Conflict+Management+in+Global+Politics+-+UN+Peacekeeping

=UN Peacekeeping as a Method for Managing Global Conflicts= Portia - Hannah - Orin

Background
"United Nations Peacekeeping helps countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace. We are comprised of civilian, police and military personnel. In addition to maintaining peace and security, peacekeepers are increasingly charged with assisting in political processes; reforming judicial systems; training law enforcement and police forces; disarming and reintegrating former combatants; supporting the return of internally displaced persons and refugees." The UN does not have its own military force but instead depends on the contributions from Member States. (1) This can cause problems becaue since the UN relies on countries to provide troops they can be short of what they believe they leave because countries not wanting their troops in dangerous situations. This was evident in the Rwandan incident where it was seen as too dangerous for more troops, and some countries actually took away their troops from the conflict. (3)

The first two UN missions deployed were the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). Both of these operations continue to operate today. The First United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF 1) was deployed in 1956 and was the earliest armed peacekeeping mission, to address the Suez Crisis. (2)

May 29th is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, as this was the day the first mission, UNTSO, was established. This day is dedicated to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. (2)

A very valuable website in terms of UN Peacekeeping: []

Sources:
 * 1) UN peacekeeping website. Retrieved on: October 6th, 2011. [].
 * 2) UN peacekeeping website. Retrieved on: October 10th, 2011. [].
 * 3) UN website, africa recovery. Retrieved on: October 15th, 2011 []

Current Missions
There are currently 16 UN peacekeeping operations set up in four continents, led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). One of these includes a special political mission in Afghanistan. (1) Seven of these operations are in Africa. An example a mission the peacekeepers are currently on is the "Protecting civilians and consolidating peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". In the congo, the peacekeepers job is to make sure the ceasefire agreement is upheld, to protect civilians, and thus to help sabilize the the country.(1)

A current well-known peacekeeping mission is the special political mission in Afghanistan. The issue in Afghanistan is the negitive power of the Taliban and Al-Qaida over the civilians and the government. In this war the UN peacekeepers are assisting in the training of the Afghan army to make it more effecient and effective. As well as providing protection to the people and the the other UN agencies deployed in Afghanistan. (2) The UN agencies involved in Afghanistan, including peacekeepers, have agreed to five priorities to focus on. They are as follows : peace reconciliation and reintegration, human rights protection and promotion, sub-national governance and the rule of law, maternal and newborn health, and sustainable livelihoods. (3) Although there have been successes within this mission, there are still terrorist attacks such a the most recent one on September 20 in which the Chairman of the Afghanistan High Peace Council, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, was killed. (4)

Another example of a UN peacekeeping mission is the Stabalization mission in Haiti. This mission started in 2004 after the president of Haiti was exiled after the were armed conflicts in several cities. The political unrest created the need for peacekeepers to protect civilians and governments officals untill the government was stabalized. This has not been achieved yet, as unfortunate circumstances such as the horrific earthquake and recent chlorea outbreak have further strained the already waivering political situation. These events required peacekeepers to not only protect civilians, but to conduct rescues, assist in health care and break up increasing conflict amoung civilians due to poor ecconomic wellfare. (5) For the list of current UN peacekeeping missions: []

Sources:
 * 1) UN peacekeeping website. Retrieved on: October 6th, 2011. [].
 * 2) Report of the Security council mission to Afghanistan. Retrieved on October 16, 2011. []
 * 3) UNAMA mandate. Retrieved on October 16, 2011. []
 * 4) Security Council Press Statement Retrieved on: October 16, 2011 []
 * 5) UN Stabalization mission in Haiti. Retrieved on October 16 2011. []

Evaluating the Effectiveness of UN Peacekeeping in the 21st Century
Certainly success is never guaranteed when it comes to UN Peacekeeping, considering how UN Peacekeeping almost by definition goes to the most physically and politically difficult environments in the world; however the UN has built up a definite record of success in regards to peacekeeping over the 60 years of their existence, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize. (1) In 1988, UN peacekeepers won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee cited in particular the “young people from many nations...who, in keeping with their ideals, voluntarily take on a demanding and hazardous service in the cause of peace”. (2)

One mission that comes to mind about the effectiveness of the UN Peacekeeping is the incident in Rewanda. Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire was sent into Rwanda with peacekeepers to restore peace to a war torn country. Dallaire suspected a plot of genocide in Rewanda and was planning pre-emptive action. The peacekeeping office in New York believed that Dallaire's plan was too dangerous for the soldiers. In 100 days, almost 800,000 Rwandans were brutally murdered. This shows us that sometimes UN Peacekeeping can "fail" on a mission because of the rules holding them back as peacekeepers, and countries not willing to put their soldiers in what they perceive too great of danger. [3]

In regards to a successful UN peacekeeping mission, the Guatemala Mission in 2004 turned out to be triumphant in that the UN achieved "multidimensional peacekeeping, in the protection of human rights, and in the pioneering work carried out by truth commissions". UN peacekeeper went into the historic Guatemalan town of Esquipulas and successfully helped the region's leaders to put aside their deep differences to come together, bringing peace to the isthmus. Some may argue that this mission was not truly successful considering how Guatemala still has serious problems such as discrimination and a wide variety of social inequalities; however, the UN peacekeepers guided Guatemala onto the road to peace, allowing the country to progress in a new phase and address these problems "within the peaceful framework of democracy." (4)

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Sources:
 * 1) UN peacekeeping website. Retrieved on: October 6th, 2011. [].
 * 2) UN peacekeeping website. Retrieved on: October 10th, 2011. [].
 * 3) CBC website. Retrieved on: October 11th, 2011. [].
 * 4) UNIS website. Retrieved on: October 12th, 2011. [].