UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES
ABOUT UN PEACE KEEPING FORCES
- 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.
- United Nations Peacekeeping is a joint effort between the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support.
- UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
- UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles :
- Consent of the parties;
- Impartiality;
- Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.
- Peacekeeping is flexible and over the past two decades has been deployed in many configurations.
- There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on three continents.
MORE ABOUT UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES
- 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 Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
- Most of these operations are established and implemented by the United Nations itself, with troops serving under UN operational control.
- 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.
- European nations contribute nearly 6,000 people to this total.
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are among the largest individual contributors with around 8,000 people each.
- African nations contributed nearly half the total, almost 44,000 people.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SOURCE: PEACEKEEPING.UN.ORG , WIKI
