28 May 2021

By Camille Miguet / GICJ

May 29 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers by its Resolution A/RES/57/19 adopted in December 2002[1]. This day highlights the crucial role of all peacekeepers in maintaining international peace and security all around the world.

Source: un.org

United Nations and maintenance of international peace and security

Peacekeeping operations are a true innovation of the United Nations as they had not been initially foreseen by the Charter of San Francisco. Indeed, the possibility to use force is very limited by the jus ad bellum and the use of armed force is prohibited in principle according to article 2§4 of the UN Charter[2]. The use of force could be authorized under article 42 and article 43 which provided for the availability of a UN army that could intervene in military operations. However, this possibility was never used because of the tense context in the Security Council at the beginning of the Cold War. Due to the division of the world into hostile camps, peacekeeping agreements were extremely difficult to negotiate.

Therefore, peacekeeping operations were born out of practice, carried out by contingents of UN member states. The troops serve under UN operational command, but the peacekeepers remain members of their respective armed forces. These operations addressed the unanticipated difficulties posed by article 42. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the Security Council has the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security and can authorize peacekeeping operations. The Security Council can also authorize regional organizations to undertake peacekeeping tasks.

Who are UN peacekeepers?

Peacekeepers are multinational forces composed of national personnel under the authority of the UN as the UN does not have any army. They are women or men, civilians, military or police officers who serve the UN in the maintenance of international peace and security. They share the goal of protecting the most vulnerable and providing support to countries in transition from war to peace. As a subsidiary body of the UN, the blue helmets embody the presence of the international community in a conflict zone and act as observers or as an interposition force. 

The first UN peacekeepers were deployed in 1948 in the Middle East to observe and maintain the ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. This UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29 May 1948 when the Security Council authorized the UN Truce Supervision Organisation to monitor the Armistice Agreement. Since the creation of this first UN peacekeeping operation, 72 missions have been carried out, of which 12 are currently active. In 2020, about 90, 000 troops from 120 different countries were participating in one of the current peacekeeping operations around the world.

Basic principles of peacekeeping operations

These principles are crucial in the process of regulating peacekeeping operations since they offer important guidance as to how a power balance among different stakeholders can be achieved in the conflict at hand. As peacekeepers become combatants, the basic principles for peacekeeping must be respected in order to legitimise the operation. These principles are consent of parties, impartiality and the limited use of force[3]. Any peacekeeping operation can be deployed without state consent. The operation must implement its mandate without favour or prejudice to any party. Peacekeepers may use force at the tactical level but their right to use self-defence is recognised, as well as their right to defend the mandate. Member states and NGOs play an important role in ensuring that all personnel are prepared and accountable for their conduct during UN peacekeeping operations and that disciplinary action is taken for misconduct. Ensuring that all peacekeepers are held to the highest standards of conduct is essential in order to protect local populations and to maintain operational effectiveness.

Therefore, the issues of human rights violations and international security are closely interlinked and thus, the protection and promotion of human rights have become an urgent issue in current peacekeeping operations. In addition to the rules of conduct, peacekeepers must also respect international human rights and humanitarian law[4].

International day of UN peacekeepers

Source: peacekeeping.un.org

The day of May 29 was then designated as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 57/129 of 2002[5], which recognises “the invaluable contribution to the promotion of peace and security of all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations” and invites “all Member States, organizations of the UN system, NGOs and individuals” to observe this day.

This event aims to honour the courage of these soldiers and to highlight the crucial role of their mission in saving lives and building peace. It also aims at raising public and political awareness of the importance of peacekeeping missions around the world and avoiding the use of war which has devastating consequences. May 29 is also an opportunity to remember more than 4, 000 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948. Former UN peacekeepers, children and members of civil society are invited to this day for the transmission of memory.

Youth as key agents for sustainable peace and security

Source: peacekeeping.un.org

The theme for the 2021 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “The road to a lasting peace: leveraging the power of youth for peace and security”. Today, tens of thousands of young peacekeepers (between the ages of 18 and 29) are deployed around the world and play a major role in helping UN missions to put an end to conflict situations and to protect civilians. A series of Security Council resolutions[6] have strengthened cooperation with youth in order to contribute to the establishment of a lasting peace. In this regard, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations recalled that “one of the key lessons that we have seen over the years and decades, including through the places where peacekeeping has been deployed, is that peace and security cannot be achieved without the active contribution of young people”. A quarter of the 1.8 billion people aged 18-29 live in situations of violence. However, their participation in peace negotiations remains limited. It is time to support and encourage young people to participate in decision making and to express their opinions in order to ensure peace and security.

