From Peacekeeping to Peace Enforcement Operations: What Next?

Abstract

We argue the complex future of peace operations requires cautious but optimistic stakeholder steps to accommodate changing peace operation patterns. By reducing major global peace trends to local experiences, we supply comparative historical evidence from peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations: their scopes and legal mandates, as well as the intertwining global–local network that proved so crucial to success. Further exploring local security and legitimacy implications of the expanded U.N. will to use peace enforcement, we detect both doctrinal and operational challenges to contemporary peace operations, helping us shed light on three facilitative features of future U.N. peace support operations: (a) technological development and its U.N. peacekeeping impact; (b) the growing regional flavor of peacekeeping operations; and (c) the U.N. combating capacities against violent extremism. Future peace supporting complexities, we conclude, need a more contextual approach with mandate flexibility.Keywordspeacekeepingpeace enforcementUnited Nations (U.N.)robust peacemaking mandatesregional peacemaking