Peacekeeping Forces

Peacekeeping forces are neutral, lightly armed military forces deployed by intergovernmental organizations to carry out peace-support functions in countries emerging from conflict. Most closely associated with the United Nations (UN), peacekeeping forces are designed to create a space for the political settlement of disputes, and, once attained, to solidify the peace through their presence. In effect, peacekeeping forces constitute a form of conflict management, a short-term military mechanism for containing and ultimately terminating a conflict. The significance of peacekeeping forces can be found in their ability to consolidate peace processes between states or within fragile societies—and so advance global peace and security—at relatively little cost to the international community. Moreover, as a multinational enterprise operating under the banner of the United Nations or a regional organization, peacekeeping forces can confer legitimacy on a given military mission that may otherwise be lacking if performed by an individual state. Although distinct from peace enforcement and peacebuilding, the idea and practice of peacekeeping has evolved markedly since its inception. Indeed, post-Cold War, these distinctions have become increasingly blurred, creating tension between those who interpret peacekeeping in narrow, traditional terms and those who advocate a more expansive role for peacekeeping forces.

As the name suggests, the purpose of peacekeeping forces is to keep the peace achieved by others. Traditionally, the remit of peacekeeping forces has been limited to observing ceasefires, maintaining buffer zones between conflict parties, creating a secure environment for the provision of humanitarian assistance, and assisting with the implementation of peace agreements. Although synonymous with the “blue helmets” of the United Nations, peacekeeping forces are not exclusive to it. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping forces have overseen peace settlements in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Regional organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), European Union (EU), and African Union (AU) have all ventured into peacekeeping. Likewise, the subregional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has mandated [Page 1305]peacekeeping operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau. A peacekeeping force may also take the form of a hybrid force, encompassing troops from multiple organizations, as with the present AU-UN operation in Darfur. Peacekeeping forces are contributed on a voluntary basis by individual governments, which also provide funds and equipment, and are organized into national contingents operating under an international command as defined by the administering authority.