Peacekeeping mission is the deployment of military and police personnel to a country that has experienced conflict or civil war, to help with the transition from violence to peace. These forces can monitor borders and treaty violations, provide law enforcement, restore infrastructure, reintegrate former combatants, and more. They are also sometimes called upon to provide confidence-building measures, political and electoral assistance, and economic development and rehabilitation. The first such peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), was sent to Israel and Palestine in 1948 following a ceasefire. UN peacekeeping missions have evolved over time to address the changing needs of conflict zones.
Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths and the risk of renewed warfare. However, UN peacekeeping missions have also suffered many setbacks and failures. One of the most significant challenges is maintaining the consent of the local population and government to the presence of peacekeepers. This requires a deep knowledge of the culture of the region. Historically, UN peacekeeping missions have erred on the side of caution, so as not to interfere in domestic politics or overstep their mandates. Perhaps most notably, this was the case in Rwanda in 1994 when peacekeepers were told not to intervene as simmering ethnic tensions boiled over into genocide.
Despite these challenges, UN peacekeeping continues to be an important tool for mitigating conflict and maintaining global peace and security. UN peacekeeping operations are a unique global partnership, involving the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributing countries, and host governments in a combined effort to support sustainable peace. At less than half a percent of world military expenditures in the 2021 fiscal year, these operations play an essential role in stabilizing crisis zones across the globe and reducing the risk of relapse into violent conflict.
