Naval diplomacy and the United Nations: Naval peacekeeping in a new world order

The Twenty-first Century will unquestionably challenge the world community into more imaginative thinking and more innovative methods of dealing with growing international security dilemmas. Nevertheless, what seemed to be impossible only a few short yeats ago, during the Cold War, is now feasible--indeed it has become a pressing international requirement. In a world rife with many simmering conflicts I with a maritime dimension, international peacekeeping at sea has become increasingly relevant and timely. The possibility of "naval peacekeeping" under the auspices of the United Nations has therefore gained considerable interest in recent years. This paper attempts to identify the historical precedents for such a naval force and looks at the future viability of multinational co-operation and 'naval diplomacy' on the oceans of the world. The possibilities, practicalities and inevitable problems of instituting a United Nations Standing Naval Force are many. Nonetheless, the world is at last in a position to put into effect the intentions of the UN's founding fathers.;We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war ...;In the future, "Send in the Navy!" may well become a well-worn phrase in United Nations diplomatic jargon.