WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Bernama) — The world spent 228 times as much on its militaries in 2006 as it did on UN peacekeeping operations, according to the latest Vital Signs Update from the Worldwatch Institute.
United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world between July 2007 and June 2008 are expected to run to US$7 billion — substantially higher than the record US$5.6 billion spent in 2006-07.
Yet world military budgets stood at a staggering US$ 1,232 billion in 2006.
“The continuing imbalance between peacekeeping and military spending is deeply troubling,” Michael Renner, author of the Update, was cited by the Press Trust of India (PTI) as saying on Thursday, in a statement.
“Even though we see peacekeeping budgets at new heights, they are still highly inadequate in the face of present challenges,” he added.
Two-thirds of all Blue Helmets are currently deployed in nine missions in Africa. The Middle East has the second most, with 16 percent, followed by the Americas (11 percent), Europe (6 percent), and Asia (3 percent).
As of November 2007, US$3.15 billion in mandatory UN peacekeeping dues had not been paid by national governments. The United States alone owed US$ 1.1 billion, or 34 percent of this total.
In contrast to the relatively low price of paying its peacekeeping debts, the United States has spent about US$ 632 billion on the war in Iraq, an average of more than US$ 100 billion per year.
“These arrears keep peacekeeping efforts in a constant state of crisis, risking stability in several critical regions of the world,” Renner said.