United Nations peacekeeping

United Nations peacekeeping is the deployment of international military, police, and civilian personnel under United Nations command to help countries transition from conflict to peace. Authorized by the United Nations Security Council and administered by the Department of Peace Operations, it is one of the principal instruments through which the United Nations addresses threats to international peace and security. It is distinguished from peacemaking, peace enforcement, and peacebuilding, although these activities may overlap in practice.

Peacekeeping is not mentioned in the United Nations Charter; it developed during the Cold War as an improvised response to crises the Security Council was unable to address through the originally planned collective security provisions. Peacekeeping is governed by three principles: there must be consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate. The mandates of UN peacekeeping missions have expanded significantly over time, from early observer deployments to multidimensional operations which may support complex peace agreements or protect civilians in active conflicts under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Peacekeepers may include soldiers, police, and civilian participants; they wear their home countries' uniforms and Blue Helmets or Blue Berets, which have become synonymous with UN peacekeeping.

Since 1948, more than two million people from 125 countries have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations; the forces were collectively awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. As of 2026, eleven operations are active, with a combined budget of $5.66 billion and around 53,000 personnel deployed from 117 countries, the largest contributors being Nepal, Rwanda, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Scholars have found that peacekeeping is associated with reduced conflict recurrence and fewer civilian casualties, although effectiveness varies with the local situation and a mission's mandate.

The current head of the Department of Peace Operations is Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who has held the office since 1 April 2017.