Peacekeeping and the protection of civilians
By: Lisa Hultman, Jacob D Kathman, Megan Shannon
Abstract:
From the perspective of many policymakers and analysts, the United Nations is a futile organization. Such sentiments are often expressed both within and outside the UN. The UN has been disparaged by former United States President Donald Trump as an ‘underperformer’(Trump 2016), while Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to the UN, described the UN’s management of the politics surrounding human rights as a ‘cesspool’(Koran 2018). 1 Former UN Assistant Secretary General Anthony Branbury has claimed that the UN is ‘failing’to meet its mission ‘thanks to colossal mismanagement’(Reuters 2016). And Max Boot (2000, p. 143), Senior Fellow for National Security at the Council on Foreign Relations, has described the UN as ‘paving the road to hell’in its expanding international commitments. Even casual observers are skeptical of the UN’s competence.