeeping and environmental security. This group might evaluate such matters as:

• Environmental concerns, considerations and practices in past UN peacekeeping operations;
• Current practices and policies related to environmental matters and the military of selected states;
• The role of the military in peacekeeping operations in dealing with potential and actual threats to environmental security;
• Methods for ensuring the incorporation of environmental security goals and responsibilities into peacekeeping strategies and instruments (SOFAs & SOMAs)
• Potential costs involved in dealing with conflicts which may arise between a) appropriate environmental security concerns and responsibilities and b) mandates of military operations;
• Thoughts and experiences of those in the UN who have dealt with peacekeeping in the evolving effort to define the concept of environmental security.

Another step in the development of United Nations environmental security policies or doctrines would be the creation of a handbook of guidelines and rules for in-theater environmental security. Some interviewees for this study suggested that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations could prepare and issue guidelines for such a handbook. It would provide in-theater, on the ground, instructions and rules for military and support personnel on practices to promote environmental security in UN peacekeeping operations.

Most likely, the work would build upon the environmental security guidelines published by the International Committee of the Red Cross. In addition to a UN task force and the Red Cross, other NGOs might be included in its development such as the International Peace Academy and the proposed Green Cross, originally conceived for environmental rescue from impacts of war as the Red Cross is for human rescue.

Eventually, some kind of UN-authorized mechanism will have to be established to send teams to document environmental security threats within one country that would affect another country. Following the findings of such teams, additional mechanisms will have to be established to act on the findings. One such mechanism was suggested in 1997 by U.S. Ambassador John McDonald, Executive Director of the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy. Ambassador McDonald recommended the establishment of a UN Environmental Mediation Program to train environmental mediators, establish national environmental mediation centers, assist national research programs, and create an international panel of environmental mediators to be on call to help resolve transboundary disputes (see Appendix C).

The question: "When are environmental threats to the global community so serious that international intervention is justified?" will be answered differently at different times. How it is answered will determine the shape of future arrangements. The debate over the balance between national sovereignty and international values will be carried out in many forums, but answered in the UN Security Council, where all decisions will be subject to the veto of the five permanent members.