New data show the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping missions

Failures on the part of UN Peacekeeping missions have been highly publicised and well documented – and rightly so. But when looking at the overall picture and data, the picture that turns out is quite the opposite. The evidence, collected in 16 peer-reviewed studies, shows that peacekeepers, also known as “blue helmets” significantly reduce civilian casualties, shorten conflicts, and help make peace agreements stick.

According to Professor Lise Howard of Georgetown University, in Washington D.C., since the end of the Cold War two thirds of the time, peacekeepers have been successful at implementing their mandates and departing. The presence of peacekeepers also usually coincides with successful and long-lasting peace agreements. 

Moreover, UN peacekeepers save lives: The use of soldiers to keep the peace, rather than fight, has spared millions of lives since its creation 1948. 

When operating in civil wars, peacekeepers are not only monitoring cease-fire lines, but they also provide invaluable help in rebuilding the basic State institutions, demobilize troops, and reform judicial and economic systems, in order to prevent future escalation of violence and resume of conflicts.

In conclusion, the data from extensive, systematic studies, shows that the UN’s peacekeeping missions are effective most of the time.