International Day of the Peacekeepers 17th Annual Conference: The Thin Blue Line

Now in its 17th year, the conference focussed on the challenges and opportunities that face contemporary UN peacekeeping as the Secretary General’s Action For Peacekeeping agenda is endorsed by a growing number of member states at the same time as missions in Mali, Central African Republic, South Sudan and the DRC become ever more challenging. The Conference had a broad agenda this year with sessions considering the relationship between the UN, the mission and parties to a conflict as well as on the role of policing in peacekeeping. 

As always, the conference provided an opportunity for discussion between policymakers, officials, the military, academics and the third sector. 

Speakers

• Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
•  Sarah Fountain Smith, Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to the UK 
• Lenneke Sprik, University of Groningen
• Professor Paul Williams, George Washington University
• Andrea Meyer, Deputy Director, Peace Operations, Stabilisation and Conflict Policy, Global Affairs Canada
• Col Nicola Mangialavori, Italian Carabinieri 
• Angie Pankhania, UNA

The Folke Bernadotte Memorial Lecture 2019 was delivered by Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj 

Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj served as the Special Representative of the Secretary General and head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from 2008-2012 and as the Special Representative of the Secretary General and head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan from 2014-2016. Prior to joining the United Nations she served for 35 years in the Foreign Service of Denmark posted among others as Ambassador to Israel (1989-92), Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2001-2007) and Ambassador to the Czech Republic in 2007. During her tenure in New York she represented Denmark on the Security Council 2005-06. She also served as State Secretary responsible for Denmark’s relations with Asia, Africa and Latin America (including Danish development assistance- DANIDA) from 1996 -2001.