“To Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War”: An Examination of United Nations Peace Keeping and Support Provided by External Actors

2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the beginning of United Nations Peacekeeping. In the past seven decades, hundreds of thousands of men and women, from nearly every nation, have put themselves in harm’s way in the name of peace. As conflicts continue to affect the lives of millions of people, peacekeeping has never been more important. This paper seeks to examine United Nations peacekeeping and the role of various actors in helping them to achieve the lofty goal of sustainable and stable peace. By utilizing academic literature, primary sources, and expert interviews, this paper will analyze United Nations peacekeeping and examine its history and evolution from ceasefire monitoring to capacity building. It will also explore the complex and vital role of external actors in keeping global peace, with a strong emphasis on their role within the United Nations framework. These external actors, the European Union, the African Union, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, and the Helvetic Confederation represent important actors within the international community and are powerful partners of the United Nations in peacekeeping