Foreign Affairs: The Crisis of Peacekeeping

More than 100,000 UN blue-helmeted soldiers and civilians are based in 14 nations as peacekeepers to maintain security. “Peacekeepers set out to protect civilians, train police forces, disarm militias, monitor human rights abuses, organize elections, provide emergency relief, rebuild court systems, inspect prisons, and promote gender equality,” explains Séverine Autesserre for Foreign Affairs. Member states contribute staffing and resources yet peace is elusive, because of a a high number of conflict zones, large territories, tight funding and vague mandates. “The main problem is that the UN looks at its efforts backward,” Autesserre writes. “It has a cookie-cutter approach that begins with international best practices and tries to apply them to a local situation. Instead, it should start with local realities and then create a customized strategy.” She encourages local hiring and decision-making, with the international community identifying and addressing coflicts' root causes, for sustainable peace. – YaleGlobal