The genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan has tragically highlighted just how slow and ineffective the current UN peacekeeping system can be. The situation in Darfur is even more disturbing since the UN seems not to have learned from its failure to act decisively and swiftly during the Rwanda genocide of 1984.

Though the UN demonstrated last year in Lebanon that it is able to respond rapidly and effectively when the will among member states exists, this has proven to be the exception rather than the rule. It is clear that there must be a better alternative to the current status quo for the sake of genocides in places such as Darfur and Rwanda.

Some have proposed that a ready reaction force or standing army component of the UN could address the challenge of genocide in the future. Although this proposal is laudable, it would likely be mired in many of the same bureaucratic and cost issues that besets the current UN peacekeeping system. As the member states with the capacity and capabilities are already loathe to commit resources to UN peacekeeping missions on an ad hoc basis, so too are they likely to be reticent to do so on a more semi-permanent basis.

But what if we were to move the onus from the militaries of the world to the private sector instead?

The private sector offers enormous benefits to the UN, and could provide the necessary flexibility, expertise and capabilities needed for such a ready-reaction component to the future UN peacekeeping operations structure. Such a move would no doubt be revolutionary in the eyes of many. However, properly regulated and adequately overseen, this would no doubt bring enormous benefits to the current system and could alleviate the suffering of many around the world affected by conflict.

The private sector may not be a panacea for peace; but given the current shortcomings in the UN peacekeeping system, any possibility for improving the current situation is definitely worth pursuing.