ABSTRACT
The protection of human rights is a fundamental purpose of the United Nations (UN) in its avowed commitment, “to save generations from the scourge of war”. Despite its seemingly universal acceptance, human rights protection has been dogged with controversy that limited the organization’s ability to enforce it. Peacekeeping evolved during the Suez crisis to prevent a war between the major powers. Early architects of peacekeeping included Lester Pearson, Canada’s UN ambassador, and Under Secretary General, Ralph Bunche. The UN’s non-interventionist traditional peacekeeping operational doctrine, that lacks requisite “muscle” and was originally designed for inter-state conflicts, seems an inappropriate doctrine to protect civilians in post-Cold war violent civil wars. The constituent elements of successful robust peacekeeping are well-equipped and trained large troop contingents, heavy weapons, major powers participation, and robust rules of engagement. Thus in robust peacekeeping, the principles governing “traditional peacekeeping” have been significantly altered.
