SOCIO 101

Learning Activity: The United Nations Peacekeepers:

Re-enacting their Roles, Responsibilities, and Challenges

Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peace

Operations as "a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the organization as a
way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace".

The things we needed to do to prepare for the mission:

• Effective training prepares military personnel for their anticipated missions.
Nations provide their forces general training which is standardized and used
across mission types, as well as specialized or pre-deployment training which is
mission- and force-specific.
• Mental or psychological preparation is called 'Situational Awareness'. Basically, it
is the ability of your mind to pay attention to what's going or happening around
you.
• BE READY FOR THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS.
• Get all personal matters in order prior to leaving.

Preventing wars in the first place is the most successful way to minimize human
suffering and the huge economic costs of wars and their aftermath. The United Nations
plays an important role in conflict prevention, using diplomacy, good offices, and
mediation.

Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping has proved to be one of the UN's most powerful instruments for helping
host nations negotiate the challenging journey from war to peace.Today's
multidimensional peacekeeping operations are called upon not only to maintain peace
and stability, but also to facilitate political processes, to protect civilians, to assist in the
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, to support
legislative processes and the organisation of elections, to protect and promote human
rights, and to assist in the restoration of the rule of law and the restoration of elections.

Peacebuilding
The peacebuilding efforts of the United Nations are aimed at supporting countries
emerging from war, reducing the likelihood of war relapses and setting the foundations
for sustainable peace and development. The Peacebuilding Committee, the
Peacebuilding Fund and the Peacebuilding Support Office are part of the UN
Peacebuilding Architecture.

Countering Terrorism
Increasingly, the United Nations is being called on to organize the global war against
terrorism. Under the context of the United Nations structure, eighteen common
instruments against international terrorism have been established concerning particular
terrorist activities.
Disarmament
The United Nations General Assembly and other bodies, assisted by the Office for
Disarmament Affairs, are working to foster international peace and security by pursuing
the removal of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and by controlling
conventional weapons.