Peacekeeping missions

The United Nations Security Council has created peacekeeping forces as part of the measures taken to fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security. The role and mandate of such forces have evolved, from traditional peacekeeping, such as ceasefire monitoring missions, to more robust and broader mandates of peace enforcement and peace building. They are typically deployed in conjunction with parallel humanitarian, political and diplomatic efforts. The Security Council can mandate 'coercive' or 'offensive' measures, and can authorize regional intergovernmental bodies (e.g., African Union, ASEAN) to manage peacekeeping activities.

Photo: UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti

Key actors

Charged with the planning, preparation, management, and direction of UN peacekeeping operations

Key references

Overview of all 14 current peacekeeping operations, including their mandates, deployed number of personnel, and contributing countries

Handbook describing the evolution of UN peacekeeping, the planning and management of peacekeeping operations, and lessons learnt from six decades of peacekeeping experience

Introduction to the different components of multidimensional peacekeeping operations

Specialized resources

List of the key peacekeeping policy and guidance materials, including on the protection of civilians, gender, military affairs, rule of law, etc.

Web portal with all official UN DPKO and Department of Field Support (DFS) training and guidance material and the latest updates on peacekeeping

PHAP certifications

Certification badge for Understanding the Humanitarian Ecosystem (UHE)

Knowledge about the mandates and roles of peacekeeping operations and how they relate to humanitarian response is covered by the Understanding the Humanitarian Ecosystem (UHE) certification (competency statement 2.8).
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