A peacekeeping mission, also called a UN peacekeeping operation or MINUSTAH, is an organized military force deployed by the United Nations under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to support local political processes in order to bring about peace and stability. A peacekeeping mission typically has a mandate to protect civilians, promote human rights and facilitate reconciliation, while preventing the proliferation of weapons and addressing root causes. Peacekeeping operations are based on consent and typically consist of a mixture of military, police and civilian staff.
The iconic blue helmets of peacekeeping have helped to end many wars and reduce the risk of recurring conflict in some countries, but it is not clear how sustainable those gains will be. The lack of consistent political support from member states means that missions are often limited to damage control-keeping, rather than enabling peace and stability.
We find that the overall effectiveness of a PKO depends on its scope and the extent to which it addresses the roots of conflict. This is demonstrated by the fact that, in our model, when major conflicts receive a PKO with a transformational mandate, the likelihood of conflict decreases by two-thirds as compared to a scenario with traditional mandates and US$100 million per year.
Moreover, our analysis highlights that it is crucial for PKOs to build a trusting relationship with the local population, especially if they are tasked with facilitating reconciliation. This is important because it helps to maintain the legitimacy of their presence, which is necessary to prevent a return to violence. We argue that this can be achieved by incorporating gender-responsive training and strategic communications into all future PKOs.