Introduction To Peacekeeping: Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the most effective tools available to the UN to assist host countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace.
Peacekeeping has unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and ability to deploy and sustain troops and police from around the globe, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to advanced multidimensional mandates.
UN peacekeepers provides security and the political and peace building support to help countries make the difficult early transition from conflict to peace.
UN peacekeepers guided by three basic principles:
- Consent of Parties.
- Impartiality;
- Non use of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate.
Peace keeping is flexible and over the past two decades has been deployed in many configurations. There are 16 UN peacekeeping operations deployed four continents.
Today's multidimensional peacekeeping operations are called upon not only to maintain peace and security, but also to facilitate the political process, protect civilians, assist in the disarmament demobilization and reintegration of former combatants; support the organization of elections, protect and promote human rights and assist in restoring the rule of law.
Success is never guaranteed, because UN peacekeeping almost by definition goes to the most physically and politically difficult environments. However, we have built up a demonstrable record of success over our 60 years of existence, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
