The MU Department of International Development welcomes Kevin McDonald to present his research:
"The Increasing Robust Nature of UN Peace Operations And The New UN Framework For Mission Mandates: Do They Work, Or Do They Need To Be Changed?".
Kevin McDonald is a Security Coordination Officer with the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), having formerly worked with the UN in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Previously, Kevin was a military officer in the Irish Defence Forces, with experiences on the Border with Northern Ireland and in Irish Special Forces.
As a part of his military career, over 30 year period, Kevin served with various UN missions in Lebanon, Israel, Chad, Western Sahara and with the EU in Mali.
This included conflicts such as the Israeli Defence Forces 'Operation Accountability' in Lebanon 1993, the Operation 'Grapes of Wrath' in Lebanon 1996, the 2nd Lebanon war in 2006, persistent rebel insurgency in CAR and the ongoing instability in South Sudan.
He obtained a degree in Archaeology from NUIG in 1996 and recently completed a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies, where his thesis was ‘The Increasing Robust Nature of UN Peace Operations And The New UN Framework For Mission Mandates: Do They Work, Or Do They Need To Be Changed?’
His presentation will consist of an overview of the various and challenging missions he was deployed to and will be followed by a consideration of mission mandates.
Finally there will be time available for a Q & A session.