Protecting Civilians in UN Peace Operations: The Need for Enhanced Training

Author

Allison S. Haddad, CUNY City CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Department

International Relations

First Advisor

Jacques Fomerand

Second Advisor

Jean Krasno

Keywords

Protection of Civilians, UN DPO, training, community engagement, Troop-Contributing Countries, mental health

Abstract

The present study shows that the protection of civilians (POC) tasks implemented in multiple United Nations (UN) peace operations have not always been executed as intended and, as a result, are accompanied by a number of dysfunctions. Among these dysfunctions are inadequate community engagement, peacekeeper misconduct stemming from the lack of proper training mechanisms, and lack of resources. In consideration of these issues, UN peace operations would profoundly benefit from enhancements offering plausible and beneficial change to the field. Such changes involve the responsibility of the UN, the responsibility of national actors, field implementations, and the psychological well-being of peacekeepers. More importantly, peace operations training needs to be properly implemented and completed to mitigate under-preparedness. This analysis relies primarily on scholarly articles, UN documents, and news reports. It is supplemented by interviews with present and former UN peace operations personnel and other relevant UN staff members posted in the field and at headquarters that offer a firsthand account on the subject area.

Recommended Citation

Haddad, Allison S., "Protecting Civilians in UN Peace Operations: The Need for Enhanced Training" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/993