Incredible Commitments: How UN Peacekeeping Failures Shape Peace Processes

Warring parties turn to UN peacekeeping and peacemaking even when they think it will fail because of the structural consequences of UN interventions and the unique tactical, symbolic, and post-conflict reconstruction benefits only the UN can offer.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 223 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Why do warring parties turn to United Nations peacekeeping and peacemaking even when they think it will fail?

Dayal's inquiry delves into the resilience of UN peacekeeping and its significance in making peace. She raises two crucial points:

Firstly, Dayal argues that the United Nations' central role in peacemaking and peacekeeping across the globe imparts structural consequences. The actions taken by the UN in one conflict can significantly impact the strategies, outcomes, and options available to negotiating parties in other conflicts.

Secondly, drawing on interviews, archival research, and process-traced peace negotiations in Rwanda and Guatemala, Dayal demonstrates that warring parties turn to the UN even when they have limited faith in peacekeepers' ability to uphold peace agreements and even when they have little genuine interest in peace. The UN's involvement in negotiation processes offers unique tactical, symbolic, and post-conflict reconstruction benefits that only the UN can provide.

These compelling arguments shed light on the complex dynamics and motivations behind warring parties' engagement with UN peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts.

ISBN-13: 9781108824095