Based on a case study analysis of the Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haiti (MINUSTAH), the essay answers the question of how and under which criteria one can assess whether peacekeeping operations are successful. The paper shows that while the criteria of short-term analyses are the most prominent ones in the literature, they are not universally applicable and that there is a need to establish common criteria for the assessment of peacekeeping missions that focus on the long-term consequences of such missions. Regarding the success of MINUSTAH, it is concluded that it was neither a (full) success for the UN nor for the Haitian population.
Since 1948 the UN has deployed more than seventy peacekeeping missions (UN Peacekeeping n.d.). Peacekeeping operations can be defined as operations, which were deployed with or without the compliance of belligerent parties, depending on international legislation and mandate to sustain and implement a peaceful environment impartially and without using combat arms, if not necessary.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature review
2.1 Mandate
2.2 Short-term analyses
2.3 Long-term analyses
2.4 Conclusion of the Literature Review
3. Methodology
3.1 Case selection
3.2 Data selection
4. Background chapter on MINUSTAH
5. Research chapter on the success of MINUSTAH
5.1 Short-term analysis
5.2 Mandate and long-term analysis
5.3 Stability
5.4 Security
5.5 Elections
5.6 Political, economic, and social development
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to investigate the criteria used to evaluate the success of peacekeeping operations by challenging the universality of standard short-term metrics. Through a detailed case study of MINUSTAH (2004–2017) in Haiti, the research examines whether existing scholarly frameworks are applicable to multidimensional missions in environments without an active war or formal peace agreement.
- Critique of existing peacekeeping success definitions.
- Distinction between short-term conflict containment and long-term positive peace.
- Analysis of MINUSTAH's multidimensional mandate and its implementation.
- Evaluation of stability, security, elections, and socio-economic development in Haiti.
- Assessment of the mission's legitimacy and the impact of controversies.
Excerpt from the Book
Short-term analyses
As the UN started to commit peacekeeping troops in situations of ongoing conflict after the end of the Cold War, the capacity of such missions to not only keep but also make peace has been added as a criterion (Salvatore and Ruggeri 2017, 5-6). Due to that, success has been assessed based on the duration of war, and peacekeeping missions are awaited to “reduce the length of conflict and facilitate peaceful settlement” (Salvatore and Ruggeri 2017, 6). Although this criterion for success bears the risk of a conflation of peacekeeping with peacemaking, these two criteria have become common measures of the success of peacekeeping operations (Salvatore and Ruggeri 2017, 6).
A criterion that is often mentioned, for example by Ruggeri et al. (Salvatore and Ruggeri 2017, 6), Salvatore and Ruggeri (2017, 2), and Pushkina (2006, 133), is the ability of such missions to put an end to the conflict. Especially for Diehl, this criterion is the most important one (Salvatore and Ruggeri 2017, 4).
In relation to this measure, many scholars include in their set of criteria the protection of civilians, for instance Salvatore and Ruggeri (2017,2) as well as Bratt (Sigri and Basar 2014, 392), and lowering their suffering (Pushkina 2006, 133).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the research rationale, defines peacekeeping, and presents the research question regarding appropriate success criteria for UN missions.
Literature review: Critically discusses academic perspectives on mandate fulfilment, short-term conflict limitation, and long-term peacebuilding.
Methodology: Justifies the selection of MINUSTAH as a case study due to its multidimensional nature and the specific context of the Haitian situation.
Background chapter on MINUSTAH: Traces the political and historical context of Haiti leading to the 2004 establishment of the mission.
Research chapter on the success of MINUSTAH: Analyzes the mission's performance across pillars like stability, security, democratic elections, and socio-economic impacts.
Conclusion: Synthesizes findings, emphasizing the need for new long-term assessment criteria and evaluating MINUSTAH as a mixed or unsuccessful mission.
Keywords
Peacekeeping, MINUSTAH, Haiti, Success Criteria, Conflict Resolution, Multidimensional Missions, Mandate Fulfilment, Short-term Analysis, Long-term Analysis, Positive Peace, Security Sector Reform, Political Stability, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, United Nations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This work examines how we define and assess the success of UN peacekeeping operations, arguing that standard metrics often fail to capture the complexity of modern, multidimensional missions.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The paper covers the literature on peacekeeping success, the evolution of mandate criteria, and a practical application of these theories to the case of MINUSTAH in Haiti.
What is the core research question?
The research asks: "How and under which criteria can we assess whether peacekeeping operations are successful?"
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a case study analysis of the MINUSTAH mission (2004–2017), comparing existing theoretical success criteria against the mission's outcomes.
What is discussed in the main part of the paper?
The main section analyzes the implementation of MINUSTAH's mandate, focusing on pillars such as stability, security, election facilitation, and overall socio-economic development.
Which keywords define this work?
Key concepts include peacekeeping, success criteria, MINUSTAH, multidimensional missions, conflict resolution, and long-term peacebuilding.
Why was the MINUSTAH mission considered unique?
It was unique because Haiti faced neither an ongoing war nor a formal peace process, and the mission was the first multidimensional operation in the country.
What was the conclusion regarding MINUSTAH's success?
The paper concludes that MINUSTAH was largely unsuccessful, citing mixed results, difficulties in mandate fulfilment, and major scandals involving human rights and the cholera outbreak.
- Quote paper
- Carolina Gerwin (Author), 2019, Peacekeeping operations. How and under which criteria can we assess whether they are successful?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/510894
