UN Security Council and Peacekeeping Operations Overview

UN Security Council (UNSC)

Main authority for force and sanctions in UN.

Permanent Members (PERM 5)

Five countries with veto power in UNSC.

UNSC Resolutions

Law-like directives issued by the Security Council.

Peacekeeping

UN intervention in post-conflict situations.

UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

First peacekeeping mission established in 1948.

UN Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP)

Monitors ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

Chapter VI of UN Charter

Guidelines for peaceful dispute resolution.

Chapter VII of UN Charter

Authorizes use of force in conflicts.

Classical Peacekeeping

Involves consent and post-conflict stabilization.

Blue Helmets

Symbol of UN peacekeeping forces.

Peacekeeping Duties

Monitoring, reporting, and acting in self-defense.

Cold War Impact

Limited UN intervention due to geopolitical tensions.

Boutros-Ghali's Agenda for Peace

Calls for expanded UN peacekeeping missions.

Failed States

Countries lacking effective governance needing intervention.

Peacemaking

Active involvement to prevent or resolve conflicts.

UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO)

Established to manage and expand peacekeeping efforts.

Gulf War

Example of collective action by UNSC.

Peacekeeping Expansion (1990-1995)

Increased missions in size, mandate, and force.

Suez Crisis (1956-57)

Early example of UN peacekeeping during Cold War.

Cambodia Case Study

Illustrates complexities of UN peacekeeping missions.

Consent of Combatants

Essential for classical peacekeeping operations.

Post-Conflict Intervention

UN actions taken after ceasefires to maintain peace.

Sihanouk

King and Prime Minister of Cambodia (1954)

Khmer Rouge

Communist regime responsible for Cambodian genocide (1975-78)

Cambodia Year Zero

Term for Khmer Rouge's radical transformation policies

UNTAC Mission

UN peacekeeping operation in Cambodia (1991-1993)

Refugee repatriation

Return of 470,000 refugees to Cambodia

Disarmament

Process of disarming military factions in Cambodia

Elections

Creation of political parties and holding elections

Human rights investigations

Upholding rights during Khmer Rouge accountability

Civil administration

Establishment of governance and law in Cambodia

Economic infrastructure

Rebuilding Cambodia's economy post-conflict

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

UN Secretary-General during peacekeeping expansion

UNOSOM

United Nations Operation in Somalia (1992)

Operation Restore Hope

US-led mission to stabilize Somalia (1992)

Battle of Mogadishu

1993 conflict leading to US withdrawal from Somalia

UNPROFOR

UN Protection Force in former Yugoslavia (1992)

Srebrenica massacre

1995 genocide during Bosnian conflict, UN failure

Dayton Agreement

Peace agreement ending Bosnian War (1995)

UNAMIR

UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda, led by Canada

Ethnic Conflict

Violence between Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda

Peacekeepers

Forces deployed to maintain peace in conflict zones

Mission creep

Expansion of a mission beyond its original goals

Romeo Dallaire

Advocated for intervention during Rwandan Genocide.

Rwandan Genocide

April 1994 event; 800,000-1 million killed.

US and French Response

Refused UN action, claimed it wasn't genocide.

Peacekeeping Operations (PK Ops)

Military interventions to maintain peace and security.

Boutros-Ghali Vision

UN's approach to larger scale peacekeeping.

Dues Crisis

Financial issues affecting UN peacekeeping funding.

Mission Creep

Expansion of mission beyond original goals.

Domestic Consent

Agreement of local parties for peacekeeping success.

International Consensus

Agreement among great and regional powers.

Realistic Mandates

Achievable objectives for peacekeeping missions.

1995-1999 Downturn

Period marked by US dues crisis and failures.

NATO Mission Creep

NATO's expansion of military roles in conflicts.

East Timor Operation

Major peacekeeping operation requiring force and support.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

Principle to protect populations from genocide.

UNSC Resolution 1674

Affirms R2P at 2005 World Summit.

International Law

Laws governing state actors across borders.

Treaty

Formal agreement between states, basis of international law.

Customary Law

Accepted practices that evolve into treaties.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

UN court for state disputes, not criminal cases.

Legal Positivism

Law based on written, codified statutes.

Opinio Juris

Belief that a practice is legally obligatory.

Extraterritoriality

Application of laws beyond a state's borders.

Jurisdiction

Authority of law to govern specific cases.

Article 36(2)

Optional Clause for unilateral state jurisdiction acceptance.

Jus ad bellum

Laws governing the justification for war.

Jus in bello

Laws regulating conduct during war.

War Crimes

Illegal acts committed during armed conflict.

Proportionality

Principle limiting force to necessary levels.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-WWII tribunals for Nazi war criminals.

Tokyo Trials

Tribunals for Japanese war crimes after WWII.

Victor's Justice

Bias in justice favoring winning parties.

Ad hoc tribunals

Temporary courts established for specific cases.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Permanent court for prosecuting individuals for crimes.

Rome Statute

Treaty establishing the ICC, ratified in 2002.

Complementarity

ICC acts when national courts fail to prosecute.

Crimes Against Humanity

Widespread or systematic attacks against civilians.

Genocide

Intentional destruction of a national, ethnic group.

ICTY

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

ICTR

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1948 document outlining fundamental human rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Key figure in drafting the Universal Declaration.

Human Rights Covenants

International treaties on civil and political rights.

Basic Rights

Necessary rights for security and subsistence.

Cultural Relativism

Belief that rights vary by cultural context.

R2P

Responsibility to Protect; state obligation to prevent atrocities.