Second, mission staffing strategies should rely on quality over quantity, es...

Second, mission staffing strategies should rely on quality over quantity, especially with respect to leadership and civilian experts. To win a host population's confidence, a United Nations mission must quickly deploy real expertise and skills that the host country does not itself possess. Ten world-class experts arriving at the outset of a mission are far better than 100 mediocre generalists trickling in over time. As multidimensional peacekeeping evolves, the Secretary- General's initiative on civilian capacity in the aftermath of conflict should be fully embraced. Improved staffing also means accelerating gender balance in missions and the broader inclusion of women in all mission tasks and units. We welcome the positive impact that all-female units have had in Liberia and Haiti, and now in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, and we want to see women playing a greater role, in greater numbers, in activities and leadership across the spectrum of peacekeeping activities.