The United Nation’s Peacekeeping Operations: From Optimism to Caution

The optimism which was born after the Cold War regarding the United Nation's peacekeeping operations has receded in the face of a growing caution regarding the efficacy and capacity for such actions in the future. The principles which guided the establishment of peacekeeping operations have evolved, partly due to the very expectative raised by their implementation. The rise of such operations can be appreciated in the increase in number and function of those deployed towards the end of the Cold War. However, this very operations face criticism due to their frequent inability to resolve conflicts, the financial difficulties which they pose for the UN, the risks incurred by their contingencies, etc. It seems increasingly clear that the UN has a limited capacity for conflict resolution, and that very often this is beyond collective action. The UN's peacekeeping operations, to increase their chances for success in the future, must be more selective, enjoy a greater level of consensus from the intonational community, and adhere to the principles which have governed their establishment and from which they derive their legitimacy.