Unit Five Who
are the UN Peacekeepers? Who are the UN Peacekeepers and what is their
mission? UN peacekeepers are troops and other personnel
contributed by different Member-States for the purpose of keeping peace in a
conflict situation -- until the disputing parties can negotiate a
settlement. The idea of peacekeeping is that a United Nations presence
can create sufficient calm, order and legitimacy to allow negotiations to
continue. As long as people are talking, they are not fighting. As long
as peace prevails,
local people can carry on their daily lives and local social institutions
(schools, hospitals, workplaces, etc.) can carry out their functions. UN
peacekeepers play many roles in their efforts to bring about peace in a
region; they work as de-miners,
electoral experts and observers, human rights monitors, experts in governance
and communication. They work to ensure that the will of the international
community, as expressed in Security Council resolutions, is carried out. In
order for peacekeepers to carry out their work, certain pre-conditions are necessary. First, it is
necessary for the disputing parties to consent to the presence of the
peacekeepers; second, it is necessary for the disputing parties to respect cease-fire agreements; third, it is necessary for
disputing parties to respect humanitarian norms. Successful peacekeeping missions require adequate supplies and resources, a clear mandate, and the firm support of the international community. |