What is UN Peacekeeping?
The year 1998 marks half a century of United Nations peacekeeping. Peacekeeping was pioneered and developed by the UN as one of the means for maintaining international peace and security. Most UN peacekeepers, often referred to as “blue helmets”, have been soldiers, volunteered by their Governments to apply military discipline and training to the task of restoring and maintaining the peace. In recognition of their contribution, UN peacekeepers were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. Governments have increasingly turned to the UN to deal with ethnic and nationalist conflicts that have flared up in many regions since the end of the cold war. While 13 operations were established in the first 40 years of United Nations peacekeeping, 36 new operations have been launched since 1988. At its peak in 1993, the total deployment of United Nations military and civilian personnel reached more than 80,000 from 77 countries. Complex missions which involve simultaneous political, military and huma
