The Use of Force in Un Peacekeeping by Peter Nadin

Author:Peter Nadin [Nadin, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367592738
Goodreads: 53909570
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-06-30T00:00:00+00:00

Conclusion

A perceptible robust turn in UN peace operations has resulted in an increased authorization of and willingness to employ the use of force by peacekeepers. Moreover, it has also signified and been accompanied by a parallel shift in the purpose of that use of force in a number of cases. A more strategic and political purpose—with both civilian protection and stabilization dimensions—is creating sometimes unforeseen, and oftentimes unintended, consequences for peacekeepers themselves as well as a range of other entities that operate in partnership or concert with them. This presents a number of principled dilemmas and practical issues that need to be addressed by mission architects and managers, as well as their political masters, if the credibility of UN peace operations is to be retained, let alone enhanced. If these externalities are not better understood and where possible mitigated, any sustainment of the robust turn could lead to an unraveling of the traditional foundation and consensus for peacekeeping, a destabilizing of the force generation base for ongoing and future missions, and a fragmentation of peace support efforts that could undermine a unity of effort towards elusive peace.

In the end, it is political solutions and agreements that are the answer to questions of sustainable peace in the settings where modern UN peace operations are sent. Only dedicated resources to that end will lead to successful outcomes. However, in the absence of a clear peace to keep, the UN’s peacekeepers (better described as conflict managers) must do what they can to provide safety and security for the most vulnerable and deter escalation of violent conflict. Having the use of force at their disposal can help to secure and protect in the short term. However, it also raises expectations, creates dilemmas around the purpose and limits of coercive measures and perpetuates dangerous disparities between what is asked of missions what is given to them in order to achieve it. As the HIPPO implored, “new operating environments demand much greater clarity on when and how the UN and its partners will use force, under what conditions, and with what principles.”72 Closing some of the gaps relating to policy, guidance, and capacity is a critical next step in making missions fit for purpose, particularly for the new generation of robust UN peace operations that prioritize civilian protection through increasingly stabilization-focused strategies.

The way in which the robust turn plays out in the coming years and the extent to which these mission logics endure will have implications for the reputation, substance, and ultimately the viability of UN peace operations going forward. As always, the use of force must be viewed as a last resort and unintended consequences should be expected. Only then will the UN’s most visible activity be able to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon peacekeepers in a rapidly changing security environment.

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