Peacekeeping operations cost-effective

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A top U.N. official has called the United Nations' global peacekeeping operations the most cost-effective option for maintaining peace and stability.

Alain Le Roy, U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, says despite an operating cost of $7.2 billion annually, U.N. peacekeeping produces the best results for nation-building and crises stabilization for the expenditure, the United Nations reported.

U.N. peacekeeping operations, often criticized by budget hawks and other opponents concerning the hefty price tag, were found in a 2006 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to be two times less expensive for stabilizing operations in Haiti than if the United States were to conduct the operation.

Le Roy also cited a study by the RAND Corp. global policy think tank that found that the United Nations is "far more cost-effective at nation-building than individual governments," the release said.

"While $7.2 billion may seem like a lot, if we compare the figures that U.N. missions cost to the costs that other institutions would incur ... the U.N. remains cost-effective," Le Roy said in a statement.