United Nations

peacekeeping missions

Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." Peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. Accordingly UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Helmets because of their light blue helmets) can include soldiers, civilian police officers, and other civilian personnel.

The Charter of the United Nations gives the UN Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations, and all UN Peacekeeping missions must be authorized by the Security Council.

Most of these operations are established and implemented by the United Nations itself with troops serving under UN operational command. In these cases, peacekeepers remain members of their respective armed forces, and do not constitute an independent "UN army," as the UN does not have such a force. In cases where direct UN involvement is not considered appropriate or feasible, the Council authorizes regional organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Economic Community of West African States, or coalitions of willing countries to undertake peacekeeping or peace-enforcement tasks.

The United Nations is not the only organization to have authorized peacekeeping missions, although some would argue it is the only group legally allowed to do so. Non-UN peacekeeping forces include the NATO mission in Kosovo and the Multinational Force and Observers on the Sinai Peninsula.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno currently serves as the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).

AFRICAWestern Sahara - April 1991 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Nov. 1999Ethiopia and Eritrea - July 2000Côte d'Ivoire - April 2004Liberia - Oct. 2003Burundi - May 2004Sudan - March 2005

AMERICAHaiti - April 2004

ASIAIndia/Pakistan - Jan. 1949Georgia - Aug. 1993

EUROPECyprus - March 1964Kosovo - June 1999

MIDDLE EASTMiddle East - May 1948Golan Heights - June 1974Lebanon - March 1978

Current UN Peacekeeping Operations:

AFRICACongo - July 1960–June 1964Angola - Dec. 1988–May 1991Namibia - April 1989–March 1990Angola - May 1991–Feb. 1995Somalia - April 1992–March 1993Mozambique - Dec. 1992–Dec. 1994Somalia - March 1993–March 1995Rwanda/Uganda - June 1993–Sept. 1994Liberia - Sept. 1993–Sept. 1997Rwanda - Oct. 1993–March 1996Chad/Libya - May–June 1994Angola - Feb. 1995–June 1997Angola - June 1997–Feb. 1999Sierra Leone - July 1998–Oct. 1999Sierra Leone - Oct. 1999–Dec. 2005Central African Republic -

April 1998–Feb. 2000

AMERICASDominican Republic - May 1965–Oct. 1966Central America Observer Group - Nov. 1989–

Jan. 1992El Salvador - July 1991–April 1995Haiti - Sept. 1993–June 1996Haiti - July 1996–July 1997Guatemala - Jan.–May 1997Haiti - Aug.–Nov. 1997Haiti - Dec. 1997–March 2000

MIDEASTMiddle East—1st UN Emergency Force -

Nov. 1956–June 1967Lebanon - June–Dec. 1958Yemen - July 1963–Sept. 1964Middle East—2nd UN Emergency Force -

Oct. 1973–July 1979Iran/Iraq - Aug. 1988–Feb. 1991Iraq/Kuwait - April 1991–Oct. 2003

ASIAWest New Guinea - Oct. 1962–April 1963India/Pakistan - Sept. 1965–March 1966Afghanistan/Pakistan - May 1988–March 1990Cambodia - Oct. 1991–March 1992Cambodia - March 1992–Sept. 1993Tajikistan - Dec. 1994–May 2000East Timor - Oct. 1999–May 2002East Timor - May 2002–May 2005

EUROPEFormer Yugoslavia - Feb. 1992–March 1995Croatia - March 1995–Jan. 1996Former Yugoslavia Rep. of Macedonia -

March 1995–Feb. 1999Bosnia & Herzegovina - Dec. 1995–Dec. 2002Croatia - Jan. 1996–Jan. 1998Prevlaka Peninsula - Feb. 1996–Dec. 2002Croatia - Jan. 1998–Oct. 1998

Completed UN Peacekeeping Operations

UN peacekeepers patroling Solei - Haiti

A French soldier

Soldiers from Bangladesh building a road in Juba (Sudan)

The funeral of a soldier killed in an ambush near Kafe w Kongo