Peacekeeping mission is the term given to military and police missions that operate under a UN Security Council mandate, often in areas in which the conflict has been largely resolved. They are generally intended to help with political and economic processes in the aftermath of armed conflict. They are generally viewed as “softer” than war, with lower levels of violence and civilian casualties.
Depending on the circumstances, their mission may include separating ex-combatants or helping them to implement agreements they have made, monitoring and overseeing confidence-building measures, stabilization operations, police and security forces reform, electoral assistance, humanitarian assistance, development aid and other tasks. They are a key part of the multidimensional approach to peacebuilding and development that has developed since the Brahimi Report.
One of the most important tasks is providing law and order. This can help change the incentives of recent belligerents, making peace more desirable or war more costly. It can also prevent a biased overreaction by one side to an allegation of a violation that might lead to escalation and a renewal of fighting.
Peacekeeping requires the intermingling of vastly varied cultures. This is reflected in the wide range of countries that contribute troops and police personnel to any particular peacekeeping mission. They are deployed in some of the most challenging ethnically diverse regions around the world and interact with local people who have different cultural values. The success of peacekeeping – and the degree to which it improves the status quo, accomplishes its mandate and ultimately leads to an end to armed conflict – depends in large measure on the willingness of member states to support these efforts by providing realistic, focused and prioritized peacekeeping missions and more generous peacekeeping budgets.
About the Author
