|
| PREFACE |
 Soldiers from the Nepalese UNIFIL congtingent on foot patrol in Southern Lebanon. November 1990. UN Photo
|
In May 1948, the Security Council decided to establish a field operation to supervise a fragile truce in the first Arab--Israeli war. Two weeks later, an initial group of 36 unarmed military observers arrived in the Middle East as the first United Nations peacekeepers. More than a half century later, hundreds of thousands of individuals, the vast majority of them soldiers, have served in 56 United Nations peacekeeping operations. More than 1,790 military and civilian peacekeepers have died while serving in United Nations operations. As of 30 April 2003, there were about 37,000 military and civilian and police personnel from 89 countries, and more than 3,300 international civilian staff and some 6,800 locally recruited personnel serving in 14 current peacekeeping operations. |
|
Peacekeeping is a technique pioneered and developed by the United Nations that defies simple definition. It is based on the principle that an impartial presence by the United Nations on the ground can ease tensions and allow negotiated solutions in a conflict situation. Known widely as "blue helmets" or "blue berets" because of their distinctive headgear, United Nations peacekeepers have patrolled buffer zones between hostile parties, monitored ceasefires and helped defuse local conflicts, allowing the search for durable, political settlements to continue. This "traditional" United Nations peacekeeping continues. Military personnel and structure remain the backbone of most operations. Increasingly, however, the many faces of peacekeeping include civilian police officers, electoral experts and observers, de-miners, human rights monitors, specialists in civil affairs and governance, and experts in communications and public information. Their responsibilities range from protecting and delivering humanitarian assistance to helping former opponents carry out complicated peace agreements; from assisting with the demobilization of former fighters and their return to normal life to supervising and conducting elections; from training civilian police to monitoring respect for human rights and investigating alleged violations; and from coordinating the transition of a territory to autonomous status to setting up a transitional administration of a territory as it moves towards independence. The success of a peacekeeping operation depends on a genuine desire on the part of the warring parties to solve their differences peacefully, a clear mandate, strong political support by the international community as well as the provision of the resources necessary to achieve the operation's objectives. Peacekeeping missions are perhaps the United Nations most visible, but not is only presence in conflict zones. Field staff of United Nations agencies and offices, among them the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights often work closely with peacekeepers. Together, they help alleviate suffering, deal with the problems of refugees and displaced persons, and contribute to reconciliation and reconstruction. Peacekeepers have been called upon to support the activities of these United Nations partners as well as the efforts of non-governmental and other organizations engaged in humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflicts and their aftermath. In many mission areas, a Special Representative of the Secretary-General or other senior United Nations official is appointed to maintain political momentum towards peace, to direct the work of the peacekeeping operation and to provide overall coordination for the United Nations bodies working in the field. | |
Soldiers from Venezuela destroy weapons surrendered |  |
| |
| Prepared by the United Nations Department of Public Information, May 2003 | Main Page | UN Home Page |