Evolution of the missions

Source: news.un.org

Multidimensional peacekeeping operations engage in a wide variety of peace-building activities. Peacekeeping began as simple ceasefire monitoring but has evolved over time to include security-related activities (disarmament, controlling arms, police reform, civilian protection…), political reform-related activities (electoral assistance, institution-building…), the protection of human rights, media assistance and public information etc[7]. Today’s peacekeeping operations are multi-faceted.  The activities of peacekeepers are not limited to peacekeeping but also include conflict prevention, peace-making, peace enforcement, or peacebuilding.

UN peacekeepers also work to ensure that women participate in peace processes, political life and governance services. UN peacekeeping operations play a supporting role in the areas of the promotion of socio-economic recovery and development and the provision of humanitarian assistance. The United Nations have also worked towards a better training of peacekeepers for the protection of cultural heritage in war time.

The first peacekeeping missions consisted of unarmed military observers whose role was essentially to monitor and report on the situation on the ground, and to build confidence between the parties. Despite the questioning of the effectiveness of their action on the ground, particularly in Africa, we can mention several successful missions such as the UNMIL established in 2003 to monitor a ceasefire in Liberia, whose mandate ended in 2018.

Challenges

Source: peacekeeping.un.org

Since March 2020, UN peacekeepers are facing one of their greatest challenges yet: the COVID-19 pandemic. “Peacekeepers are not the remedy, but in many places, they are part of the treatment plan”[8], as said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of UN Peacekeeping. As the virus is also developing in countries ravaged by armed conflict, peacekeepers play an important role in assisting governments and local communities in the response to the pandemic and protecting vulnerable people. In addition to their regular daily activities and operations, peacekeepers started conducting public education campaigns about the virus. “All the UN peacekeepers who are currently deployed deserve our gratitude and support; these women and men continue to serve under the blue flag in the cause of peace, in conditions even more difficult due to COVID-19”[9].

Peacekeepers have also faced numerous attacks in recent years. 2020 has been a deadly year for peacekeepers with the death of 12 of them. Several armed ambushes have killed peacekeepers in different operations, from Burundi, Chad, Egypt, Indonesia, and Rwanda. The beginning of 2021 has been just as tragic for UN peacekeepers. Several peacekeepers have been injured or killed in terrorist attacks, particularly in Mali where MINUSMA soldiers are often targeted by jihadists. Just a few days ago, a peacekeeper was killed by rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As attacks on peacekeepers may constitute a war crime under international law, it is essential and urgent to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for these aggressions. However, the number of peacekeepers killed on mission reduced to a quarter between 2017 and 2020, from 59 to 14.

GICJ position

On the International Day of UN peacekeepers, Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) wants to honour the endeavour of the UN peacekeepers around the world to maintain peace. GICJ remains committed to effective and accountable peacekeeping operations and supports the United Nations’ Action for Peacekeeping initiative. Accountability and oversight ensure that missions are focused on their mandates and working towards durable political solutions. GICJ urges the UN and particularly the Security Council and the Department of Peacekeeping to ensure that the budget for peacekeeping is increased and that peacekeepers have all the required resources to achieve their objective. GICJ encourages peacekeeper-contributing States to maximize the positive impact of UN peacekeeping by contributing to peacekeeping budget and by prosecuting their soldiers for sexual abuse committed during missions. The COVID-19 pandemic is an additional obstacle to the search for peace, but this can be an opportunity to rethink peacekeeping operations and the protection of peacekeepers. Finally, GICJ encourages involvement of women and youth to build lasting peace and security and calls the UN to ensure greater representation of these important actors.

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GICJ is an independent, non-profit, international non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion and reinforcement of commitments to the principles and norms of human rights. GICJ is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and is governed by the Swiss Civil Code and its statutes. Basing its work on the rules and principles of International Law, International Humanitarian Law and International Human Right Law, GICJ observes and documents human rights violations and seeks justice for their victim through all legal means available.

[1] Resolution A/57/129 adopted by the General Assembly, “International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers”: https://undocs.org/a/res/57/129

[2] Article 2§4 of the United Nations Charter : “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations”.

[3] United Nations Peacekeeping Operations – Principles and Guidelines, p. 31

[4] United Nations Peacekeeping Operations – Principles and Guidelines, p. 14, 15

[5] Resolution A/57/129 adopted by the General Assembly, “International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers”: https://undocs.org/a/res/57/129

[6] Resolution 2250 adopted by the Security Council (9 December 2015) which recognises the youth’s efforts in peace building: https://undocs.org/S/RES/2250(2015)

[7] SMIDT H. “What do the peacekeepers do, where and how? New data on UN peace-building activities during election times”, London.  

[8] “The peacekeepers are not the remedy, but they have a role in fighting against the COVID-19”, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, article in Le Monde, 2 April 2020.

[9] “The peacekeepers are not the remedy, but they have a role in fighting against the COVID-19”, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, article in Le Monde, 2 April 2020.

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Keywords: GICJ, UN peacekeepers, COVID-19, youth participation, international conflicts, civil protection, promotion of peace and human rights.