This paper discusses the role of UN peacekeeping missions at the case of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by looking into its first ten years of
operation. The author comes to the conclusion that UNIFIL failed to achieve what it was
established for, but at the same time points out that inefficient or even ineffective UN
peacekeeping missions do nothing to undermine the general idea and justifiability of
peacekeeping as a measure for inter-state or infra-state conflict resolution. Since its formation in 1945, the United Nations Organization has engaged in numerous
peacekeeping missions around the world, the first of which was installed in 1956 to
resolve the Suez-crisis. Some of those missions have been concluded in rather short
periods of time. Others, as will become apparent throughout this text, have not been
concluded successfully even after decades. This text will critically discuss on the role and
effectiveness of UN peacekeeping missions by taking a closer look at the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) which was formed and consequently put into action
in 1978 – but has proved to be unable to fulfill its mandate until today. By analyzing the
case of UNIFIL the author will illustrate some of the major problems which impair such
peacekeeping missions from being concluded successfully, and eventually cause them to
last for decades.
For this purpose, the first part of this text will be dedicated to what constitutes an UN
peacekeeping mission. In the second part of this text the author will briefly provide
background information on UNIFIL and major events that took place between 1978 and
1988 – a period by itself considered long enough by the author to make a qualified
judgment about UNIFIL’s effectiveness since it was actually supposed to serve as “ ‘an
interim measure until the Government of Lebanon assumes its full responsibilities in
southern Lebanon’ ” (Thakur, 1987, p. 40). [...]
Table of Contents
1. THE CONCEPT OF PEACEKEEPING
2A. UNIFIL (1978-1988)
BACKGROUND
2B. GOALS: INTENTION AND REALITY
1. CONFIRMING THE WITH DRAWAL OF ISRAELI FORCES
2. RESTORING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
3. ASSISTING THE GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON IN ENSURING THE RETURN OF ITS EFFECTIVE AUTHORITY IN THE AREA
3. UNIFIL – CAUSES FOR FAILURE
1. GENERAL PROBLEMS WITH UN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS VALID FOR UNIFIL
a) The nature of UN peacekeeping missions
b) The principle of visibility and predictability
c) A lack of preparation and coordination
2. SPECIFIC PROBLEMS TO UNIFIL
a) The political environment before the invasion in 1978
b) Lack of local consent
c) Peacekeeping in occupied territory
d) Shifting focus away from original goals
4. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON UNIFIL
REASONS
COULD HAVE BEEN DONE MORE TO COUNTER THE PROBLEMS?
5. IMPLICATIONS OF THE UNIFIL CASE ON THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the effectiveness and appropriateness of United Nations peacekeeping missions, focusing on the first decade of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The core research goal is to determine why UNIFIL struggled to meet its mandate and whether these failures undermine the legitimacy of peacekeeping as a tool for international conflict resolution.
- Evolution and nature of UN peacekeeping operations.
- Evaluation of UNIFIL's performance against its original strategic goals.
- Analysis of general and specific systemic causes for mission failure.
- Assessment of the impact of political environments on peacekeeping efficacy.
- Review of the future role and necessary reforms for UN peacekeeping in the 21st century.
Excerpt from the Book
3. UNIFIL – causes for failure
As illustrated in the preceding part of this paper, UNIFIL was merely able to achieve one of the three objectives it originally was designed to accomplish. Taking this fact into consideration then leads to the conclusion that UNIFIL has failed its purpose. In this section I will point to some of the major reasons that prevented UNIFIL from successfully accomplishing its task. The reader should at this point bear in mind that the illustrated problems are not necessarily specific to UNIFIL but may occur in other peacekeeping missions as well. Sometimes it is just the unique combination of factors that causes one mission to fail and the other to succeed.
1. General problems with UN peacekeeping missions valid for UNIFIL
a) The nature of UN peacekeeping missions
A major factor contributing to the fact that UNIFIL was unable to ‘confirm withdrawal of Israeli troops’ is the very design of UN peacekeeping troops and their mandates. By definition they are not designed to enforce peace, or other military objectives, in any conflict. For several reasons UN peacekeeping troops cannot actually prevent any party from doing what it deems appropriate: They lack a mandate to actively engage in the conflict and may use their weapons only for the sake of self-defense.
Summary of Chapters
1. THE CONCEPT OF PEACEKEEPING: This chapter defines the evolution of UN peacekeeping, distinguishing between inter-state observer missions and infra-state peacekeeping operations.
2A. UNIFIL (1978-1988): Provides a historical background on the formation of UNIFIL following the 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
2B. GOALS: INTENTION AND REALITY: Analyzes the gap between the UN mandates and the actual outcomes regarding Israeli withdrawal and the restoration of Lebanese authority.
3. UNIFIL – CAUSES FOR FAILURE: Explores systemic obstacles including mandate design, lack of local consent, and the complexity of operating in occupied territory.
4. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON UNIFIL: Evaluates the reasons for mission failure and discusses potential alternatives that could have been implemented.
5. IMPLICATIONS OF THE UNIFIL CASE ON THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY: Discusses the broader justification for peacekeeping despite individual mission failures and suggests paths for future institutional improvement.
Keywords
UNIFIL, United Nations, Peacekeeping, Lebanon, Conflict Resolution, Mandate, Security Council, Israeli-Lebanese Border, International Politics, Diplomacy, Military Operations, Crisis Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this study?
The study evaluates the effectiveness of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) during its first ten years, analyzing why the mission struggled to fulfill its mandate.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the structural limitations of UN peacekeeping, the necessity of local consent, the impact of political division among stakeholders, and the humanitarian side-tasks of UN missions.
What is the author's main research question?
The author investigates whether the failure of UNIFIL to meet its objectives serves as evidence that peacekeeping is an ineffective or unjustifiable instrument of international politics.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The study utilizes a critical qualitative analysis of UN resolutions, operational history, and relevant political literature from the 1978-1988 period to assess mission performance.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the definition of peacekeeping, the background of the Lebanese conflict, an analysis of the mission's failure, and a discussion on potential improvements for future mandates.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as UNIFIL, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, mandate, legitimacy, and international political failure.
How does the author characterize the role of the Security Council?
The author argues that the Security Council's divisions and failure to consult all relevant parties, such as the PLO, during the drafting of resolutions created a cycle of ineffectiveness for UNIFIL.
Does the author consider UN peacekeeping a failure in general?
No, the author concludes that despite specific failures like UNIFIL, peacekeeping remains a necessary and justifiable tool that often provides vital stability and humanitarian relief to affected populations.
- Quote paper
- David Federhen (Author), 2004, A decade of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon)- A critical approach to the effectiveness and appropriateness of UN-peacekeeping based on the example of UNIFIL, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/26777
