36 CLAIRE BRESCHARD
The second concept that is worth reflecting upon is the meaning of ‘peacekeeping
operations’. The UN admits that the concept “defies simple definition” (Hartley and
Utley 2006: 2). In 1956, the first peacekeeping operation UNEF I (United Nations
Emergency Force, commissioned to manage the peaceful withdrawal of Israeli,
French and British forces from Egypt after the Suez Crisis) defined peacekeeping “on
the principles of consent, non-use of force, voluntary contributions from small neutral
countries, impartiality and control by the Secretary-General of the United Nations”
(Hansen et al, quoted in Ansari 2006: 135). With the evolution of world politics and
the changing nature of conflict, peacekeeping operations have distanced themselves
from the original definition given in 1956. Traditional operations have been replaced
by second- and third-generation peacekeeping,2 which entails wider, multilateral
mandates. They have also brought to an end the principles of impartiality and consent
and present a more extensive use of force. Furthermore, the UN, traditionally the only
actor to lead peacekeeping operations, is now being challenged by individual states,
which tend to engage in peacekeeping operations with or without its consent (the
coalition invaded Iraq against UN consent) and have adopted their own approach
towards peacekeeping. According to Ansari (2006), this shift in the nature of the
operations is symptomatic of a new paradigm in which the necessity to maintain
peace in certain areas of the world has become central to European and American
geo-political aspirations. However, if this move from the periphery to the centre of
world politics can be observed in practice, Ansari (2006: 135-136) argues that the
theorisation of this new paradigm remains unclear:
This disjuncture between theory and practice has undoubtedly proved
problematic as theories of peacekeeping founded on a Realist conception
of International Relations, and framed within an outlook determined by
the Cold War, have been transferred wholesale to theatres of operation to
which they are ill-suited.
2
Second-generation: implementation of peace agreements, peacemaking and peacebuilding. Thirdgeneration: a combination of military and civilian activities