United Nations tries to act upon the challenges it finds, peacekeeping is becoming more and more difficult. Though it has achieved remarkable successes in previous times in regions such as Cambodia and Sierra Leone, veto power wielded by the permanent five members of the Security Council prevents it from acting. Such limitations have led to calls for reform, some of which are being addressed by an expansion of permanent membership to include countries like India that would adequately represent the South. Other changes may better complement a better veto system to pave the way for greater peacekeeping interventions.
| GS Paper | GS Paper I, GS Paper II, GS Paper III |
| Topics for UPSC Prelims | Factors that have contributed to the Diminishing Role of Peacekeeping Forces, India’s Contribution to Peacekeeping Missions |
| Topics for UPSC Mains | Factors that have Contributed to the Diminishing Role of Peacekeeping Forces, India’s Contribution to Peacekeeping Missions |
This editorial is based on “The world needs blue helmets who act as blue helmets,” published in The Hindu on October 23, 2024. The article discusses the UN’s limited role in major global conflicts and the need for reform in its peacekeeping operations.
For UPSC aspirants, UN peacekeeping is a subject of major importance within the syllabus in the International Relations segment. It throws light on various strands of global governance, international institutions, and the dynamics of power politics essentials for answers both in Prelims and Mains.
The waning role of the United Nations in such seminal conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza underscores the imperative for reform, particularly to veto power of the Security Council. This is extremely important knowledge for aspirants since it relates to international relations India’s desire for a permanent UNSC seat and the broad global trends underlying such issues; it generally resonates with some of the past questions.
The function of UN peacekeeping is central in terms of providing international peace and security based on the deployment of troops in those affected areas. Its core objective in conducting the function is the process of helping countries transition from a conflict-prone state to a peaceful one, with operating principles attached to consent, impartiality, and no use of force. Military, police, and civilian personnel do this work by engaging in cooperative stabilization and human development activities.
The basic functions, although there are three of them, mainly rest on the principles of consent of parties, impartiality, and only the use of force in self-defense. The personnel of these forces consists mainly of military or police forces; however, civilians also play a highly essential role in these missions.
Such a history for the beginning of UN peacekeeping can be traced back to 1948, when the organization was capable of establishing the UN Truce Supervision Organization, deploying military observers in the Middle East. Over time, UN peacekeeping has come a long way; it has performed more than 70 operations with the support of 125 countries, giving it enough time to learn from the global dynamics of conflicts.
Success in UN peacekeeping, therefore, entails successful conflict resolution, the provision of human resources to offer relief and rehabilitation, and rebuilding states. Among some of the key success achievements are successful peacekeeping in Cambodia and Sierra Leone, protecting more than 125 million civilians, and providing support for democratic elections in 75 countries, thus fostering a global stability and peace environment.
Many problems have assailed UN peacekeeping, seriously hamstring its effectiveness in modern conflicts. Factors such as power politics, resource constraints, and changing conflict dynamics are a few of the factors impacting its ability to function effectively. These present huge challenges that require change and effective strategies to enhance peacekeeping performance in the labyrinth of this new complex geopolitical frame.
Power politics influence. The vetoes by members of P5 such as Russia and the United States greatly affect the decisions of the UN peacekeeping front. This has made the Security Council more of a forum for debating issues rather than solving the problems in areas like Syria and Gaza.
Major drawbacks to UN peacekeeping operations come from financial constraints. The unwillingness of the great powers to pump in extra money to financially cater for peacekeeping efforts adds to this drawback, thereby increasing deficiencies in peacekeeping effectiveness and morale.
In this regard, new approaches will be needed for modern conflicts as they are going to be urban and cyber clashes rather than strictly land or traditional battles. Current peacekeeping, for this reason, cannot address such complex dynamics; peacekeeping missions in Gaza and Ukraine raise several shortcomings about the current models of peacekeeping and the need for adaptation of mandates and training within the UN framework.
There is increased resistance from host nations against UN peacekeeping citing sovereignty concerns. Sudan rejected the UNAMID, while Mali withdrew MINUSMA; such resistance often leaves civilian populations vulnerable.
Previous historical failures in peacekeeping include genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica, further blemishing the integrity of UN peacekeeping. Other scandals-such as sexual exploitation and disease transmission damage that trust, making it extremely difficult to gain support at both the local and international levels for peacekeeping endeavors.
Regional organizations are assuming peacekeeping roles more seriously, bringing localized solutions to conflicts. This is manifest in operations like the African Union operation in Somalia and regional interventions by the Arab League. By way of contrast, regional arrangements provide quicker responses but have fewer resources and legal mandates than the UN.
First, UN peacekeeping forces are equipped without technologically advanced features such as drones and AI-enabled apparatuses. These features underscore the limitations of UN peacekeeping forces when dealing with contemporary conflicts. Tech-enabled conflicts, for instance, in Ukraine require sophisticated surveillance and communication apparatuses in order to be carried out successfully.
There is little political will within UN peacekeeping despite many reforms proposed. Reports like the 2015 HIPPO make recommendations that remain pending and hold back important reforms, such as Security Council expansion and modernization of operational models.
India is one of the major contributors to the UN peacekeeping efforts through its engagement in terms of personnel and expertise. India has demonstrated a high commitment to global peace through its force, technical, and medical deployments, and policy advocacy for sound peace-keeping strategies.
