UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING

UN Peacekeeping:

• UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
  
  
• Principles: UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
  • Consent of the parties;
    
    
  • Impartiality;
    
    
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.
    
    
  
  
  
• Role of Security Council: The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations Security Council the responsibility to maintain international peace. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations through Chapter VII authorizations.
  
  
• Present status: There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed.
  
  
• For its services, UN Peacekeeping has also received the Nobel Peace Prize.
  
  
• UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets.