A Peacekeeping mission is a group of soldiers or police (referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets) deployed by the United Nations after a conflict to monitor and assist in the implementation of a peace agreement that has been negotiated between belligerent factions. These missions typically have a multidimensional mandate that addresses the root causes of conflict by facilitating power-sharing arrangements, reintegrating former combatants into society, economic reconstruction, and electoral assistance.
Often, these goals are accomplished through the use of a multidisciplinary team including economists, human rights experts, governance specialists, and law enforcement professionals. A multidimensional approach increases the effectiveness of a peacekeeping mission and is essential for building trust between the international community and local communities that have been victimized by decades of violence.
Yet, a growing number of countries are dissatisfied with the state of peacekeeping. Many feel the UN muddles along, achieving meaningful reductions in violence and suffering but failing to help end conflicts. The perception that UN-led missions are manipulated by international actors with their own geopolitical ambitions is also fueling this discontent.
The UN needs to refocus its peacekeeping missions to ensure they are effective and responsive. This requires a greater emphasis on strategic communications, including through social media, to better engage host governments and local communities, as well as the development of new partnerships that can reduce the need for blue-helmet forces. It also requires a greater effort to improve the ability of peacekeeping missions to show how their work is impacting a country over time.
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