A Dataset on the Discourse, Approach and Outcomes of UN Peacekeeping, 1993–2019

Abstract

This dataset is based on NVivo coding of each UN Security Council resolution since Resolution 864 (1993) until the end of year 2019 (Resolution 2503) for their reference to protection. Every word protect and words stemmed from it, is coded for its (a) referent object, (b) agent, and (c) method of protection. - Categories of referent object used in the coding are (a) protector itself (UN and other humanitarian workers), (b) partisan referent (constituencies of one but not the other conflicting party), (c) cosmopolitan (referent object is what chapter 1 of the source book defines as “global civilian”), (d) the environment, (e) other. - Categories for agent of protection are (a) UN Security Council, (b) UN General Assembly, (c) UN Secretary General or Secretariat, (d) Other UN, (e) Peacekeeping operation, (f) Conflicting party, (g) External Western agent, (h) External non-Western agent, (i) Representative regional agent, (j) National or international law. - Method of protection is classified simply as power-centric or not power-centric. The definition of power-centricity is from Chapter 1 of the source book. In addition to data on the UN discourse, which originates from the UNSC resolution depository (https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/resolutions-0), there are variables on the number of fatalities in countries where UN conducts peacekeeping, before, during and after UN operation during the post-Cold War era. These files also contain data on the development of fatalities in countries where unilateral protective operations have been conducted. All conflict fatality data is annual and taken from Uppsala Conflict Data Program’s annual battle deaths data, data on one-sided violence, and data on non-state conflict. Definitions and data on state fragility and fatalities of conflict is from the source book, and from Kivimaki, Timo 2019a. The Failure to Protect. The Path to and Consequences of Humanitarian Interventionism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. The data enables the study of the relationships between discursive developments, discursive strategies and approaches on the one hand and the development of fatalities of violence where UN operations take place. It enables comparison between UN peacekeeping operations and comparison in time.