The United Nations plays a central role in maintaining international peace and security, but its work in this area is broader and more varied than many people realise. From preventing disputes before they escalate, to helping negotiate peace agreements, supporting peacekeeping missions, authorising enforcement action, and assisting countries to rebuild after conflict, the UN uses a range of tools across the conflict cycle.

This session provides an introduction to the UN’s peace and security architecture, with a particular focus on the evolution of peacekeeping and the different forms that UN peace operations can take. Participants will explore the history of UN peacekeeping from its origins in 1948 through to the complex multidimensional missions of the present day. The course also explains the role of the Security Council and key Secretariat departments involved in peace operations, including the Department of Peace Operations, the Department of Operational Support, and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

The session introduces the five main types of UN peace and security activity: conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace enforcement, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. It also examines the differences between traditional peacekeeping, multidimensional peacekeeping and transitional authority missions, helping participants understand how UN responses vary depending on the nature of the conflict and the needs of the host country.

By the end of the session, participants will have a clearer understanding of how the UN seeks to maintain and restore peace, the challenges involved in this work, and the place of peacekeeping within the wider peace and security system.

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