Abstract
Although the World Health Organization has no peacekeeping mandate, it has adopted resolutions condemning instruments of war and introduced a request to the International Court of Justice on the use of nuclear weapons, which was rejected as not within the scope of the organization's activities. Some of WHO's emergency missions are related to peacekeeping. WHO and UNICEF have brokered ceasefires to allow poliomyelitis immunization campaigns to be conducted in countries affected by conflicts. WHO and the Pan American Health Organization launched the ‘Health as a Bridge for Peace’ initiative in 1984 in Central America and Panama. The concept is now being pursued by the WHO Division of Emergency and Humanitarian Action. However, health is only one of possible causes of conflict and health officials cannot replace political leaders. Support for peace cannot become WHO's primary objective, but WHO activities may support peacekeeping in the organization's own health domain.
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