International Politics of the United

Nations

Dr. Pam Shearing

pamela.shearing@kcl.ac.uk
Department of Political Economy
King’s College London
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Lecture 9: A United Vision for Peace? –
The role of the UN in peacekeeping and
peacebuilding

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Peacekeeping: Chapter 6 ½ ?

Chapter VI: Pacific settlement of disputes

Chapter VII: Action with respect to threats

to the peace, breaches of the peace, and
acts of aggression

Dag Hammarskjöld described peacekeeping

as ‘Chapter Six and a Half’

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Peacekeeping: A Summary
In 2023, the UN will celebrate 25 years of UN Peacekeeping
Peace Begins With Me: 75 years of UN Peacekeeping
75 years of peacekeeping

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UN Peacekeeping – A Summary
• Founded in 1945
• More than 1 million women and men have come from 125
countries to serve in 71 peacekeeping missions
• 12 current peacekeeping operations
• Every peacekeeping mission is authorised by the UN Security
Council
• Active personnel: c. 63,310 troop, 1,031 experts, 7,572 police
• 1,589 fatalities in these 12 missions
• 4,259 fatalities in all missions
• $6.45 billion budget
• Women make up 4.5% of military peacekeepers, 10.9% of formed 5

police units (2020)

UN Peacekeeping – Current operations

• MINURSO, Western Sahara

• MINUSCA, Central African Republic
• MINUSMA, Mali
• MONUSCO, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• UNDOF, Golan
• UNFICYP, Cyprus
• UNIFIL, Lebanon
• UNISFA, Abyei
• UNMIK, Kosovo
• UNMISS, South Sudan
• UNMOGIP, India and Pakistan 6

• UNTSO, Middle East

The Largest Peacekeeping
Operations

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The Principles of Peacekeeping
Consent

Peacekeeping Impartiality

Non-use of force
except in self
defence and support
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of the mandate
The Budget

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Assessed Contributions
The top 10 providers of assessed contributions to UN
Peacekeeping operations for 2020-21 were:
1. United States (27.89%)
2. China (15.21%)
3. Japan (8.56%)
4. Germany (6.09%)
5. United Kingdom (5.79%)
6. France (5.61%)
7. Italy (3.30%)
8. Russian Federation (3.04%)
9. Canada (2.73%) 10
10. Republic of Korea (2.26%)
Pledges to peacekeeping

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Source: International Global Observatory, 2021
Pledges to peacekeeping

Source: International Global Observatory, 2021

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UN Peacekeeping Personnel

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UN Peacekeeping Personnel

10. China 2,211

36. France 620
40. UK 447
63. Russian Federation 87
77. United States of America 34

Source, UN Peacekeeping, 31 December 2022

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UN Peacekeeping Missions

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Current Missions Past Missions
What does peacekeeping involve?
• Monitoring borders (e.g. UNIFIL, Israel and Lebanon).

• Providing security and policing (e.g. MINUSTAH in Haiti).

• Undertaking counter-insurgency operations (e.g. MINUSMA in

Mali).

• Providing civilian and political support (e.g. UNSMIL in Libya).

• Protecting civilians (e.g. UNAMID in Darfur, MINUSCA in Central

African Republic, MONUSCO in the DRC). 16
Nobel Peace Prize, 1988
• 1988 Nobel Peace Prize - the
UN’s peacekeeping forces.

• Recognised for:
''represent[ing] the manifest
will of the community of
nations to achieve peace
through negotiations and the
forces have, by their presence,
made a decisive contribution
toward the initiation of actual
peace negotiations.''
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Burundi
• UN’s Operation in Burundi (ONUB) involved over 5,600 soldiers
and came to an end in 2007.
• In 2007 the option was largely viewed as a success story for
peacekeeping
• Yet in 2014 the country was beset with new problems.
• 2014 – plans commenced for new presidential elections
• Violence in the streets.
• President Nkhurunziza wins a contentious third term in July
2015.
• Nightly police raids and executions follow.
• Opposition groups remain in exile, independent media has
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been shut down.
Sierra Leone

Why was the mission deemed a success?

• Perseverance of UNAMSIL’s leadership.
• Political will and commitment of the parties to the peace
process.
• Support and pressure from the international community
outraged by the humanitarian atrocities committed.
• Desire by Sierra Leoneans for peace.

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Côte d’Ivoire

Peace mission involved:

• Monitoring and supporting the peace agreement.
• Monitoring the Zone of Confidence.
• Maintaining observation posts.
• Humanitarian support.
• Facilitation of a political dialogue.

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 Changes in UN Peacekeeping
Consent Legitimacy

Impartiality Peacekeeping Credibility

Non-use of
force except Promotion of
in self defence national and
and local
protection of ownership 21
the mandate
Reform: The Brahimi Report, 2000
The Report stated:
“extending a strong helping hand to a
community, country or region to avert
conflict or to end violence … a United
Nations that has not only the will, but also
the ability, to fulfil its great promise,
justifying the confidence and trust placed
in it by the overwhelming majority of
humankind.”

Report highlighted the need for greater

political support and broadened the
traditional concept of peacekeeping.
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Received international support.

Reform: The Capstone Doctrine, 2008
“…In order to meet the challenges posed by the unprecedented scale and scope of
today’s missions, the UN DPKO and UN DFS have embarked on a major reform effort,
Peace Operations 2010, aimed at strengthening and professionalizing the planning,
management and conduct of United Nations peacekeeping operations. A key objective
of this ongoing reform process is to ensure that the growing numbers of United Nations
peacekeeping personnel deployed in the field, as well as those serving at Headquarters,
have access to clear, authoritative guidance on the multitude of tasks they are required
to perform.
 
“The present publication, which has been developed in close consultation with field
missions, Member States, United Nations system partners and other key stakeholders,
represents the first attempt in over a decade to codify the major lessons learned from
the past six decades of United Nations peacekeeping experience. It is intended to help
practitioners better understand the basic principles and concepts underpinning the
conduct of contemporary United Nations peacekeeping operations as well as their
inherent strengths and limitations…”
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Jean-Marie Guéhenno, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations

Reform: The New Horizon Report, 2009
1. Partnership in Purpose
• Clear political strategy and direction
• Cohesive mission planning
2. Partnership in Action
• Faster deployment
• Clarity on roles
• Crisis management
3. Partnership for the future
• Project future needs
• Expand the peacekeeping partnership

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Reform: High Level Independent Panel on
Peace Operations 2014
1. Guided by an overarching political strategy.

2. Organisation should draw on the full spectrum of peace

interventions - conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping,
peacebuilding - to deliver context-specific responses.

3. Adopt a more integrated approach while working with regional

partners.

4. Peacekeeping must become more people and field focused.

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Reform: Action for Peacekeeping (‘A4P’),
2018
1. Recommitment by Member
States to peacekeeping.

2. Recognition of role of political

peacekeeping.

3. Reorganisation of the
Department for Peacekeeping.

4. Role of self-defence.

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Next Steps: Women in Peacekeeping

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Conclusion – Does peacekeeping work?
• Significantly reduced the risk of renewed conflicts.

• Deployment of a peacekeeping mission may encourage parties to

come to the negotiation table.

• Develops harmony and trust within a community.

• Reduces tension within a region.

• Yet, success is dependent upon:

• Adequate resources
• Duration of the mission 28
• Conduct of the peacekeepers
• Engagement with the community