UN Peacekeeping: Challenges and Opportunities in 2020

Major General Hugh Van Roosen (US Army) is deputy military advisor at the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. He is the first US Army General Officer to be confirmed to that position. In his career, he has had a broad range of experience in Joint Military Operations,Government, Combat, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs, and earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College. His earlier UN appointments included senior advisor to the UN Mission in South Sudan surge deployment and force chief of staff with the UN Mission in Liberia. Major General Van Roosen was recently appointed by the United Nations to the COVID-19 Field Support Response Coordination Group tasked with management of UN response to the pandemic. His specific responsibility is to provide best military advice on COVID-19 policy, such as the rotation and continued operations of 100,000 uniformed personnel (including military hospitals). This encompasses 22 separate missions around the world as nations attempt to cope with this worldwide threat.