Redefining a UN peace doctrine to avoid regime protection operations

Over the past two decades, the United Nations (UN) has drifted into greater engagement in counter-terrorism and militarised stabilisation efforts.

Our contribution to the Future of Peacekeeping project investigates how the principle of impartiality and the drive to focus on political resolution will fare if UN peacekeepers are increasingly drawn into counter-terror, regime protection and stabilisation roles. These can involve taking sides, neutralising certain conflict parties, reinforcing problematic allies and turning a blind eye to some abuses.

The discussion paper argues that if left unchecked, these trends could render UN peace operations unrecognisable by 2030, seriously undermining their potential to contribute to long-term peace and threatening the ability of the UN to uphold its charter as a unique and indispensable global peacemaking institution that works in the service of we the peoples.

Read our paper: Redefining a UN peace doctrine to avoid regime protection operations.

For a summary see our analysis on the Global Observatory.

Read our latest report on the rise of counterterrorism at the UN.

Read more about our work on peacebuilding response to counter-terrorism.