UN Peacekeeping's Civilian Protection Efforts Hinge on Government Cooperation
A new study finds that host governments' willingness to cooperate dramatically shapes whether UN peacekeeping missions can protect civilians effectively. The research reveals consent matters—but inconsistently across different protection activities—suggesting donors and policymakers need clearer benchmarks for mission success.
Originaltitel: The Impact of Host-State Consent on the Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping
<p>This article examines how host-state consent affects the implementation of different sets of Protection of Civilians (POC) activities. Given the centrality of POC to UN peacekeeping, it is therefore important to understand the factors impacting its implementation. We argue that effectively conducting POC-activities – including supporting state capacity-building, human rights reporting, physical protection, and supporting dialogue – hinges on host-state consent. Based on an analysis of UNMISS and MINUSCA, this article provides support for our argument that the quality of host-state consent can significantly affect the implementation of UN peacekeepers’ POC-activities, but shows that such impacts are not necessarily uniform across different sets of efforts.</p>