In July, Dr Alexander Gilder submitted written evidence for a parliamentary inquiry into the UK’s role in strengthening multilateral organisations

Noting the way states engage with multilateral organisations is changing, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee inquiry "will focus on the role of the FCO in exerting the UKs influence within these organisations and examine how it might drive reform in order to reduce their vulnerability to abuse and misuse."

In response to the call for written evidence, Dr Gilder's submission sets out several legal consequences of current UN stabilization activities. Stabilization is now a buzzword at the UN and the UK needs to be actively aware of the legal issues that arise from UN peacekeepers operating under stabilization mandates.

Dr Gilder suggests "[t]he UK can use its existing knowledge base, found in the UK Stabilisation Unit, and its key leadership role at the UN to (re)shape UN stabilization practice towards civilian-led and bottom-up activities. By pursuing a reformulation of stabilization, the UK would be able to
strengthen its position in the UN, promote the Government strategy of ‘Global Britain’, and
empower local people affected by conflict to build greater multilateral cooperation in
regions where the UN implements stabilization."

With the Foreign Office and Department for International Development merging Dr Gilder believes "[t]he UK must not lose knowledge from the UK Stabilisation Unit during the DFID/FCO merger."

You can find the full written evidence submission here.