Peacekeeping works: The UN can help end civil wars

AuthorA. Walter Dorn,Robin Collins
DOI10.1177/0020702020917167
Published date01 March 2020
Date01 March 2020
Subject MatterPolicy Brief
Policy Brief
Peacekeeping works:
The UN can help end
civil wars
A. Walter Dorn
Department of Defence Studies, Royal Military College and
Canadian Forces College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Robin Collins
World Federalist Movement—Canada, Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
Abstract
Despite some harsh criticisms of United Nations (UN) peace operations, research
demonstrates that many UN missions are successful, though evaluations depend on
how success is defined. Even UN missions that fail in one or more aspects provide a net
benefit to peace processes and help to save lives and alleviate human suffering. While an
understanding of the flaws and limitations of peace operations can help improve the
operations, some unfair criticism must be directly challenged. For instance, contrary
to critiques in a recent paper by S
everine Autesserre, the UN has helped end civil
wars, and it does not have a fixation on elections nor does it ignore the bottom-up
approach. Most UN multidimensional missions pursue multiple levels of engagement,
from local to national leaders. Elections are a key way to engage locals. With decades
of experience, the UN has many positive lessons to offer in making, keeping, and
building peace.
Keywords
Peacekeeping, elections, failure, peacebuilding, peace operations, success
Corresponding author:
A. Walter Dorn, Department of Defence Studies, Royal Military College and Canadian Forces College, 215
Yonge Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, M5M 3H9, Canada.
Email: walter.dorn@rmc.ca
International Journal
2020, Vol. 75(1) 95–103
!The Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0020702020917167
journals.sagepub.com/home/ijx

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