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3. UN Peacekeeping Missions: An Endless Odyssey?

From the dusty streets of Bangui to the mountains of Lebanon, over 70,000 United Nations peacekeepers put their lives on the line every day to uphold a fragile peace. Drawn from 125 countries, these missions represent one of the UN’s most dangerous undertakings. But how much do we really know about these operations that, for more than 70 years, have struggled to turn fragile ceasefires into lasting peace?

What Are Peacekeeping Missions?

UN peacekeeping missions play a crucial role in maintaining stability in conflict zones. They monitor ceasefires, prevent hostilities from flaring up again, and create buffer zones between warring parties. Most importantly, they work to protect civilians at risk.

Beyond security, peacekeepers also support political processes and national reconciliation. They help former combatants disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate into civilian life, laying the groundwork for lasting peace.

Three key principles guide all peacekeeping operations: the consent of the parties involved, the impartiality of peacekeepers (which does not imply inaction or neutrality), and the limited use of force – only in self-defense.

The first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), was launched in 1948 to monitor the armistice between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It remains active to this day, a reminder of how long these missions can last.

Contributing Countries

UN peacekeeping relies on contributions from a wide range of nations. Troop deployment is largely handled by developing countries, with Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Rwanda, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia and Ghana among the top contributors.

Funding, however, primarily comes from developed nations, with the United States, China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and France leading the way.

This imbalance between those who provide troops and those who finance operations can sometimes create tensions within the system. Today, UN peacekeeping missions bring together personnel from more than 120 countries, making them one of the most globally diverse forces in the world.

Budget and Resources

The budget for UN peacekeeping operations is separate from the organization’s general budget. It is approved annually and currently stands at approximately $5.6 billion for the 2024-2025 fiscal year – less than 0.5% of global military spending.

This budget supports 12 active missions, with around 75,000 uniformed personnel (military and police) and 13,000 civilian staff. On average, the cost of deploying a UN peacekeeper is about one-eighth that of a soldier sent by the US or other Western nations, making UN operations a relatively cost-effective option.

After a period of rapid expansion in the 1990s and early 2000s, the number of deployed personnel leveled off before declining since the mid-2000s. This shift reflects, in part, Western military commitments in Afghanistan and other changing strategic priorities.

Proven Effectiveness: Insights from Research

Extensive academic research has assessed the impact of UN peacekeeping missions. Studies by Virginia Page Fortna (Columbia University) found that the presence of peacekeepers reduces the risk of renewed conflict by 55% to 84%. Her work, published in Does Peacekeeping Keep Peace? (International Studies Quarterly, 2004), demonstrates that peacekeeping remains effective even when accounting for factors like the intensity of the previous conflict, military outcomes, and the signing of peace agreements.

Further research by Lisa Hultman, Jacob Kathman and Megan Shannon, published in the American Political Science Review (2013), quantified the impact on civilian protection. They found that every additional 1,000 peacekeepers deployed is linked to a 7.3% reduction in civilian casualties. Their study also highlights that missions with a specific mandate to protect civilians are especially effective.

Concerning the spread of conflict to neighboring regions, studies by Han Dorussen and Theodora-Ismene Gizelis (University of Essex) have shown that peacekeeping operations significantly reduce the risk of conflict spilling over into nearby countries, creating “islands of peace” even in unstable regions.

However, the presence of non-state militias often obstructs the effectiveness of UN missions, making their work more challenging. After all, it is difficult to apply principles based on law and international norms when dealing with entities that violate both. Any resemblance to current situations is purely coincidental.