India has been a long-standing contributor to the UN peacekeeping missions and has contributed over 253,000 troops in 49 missions. The Indian soldiers have made significant sacrifices for international peace, leaving no chance for global security and stability without India’s commitment to peacekeeping operations.
Besides personnel, India also provides specialized technical and medical people; the medical specialists coming from India have proved of great utility in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, improving overall mission efficiency and humanitarian efficiency of peacekeeping missions.
India can offer highly specialized military capabilities including armed helicopters, and transport aircraft. These shall enhance the operational effectiveness of such peacekeeping missions. The placement of such units in these theatres, specifically in Goma, marks India’s strategic role in equipping the UN peacekeeping machinery with modern military resources.
India puts a great emphasis on capacity building and training of peacekeepers, which can be found at the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in New Delhi. Well, over 67,000 personnel were trained as preparations for more focused pre-deployment training in issues related to sexual exploitation.
India participates in activities to advance UN peacekeeping policies, with a fairer representation of contributing countries of its troops. Now through participation in the C-34 committee, there have been strengthened mechanisms for consultative decision-making procedures that take into consideration the voice of the contributory nations themselves.
This is especially with women taking the front in Indian peacekeeping, such as the Female Engagement Teams deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo. India celebrates its women in peacekeeping, like Major Radhika Sen, underlining the commitment of the country to maintaining gender inclusivity in international efforts at peace.
Indian peacekeepers have fared very well with humanitarian assistance and community engagement. Indeed, Indian peacekeepers have been involved in rehabilitation projects undertaken on the roads of South Sudan. India has also contributed positively to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and continues with efforts such as COVID-19 vaccine distribution among other initiatives.
This would require overall changes, such as structural and technological transformations, to be implemented for robust UN peace-keeping missions. In-depth reforms and support can also undertake measures like Security Council reform and resource enhancement to significantly enhance the capacity of the UN to ensure peace in the troubled world of today.
Reforming the United Nations Security Council can improve decision-making regarding peacekeeping. Permanent membership increases with regional powers like India, and the designing of a code of conduct for the exercise of the veto will make the council much more effective in its response to global conflicts.
Reforms in finance will play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of peacekeeping missions. Developing necessary finance pools with a separate dedicated fund for peacekeeping will certainly solve funding shortages, hence facilitating time-to-time and adequate responsiveness of the peacekeeping forces to global hotspots.
These enable peacekeepers to have more situational awareness and be capable of threat assessment in a better manner with the complexities of modern conflict.
There is a strong need for capacity building and training that prepares peacekeepers for challenging missions. Standardized training centers across the globe with local knowledge and nuances in the modules can help build better readiness and adaptability for the peacekeeping force.
Promoting the mainstreaming of gender and inclusion in peacekeeping through effectively following up on gender-responsive budgeting and the effective increase in the deployment of female peacekeepers will surely put forward a more balanced and effective operation that would stand there to address diverse needs in conflict zones.
Needless to say, strict accountability standards and oversight mechanisms are the bedrock of sustainable peacekeeping. Zero tolerance for misconduct on the part of the peacekeepers and the establishment of an independent oversight body will encourage more openness in its performance.
Strengthening partnerships with regional organizations may be an important means to make peacekeeping operations more effective: it is indeed possible to construct shared logistics and support systems when cooperating with regional actors, such as the African Union or the European Union, hence making their operations better coordinated and more efficient.
| Political: The political landscape of UN peacekeeping is heavily influenced by the veto power of the P5 members of the UN Security Council, which can hinder or delay peacekeeping efforts in conflict zones like Syria and Gaza. There is a pressing need for reform in the Security Council to include more countries and possibly revise the veto power to make the UN more effective and representative. Economic: Peacekeeping missions frequently face financial constraints due to insufficient contributions from member countries, affecting their operational effectiveness. While peacekeeping can stabilize regions, prolonged operations may strain local economies or skew local markets. Social: Social resistance in host countries can perceive UN interventions as foreign interference, complicating missions. Past failures and scandals, such as those in Rwanda, have impacted the UN’s reputation, affecting its social credibility and effectiveness. Promoting gender inclusion by increasing the number of female peacekeepers and ensuring gender-sensitive strategies in operations. Technological: Traditional peacekeeping methods are often ill-equipped for modern warfare scenarios that include cyber threats, requiring advancements in technology. Incorporating AI and advanced surveillance can enhance operational capabilities in conflict management. Environmental: Peacekeeping operations can have significant environmental impacts, including the footprint of military bases or the ecological disruption caused by large movements of personnel and equipment. Legal: Peacekeeping operations must navigate complex international laws and host country regulations, impacting deployment and engagement strategies. The establishment of strict policies against misconduct and oversight bodies to enforce them is crucial for maintaining legal and ethical standards in operations. |
For its resurgence as the global center for the struggle for peace, structural changes, largely in the Security Council, are necessary. Appropriate adaptation to modern forms of conflict will depend on embracing technological progress and on blossoming inclusive partnerships. It becomes relevant for the UPSC aspirants as future leaders to consider such dynamics, making them realize the importance of multilateralism and India’s possible role in forging a fairer global order.
| UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Mains Q. Discuss the impediments India is facing in its pursuit of a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.(UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper II) Q. Analyze the effectiveness of UN Peacekeeping operations in conflict zones like Gaza and Ukraine. What specific reforms in the veto power system could enhance the role of the UN Security Council in global peacekeeping? |
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