The world needs blue helmets who act as blue helmets

Sub: IR

Sec: Int Org

Context:

The role of the United Nations (UN) in global peacekeeping and its failures in certain conflicts.

UN’s stand on peacekeeping:

The UN has two relevant chapters:
- Chapter VI: Commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes.
- Chapter VII: Allows armed force with Security Council authorization in cases of aggression.
- Chapter VIII: Prescribes regional arrangements for enforcing peace.

UN Peacekeeping: Hits and Misses

Successes: The UN has established peace in areas like Cambodia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Angola, Timor Leste, Liberia and Kosovo.
Failures: In Rwanda (1994) and Bosnia (1995), the UN failed to protect vulnerable populations, particularly civilians.
Improvement: Later missions, such as in Sierra Leone, Darfur, and South Sudan, focused more on protecting civilians.

Current Conflicts: Ukraine and West Asia

The UN has been criticized for its lack of action in the conflicts involving Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine.
Despite having over 100,000 peacekeepers ready for deployment, the UN has failed to take decisive action to protect civilians in these regions.

UN Security Council and the Veto Power:

The veto power of the P5 (permanent members of the UN Security Council) often obstructs peacekeeping efforts.
Example: During the Rwandan genocide, the veto system allowed inaction, leading to massive civilian deaths.
Proposed Reforms:
- Expanding the Permanent Membership of the Security Council to include countries like India and South Africa.
- Limiting the use of veto power by requiring a majority decision among the expanded permanent members (P7).

Blue Helmets:

UN peacekeepers serve as an international force working to maintain peace and security in conflict zones. The blue helmet and insignia were first adopted in 1947 and have become a globally recognized symbol of UN peacekeeping operations.
The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in May 1948.
India is one of the largest troop contributors with approximately 275,000 troops to various peacekeeping missions, and almost 5900 personnel are serving in 12 UN missions.

Key aspects of UN peacekeeping forces include:

Source: TH