Analysis On INGOs Participating In The UN Conflict Management In Africa

Conflict issue has been always the core topic in International relations since the establishment of the subject.With the end of the Cold War,conflicts between states in the world have greatly reduced,while district conflicts have often occurred in Africa,the Middle East and Asia Pacific region.As the currently most important inter-governmental international organization,the United Nations have conflict management programs in these districts to maintain global peace and security,including preventive diplomacy,conflict mediation,peacekeeping operations,peacebuilding operations,anti terrorism and disarming.However,according to practice experiences in different conflict areas,the United Nations gradually exposed its limitations.With the development of non-governmental organizations in the 1980s,NGO's activity field and social influence have been both increasingly expanding.At the same time,many international NGOs have an effect through participating in the affairs of the United Nations,expanding both the scope and depth of the cooperation with the UN.As non-state actors,NGO's role in the international arena can not be ignored.This paper takes INGOs as the research object,exploring their ways and impacts of participating in the UN Africa region conflict management,analyzing their advantages and limitations in the participation so as to have further understanding about INGO's role in the field of UN conflict management,which has certain practical significance.This paper mainly adopts case study method and survey method.American Friends Service Committee(AFSC for short)is one of the first international non-governmental organizations which obtained ECOSOC counselor position.Since it was founded in 1917,AFSC has been committed to maintain social justice and promote peace and humanitarian issues.Besides,AFSC set up an office in the headquarter of the United Nations in New York.The office,which is named Quaker United Nations Office(QUNO for short),has certain cooperation with UN in the field of conflict management.This paper takes AFSC's practice in Burundi as a case,mainly focusing on its project planning and regional influence.It is found that AFSC has certain positive effect to Burundi,UN and other non-state actors,which plays an important supporting role.In general,as non-state actors,INGOs 's roles in UN conflict management can not be ignored.As for the ways of INGOs participating in UN conflict management,early-phase plans include holding meetings,the establishment of representative office and international exchange programs while later-phase participations mainly include early warning,direct mediation,emergency assistance,community reconstruction and protection' of human rights.INGOs have impacts in two areas through participating in UN conflict management.On the one hand,the mutual aid network resource is formed through establishing cooperation relationship with other INGOs in horizon.On the other hand,INGOs have positive effect on UN,conflict districts and conflict-affected populations in longitudinal direction.Therefore,INGOs play an important supplementary and complementary role in UN conflict management.Compared to UN,INGOs has its own special advantages,including neutral position,flexible mechanism,accurate deployment and extensive cooperation,etc.However,INGOs also has limitations,including the lack of adequate authority and force and protective measures and sustainable survival and development.In general,INGOs plays a supplementary and complementary role.But undeniably,its impact can not be ignored in the field of conflict management.It is worth valuing that INGOs establishes a trustful relationship with civil society and parties in conflict districts.We should use this advantage to conduct better peace construction and development.