Peacekeeping operations by the UN initially developed as a means of dealing with interstate conflict. The initial operations involved the deployment of military personnel from a number of countries, under UN command, to help control and resolve armed conflict. In the recent past, peacekeeping has increasingly applied to intrastate conflicts and civil wars. More recently, peacekeeping operations have become more varied and complex and, although military personnel remain the backbone of most peacekeeping operations, proportionately larger numbers of civilians work alongside the military personnel.

The operations range from keeping hostile parties peacefully apart to helping them work together. This means helping to implement peace agreements, monitor ceasefires, create buffer zones, and creating political institutions (governments). The operations of the UN peacekeeping forces also work with governments, non-governmental organizations and local citizens' groups to provide emergency relief, demobilizing former fighters and reintegrating them into society. The operations also clear mines, organize and conduct elections and promote sustainable development.

Peacekeeping is not specifically mentioned in the United Nations Charter. The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Council creates and defines peacekeeping missions. Its 5 permanent members -- China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- can veto any decision on peacekeeping operations.

The Secretary General directs and manages UN peacekeeping operations and reports to the Council on a mission's progress. Through the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Secretary General formulates policies and procedures and makes recommendations on the establishment of new missions and on the functioning of ongoing missions.

According to the United Nations, soldiers on UN peacekeeping missions do not swear allegiance to the United Nations. Governments that volunteer military and civilian police personnel carefully negotiate the terms of their participation. They retain ultimate authority over their own military forces serving under the UN flag, including disciplinary and personnel matters. Peacekeeping soldiers wear their own national uniforms. Conversely, the UN requires peacekeepers, to wear blue berets or helmets and the UN insignia which alters the national uniform for the participating peacekeeper.

The costs of UN peacekeeping missions are paid by the member states. Under the current terms, over $2.6 billion in back payments remain due from member states and continuing efforts are paid for by currently-paid members. In other words, some nations are subsidizing the costs of the missions for states unable or unwilling to pay the share to which they agreed. Peacekeeping soldiers are paid by their own governments according to their own national rank and salary scale. Countries volunteering uniformed personnel to peacekeeping operations are reimbursed by the UN at a flat rate of less than $1,000 per soldier per month. The UN also reimburses countries for equipment. Reimbursements are charged off to participating nations against "future obligations" since the UN has failed to collect fees due from ALL member states. Once again, volunteering nations, including the US, shoulder the entire burden as payments remain unmade by other member nations.

Most people are unaware that many "peacekeeping" operations are, in fact, enforcement missions. The two are completely different in their scope and authority. According to the United Nation's own documentation, UN peacekeeping relies on the consent of opposing parties and involves the deployment of peacekeepers to implement an agreement approved by those parties. In the case of enforcement action, the Security Council gives Member States the authority to take all necessary measures to achieve a stated objective. Consent of the parties is not necessarily required. In other words, if the nations in question won't consent to the UN sending "peacekeeping" forces, the UN then authorizes member nations to take enforcement action.

Enforcement action has been used in the Gulf War, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and East Timor. These enforcement operations are not under UN control. They are directed by a single country or a group of countries. The international force authorized by the Security Council for East Timor in 1999, for example, was led by Australia and consisted of troops from 22 Member States. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a NATO-led multinational force succeeded the failed UN peacekeeping operation in 1995. And in Kosovo, the Security Council authorized an international security presence in June 1999. The Kosovo enforcement operation is led by NATO and works alongside the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, a UN peacekeeping operation.

The cost in lives, for unwanted assistance, is staggering. 1,650 UN peacekeeping and enforcement personnel have been lost during operations since 1948. This figure does not necessarily include the loss of military personnel by countries performing "enforcement" operations since they work outside the UN but with authority from the UN.

Read an Article about the UN Peacekeeping Missions - A Call to Abandon Arms by clicking HERE

Read a report to Congress concerning the costs for the US involvement in UN Peacekeeping efforts clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the Gulf War enforcement by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualites and operations during the Somalia enforcedment by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the Rwanda enforcement by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the Haiti enforcement by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the Bosnia/Herzogovina enforcement by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the Albania enforcement by clicking HERE

Learn more about the US casualties and operations during the East Timor enforcement by clicking HERE

Return to the Foreign Aid Budget by clicking HERE