United Nations Peacekeeping was created in 1948. United Nations Peacekeeping helps countries torn by conflict create conditions for lasting peace.

• UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peace building support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
• Its first mission involved the establishment of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which served to observe and maintain ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
• Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council.

UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:

1. Consent of the parties;
2. Impartiality;
3. Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Global partnership:

• UN peacekeeping brings together the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace and security.
• Its strength lies in the legitimacy of the UN Charter and in the wide range of contributing countries that participate and provide precious resources.

What the UN Peacekeepers do?

• Peacekeepers protect civilians, actively prevent conflict, reduce violence, strengthen security and empower national authorities to assume these responsibilities.
• This requires a coherent security and peace building strategy that supports the political strategy.
• UN peacekeeping helps host countries to become more resilient to conflict, laying the groundwork to sustain long-term peace, including by addressing root causes of conflict.

Financing of UN Peacekeeping operations:

• The financial resources of UN Peacekeeping operations are the collective responsibility of UN Member States.
• According to UN Charter every Member State is legally obligated to pay their respective share for peacekeeping.

Composition:

• UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets.
• They include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
• Civilian staff of peace operations is international civil servants, recruited and deployed by the UN Secretariat.
• A peacekeeper volunteer is required to be over the age of 25 with no maximum age limit.
• Peacekeeping forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis.
• European nations contribute nearly 6,000 units.
• Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are among the largest individual contributors with around 8,000 units each. African nations contributed nearly half the total, almost 44,000 units.

UN Peacekeeping and India:

• India has a long tradition of sending women on UN peacekeeping missions.
• In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN peacekeeping mission.
• Currently, there are more than 6,700 troops and police from India who have been deployed to UN peacekeeping missions, the fourth highest amongst troop-contributing countries.
• Indian peacekeepers have served in UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

Source: The Hindu