Since the end of the last century, UN peacekeeping has undergone a fundamental and largely unexamined change. Peacekeeping operations, long expected to use force only in self-defence and to act impartially, are now increasingly relied upon by the Security Council as a means to maintain and restore security within a country. The operations are established under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and some are empowered to use 'all necessary measures', language traditionally reserved for enforcement operations. Through a close examination of these twenty-first century peacekeeping operations - including operations in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti and the Darfur region of the Sudan - the book shows that they are, for the most part, fundamentally ill-suited to the enforcement-type tasks being asked of them. The operations, which are under-funded, under-equipped and whose troops are under-trained, frequently lurch from crisis to crisis. There is scant evidence, some 10 years on, that matters are likely to improve. The book argues that bestowing enforcement-type functions on a peacekeeping operation is misconceived. Such operations are likely to be unsuccessful in their enforcement-type tasks, thereby causing serious damage to the excellent reputation of UN peacekeeping, and the UN more broadly. In addition, because such operations are more likely to be perceived as partial, their ability to carry out traditional (non-forceful) peacekeeping tasks may be impeded. Finally, the Security Council's practice of charging peacekeeping operations with enforcement functions lessens the pressure on the Council to work to establish genuine enforcement operations - ie, operations that are considerably better suited to restoring peace and security. '...Dr Sloan is able to show, in knowledgeable detail, not only what has changed over the years, but also what has brought these changes about. His analysis leads him to offer not only well-informed insights, but critical observations, too...This book is a pleasing combination of detailed scrutiny of topics already familiar (provisional measures, consent, so-called 'Chapter VI1⁄2' action, implied powers) and a rigorous questioning as to their place in – or indeed, relevance at all to – militarised peacekeeping. The reader will find much new terrain traversed, and plenty of out-of-the-box thinking.' From the foreword by Dame Rosalyn Higgins

As the antithetical relationships between the civilian and military agencies and components of modern peace operations are essentially cultural and are rooted in misinformation and prejudice; effective civil-military operations are needed from the outset of an operation.

The problems of peacekeeping in Somalia, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia marked a turning point for major powers in international military peacekeeping. Major support for a more pro-active UN role in peacekeeping has not been forthcoming and where major power involvement is deemed vital, non-UN peace operations have increasingly become the norm. This valuable volume explores the continuing significance of peacekeeping in international affairs, particularly in terms of its military dimensions, and examines the priorities and perspectives of the major powers in relation to their military participation in international peacekeeping and wider peace operations in the twenty-first century. It is ideal for scholars and students interested in contemporary international politics, international relations, international organizations, security and strategic studies, conflict resolution and foreign policy analysis.

This title was first published in 2001. This work represents the author's writing and thinking over the last decade on the subject of military intervention and peacekeeping. He deconstructs what has been developed under the auspices of UN "peacekeeping" with a view to producing a new paradigm more appropriate to the challenges of the 21st century. This is not an exercise in disparaging the UN, the organization's achievements are recognized, along with its prevalent habit of entering environments it has neither the resources or expertise to manage. The first four chapters establish a foundation built upon philosophy, doctrine, definitions, principles and decision-making processes. This thinking is then tested using scenarios drawn from Iraq, Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone. The book is founded on theory and practice and it is particularly intended to explain the conduct of the political and military processes involved in military intervention and peacekeeping.

This report discusses a research program on peace operations that used documentary evidence to study changes in the nature of multinational peacekeeping over time, interviews to analyze the ways in which soldiers experience and interpret peacekeeping, and surveys to identify the ways in which soldiers and their families adapt to peacekeeping. Five phases of United Nations peacekeeping are identified. The ways in which soldiers impose meaning on peacekeeping are discussed. The adaptation of reserve component personnel and their families to peacekeeping is described.

This report discusses a research program on peace operations that used documentary evidence to study changes in the nature of multinational peacekeeping over time, interviews to analyze the ways in which soldiers experience and interpret peacekeeping, and surveys to identify the ways in which soldiers and their families adapt to peacekeeping. Five phases of United Nations peacekeeping are identified. The ways in which soldiers impose meaning on peacekeeping are discussed. The adaptation of reserve component personnel and their families to peacekeeping is described.

"Written largely by a group of young scholars of diverse backgrounds, the essays reflect views and voices that are not always heard above the Anglo-American din. The volume provides a resource for scholars and policymakers alike, enriching the current debate and making more fruitful the international dialogue between North and South."--BOOK JACKET.