UN Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping is a common practice in which a party that is neutral is bestowed with the responsibility of managing complex crises or conflicts. The party in question works towards creating conditions that is favorable to long-lasting peace, apart from reducing civilian fatalities when rivaling camps are at war. The United Nations (UN) is mandated to keep peace whenever an international political conflict emerges. In essence, the UN can only intervene when the warring parties provide consent. In such cases, it deployes its security forces to the strategic location of the conflict.

UN’s Peacekeeping History and Methods

Before the Cold War era, the core functions of the UN peacekeepers had not been chartered. As early as 1948, UN military observers

The peacekeeping history of the UN dates back to 1992 when Boutros Ghali revitalized the body after the Cold War periods. As the Secretary-General, Ghali sought to define the mandate of the UN, he acknowledged that peacekeeping should only be limited to the consent of the parties at war. Apart from the issue of consent, Ghali wanted the UN operation to be defined by the principles of impartiality as well as the restricted use of force. However, officers of the UN could only be allowed to use much force only in cases of self-defense. The three principles of the UN peacekeepers are often interrelated, although they must also be jointly

Therefore, peacekeepers affiliated to the UN are required to be impartial in the manner in which they are dealing with the conflicting parties. However, there exists no limit to the level at which the intermediaries can penalize the parties if they fail to adhere to the agreed terms. Accordingly, the peacekeepers have a responsibility to ensure that the parties of the conflict act only in a manner that can enhance the peace process. In as much as the UN has a mandate to establish an excellent relationship with the parties at war, it is also expected to refrain from any dealings with them to prevent it from compromising on the principle of impartiality. In essence, the principle of impartiality can only be limited to the fact that both parties derive a sense of credibility from peacekeepers’ operations. Without this credibility, one party may tend to withdraw its consent. In carrying out its role, impartiality is often an important aspect of legitimacy. As such, the legitimacy of the UN can only be acknowledged when both parties have confidence in it; with none of them feeling that the organization is favoring the