Hoorcollege 6: Peacekeeping

Question 1

What is peacekeeping

Answer 1

Deployment of military forces to promote peace

Question 2

Goals of peacekeeping before war

Answer 2

To contain violence and prevent it from escalating to war

Question 3

Goals of peacekeeping during war

Answer 3

1. To limit intensity
2. Spread duration of war
3. Create humanitarian/political space

Question 4

Goals of peacekeeping after war

Answer 4

1. Consolidate ceasefire
2. Create space for reconstruction
3. Assist in implementing peace agreements
4. Lead state through transition to stable government based on democratic principles and economic development

Question 5

The UN and peacekeeping

Answer 5

1. One of the main purposes of the UN is to maintain international peace and security
2. PK has become one of the main tools UN uses to achieve this purpose
3. Relies on member states to contribute troops

Question 6

Legal basis of peacekeeping UN

Answer 6

1. Force allowed only in self-defense or threat to international peace/security
2. UN security council decides (P5 (US, FR, UK, RU, CH) can veto)
3. Peaceful settlement
4. Peaceful enforcement
5. Authorising peace missions by regional organisations

Question 7

Responsibility to protect (R2P)

Answer 7

1. 2005 World Summit: R2P populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing
2. This responsibility lies first with state concerned, but if unwilling/unable, it shfits to the international community
3. Use of force as last resort
4. After 2005 governments withdrew support/ambivalent as they were afraid it might apply to them at some time
5. Security Council has invoked R2P on several occassions
6. Decisions to use force remains subject to UNSC P5 approval

Question 8

First generation peacekeeping

Answer 8

1. 1948-1990 (Post WWII and Cold War)
2. Mainly to monitor borders and buffer after ceasefires
3. Mainly between states (sovereignty, state-intervention)
4. Consent, impartiality, non-use of force except self-defense

Question 9

Second generation peacekeeping

Answer 9

1. 1990-2001 (Post Cold War pre war on terror)
2. Expansion in number and scope (peacebuilding)
3. Peace enforcement

Question 10

Third generation peacekeeping

Answer 10

1. 2001-present
2. No longer always based on peace agreement or consent
3. No longer always based on SC decision ‘coalition of the willing’; regional PK forces
4. Blurred boundary PK and peace enforcement
5. Uneasy relationship UN PK and counterterrorism; what counts as a peace operation?
6. R2P debate

Question 11

Debate about peace operations

Answer 11

1. Neo-realist
2. World politics as limited society of states
3. Universal humanitarian values trump sovereignty
4. Cosmopolitan values
5. Critical theory approach

Question 12

Neo-realist position peacekeeping

Answer 12

1. Dismissive of UN and international law (anarchy)
2. See violence/war etc. as stabilisation forces

Question 13

World politics as limited society of states

Answer 13

1. Common interest in preserving order, but no universal interventionary principles
2. Sovereignty important
3. In favour of traditional UN PK –> preserving ceasefire, protecting borders etc. but not nothing more
4. No R2P

Question 14

Universal humanitarian values trump sovereignty

Answer 14

Internationally sanctioned interventions for human security

Question 15

Cosmopolitan values

Answer 15

1. Global governance, civil society
2. Plans for UN standing intervention force

Question 16

Critical theory approach

Answer 16

1. PK produces power imbalances
2. Liberal peace critiques
3. Response Ramsbotham: abandoning precarious 60 year old UN PK experiment won’t lead to a safer world

Question 17

Critique on critiques about functionality of PK

Answer 17

The critiques that say it doens’t work mix different cases and different types of missions of different organisations and those that are different from e.g. the successful mission in Liberia where only the UN was present