The United Nations has historically engaged in three phases of peacekeeping: early observer missions beginning in 1948, a post-Cold War surge in the 1990s, and present-day operations. UN peacekeeping has evolved from traditional unarmed observer missions monitoring ceasefires to more robust Chapter VII operations permitted to use force to defend mandates and civilians. Currently, over 100,000 UN peacekeepers from 124 contributor countries are deployed globally in various operations focused on conflict prevention, stabilization, peace agreement implementation, and transition of states to stable governance. However, peacekeeping also faces limitations like constraints on use of force and shortages of resources.

1. History and evolution
History of UN peacekeeping can be divided into three sections:
 The early years
 The post-cold war surge
 The present
The International Day for UN Peacekeepers is being observed on May 29 across the world including
Bangladesh. The first peace operation, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO),
was established in 1948 when the Security Council authorized the deployment of lightly armed UN
military observers to the Middle East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israeland its Arab
neighbors. Since that time, 69 UN peacekeeping operations have been deployed worldwide. Traditional
peacekeeping falls under Chapter VI (Pacific Settlement of Disputes) of the UN Charter,which stipulates
that there can be no use of force except in self-defense,and which requires the consent of the host
government and a ceasefire for deployment. Such traditional peacekeeping is typically focused on the
containment of conflicts between countries through border demarcation and the separation of forces after
inter-state wars. These traditional observer missions remained the norm up until the 1990s. However,the
end of the cold war signaled an increase in peace operations required to respond to intra-state conflict or
the containment of conflict within states,rather than simply to inter-state conflict. Deployed under
Chapter VII of the UN Charter (Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace,Breachesof the Peace and
Acts of Aggression), these operations are permitted to use force to defend themselves, the mission
mandate and civilians in imminent danger. The advent of the Agenda for Peace,a landmark report by
Boutros Boutros-Ghali on preventative diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping, marked the first time
that Chapter VII was invoked for this purpose.
Traditionally, UN peacekeeping operations fall into two main categories:
Observer missions: Observer missions usually consist of unarmed military and civilian personnel
who monitor the implementation of cease-fire agreements.
Peacekeeping forces: Peacekeeping forces are composed of lightly armed forces,and include
fully equipped infantry contingents
.
UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
 Consent of the parties;
 Impartiality;
 Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

2. Function of UN Peacekeeping force:
(a) Create a secure and stable environment while strengthening the State’s ability to provide
security, with full respect for the rule of law and human rights;
(b) Facilitate the political process by promoting dialogue and reconciliation and supporting the
establishment of legitimate and effective institutions of governance;
(c) Provide a framework for ensuring that all United Nations and other international actors
pursue their activities at the country-level.
 Peace Making
 Peace Building
 Humanitarian Assistance
 Peace Keeping
 Peace Enforcement
 Conflict Prevention
The Four Types ofMandates Chapter VII
 Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders;
 Stabilize conflict situations after a ceasefire, to create an environment for the parties to
reach a lasting peace agreement;
 Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements;
 Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic
principles, good governance and economic development.
Apart from this there are also has other mandate such as…
• Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants;
• Mine action;
• Security sector reform and other rule of law-related activities;
• Protection and promotion of human rights;
• Electoral assistance;
• Support for the restoration and extension of State authority;
• Promotion of social and economic recovery and development.

3. Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus 27 July2017
Present conditionof UN peacekeeping force-
As of 31 May 2017, UN peacekeeping workforce in the field consisted of:
 83,499 serving troops and military observers
 12,494 police personnel;
 5,043 international civilian personnel (31 December 2016);
 10,276 local civilian staff (31 December 2016);
 1,599 UN Volunteers.
124 countries contributed military and police personnel.
The UN does not have its own military force; it depends on contributions from Member States.
In addition to maintaining peace and security, peacekeepers are increasingly charged with
assisting in political processes; reforming judicial systems; training law enforcement and police
forces; disarming and reintegrating former combatants; supporting the return of internally
displaced persons and refugees.
Limitation:Chain of command is strictly followed here that’s why it has some limitation
such as-
1. Can’t fire without life risk of themselves.
2. Short number of troops regarding a camp .
3. Short number of equipment.
4. Lack of resources.
5. Can’t avoid political pressure.
So Frustration with the peacekeepers is rife.