Peace, stability, and humanitarian operations typically involve the interaction of international organizations (IOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the U.S. government, and the U.S. military. The Institute’s highly successful Guide to IGOs, NGOs and the Military in Peace and Relief Operations, which was based on peace operations in the Balkans following the Cold War, has been instrumental in facilitating interaction between IOs, NGOs, and the military. The revised Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations is updated to reflect lessons learned from operations that have occurred since 2000, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan, and areas affected by the 2004 Asian tsunami.
This invaluable guide provides short scenarios of typical international involvement in peace missions, natural disasters, and stability operations, as well as an introduction to the organizations that will be present when the international community responds to a crisis. Equally valuable are descriptions of the roles of the United Nations and other international institutions, NGOs, the U.S. military, and U.S. government civilian agencies, which were added because of their increased role in these operations.
Although the guide is particularly useful for those serving in the field because it is designed to fit easily into a pocket or backpack and has a durable cover, it will also help headquarters personnel to understand the structure and roles of other organizations. A unique educational resource, the guide will be useful for many who are not in the field, including military and agency trainees and university students.
The steering committee for this volume includes: Colonel John F. Agoglia, U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute; Christopher J. Hoh, U.S. Department of State; Dawn Calabia, UN Information Center; Roy Williams, The Center for Humanitarian Cooperation; Karen Guttieri, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Robert M. Perito is a senior program officer in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations. He is also the coordinator of the Peacekeeping Lessons Learned Project and the Haiti Working Group. He joined USIP in 2001 and has worked for the Professional Training program and the Rule of Law program. He was also a senior fellow in the Jennings Randolph Fellowship program.
Before joining USIP, he served as deputy director of the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program at the U.S. Department of Justice. In that role, he was responsible for providing policy guidance and program direction for peacekeeping operations in Haiti, Bosnia, East Timor, and Kosovo and in postconflict environments in Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia.
Perito previously was a career Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State, retiring with the rank of minister counselor. His assignments included service as deputy executive secretary of the National Security Council (1988–89). He received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award in 1990 for his leadership of the U.S. delegation to the Angola peace talks.
Before joining the Foreign Service, Perito served as a rural development officer with the Peace Corps in Nigeria. Perito has taught at Princeton, American, and George Mason Universities and holds a master’s in peace operations policy from George Mason University.