What is peacekeeping? How does it differ from peacebuilding and peacemaking? What are some of the problems associated with these tasks? Which one of these tasks do you think is easiest for the UN to achieve? Justify your rationale using an example.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. Compare and contrast the three concepts. Peacekeeping is the use of military peacekeepers, civilian administrators, police trainers, and similar efforts to maintain peace in a post-conflict area. Peacebuilding is the use of UN peacekeepers to sustain peace agreements and build stable, democratic governments in societies recovering from civil wars. Peacemaking is the use of UN peacekeepers not only to monitor a cease-fire but also to enforce it if it breaks down.
2. Explain some problems with these tasks. Peacekeeping forces have generally been unable to make peace, only to keep it. To go into a shooting war and suppress hostilities requires military forces far beyond those of past UN peacekeeping missions. Peacebuilding is a lengthy process given the nature of the objective. Peacemaking does not necessarily require the consent of the warring parties, which endangers the UN's neutrality.
3. Discuss which one is more likely to be successful. For instance, students might claim that peacekeeping is more likely to be successful because the consent of the warring parties is ensured before sending in the UN forces.
4. Justify your rationale using an example. For instance, the UN has had a peacekeeping presence in Cyprus since 1964 that has been mostly successful.
5. Offer a concise summary and effective conclusion.