ABSTRACT
This chapter describes lessons learned by the peacekeepers in the field, from their service in former Yugoslavia. Since these military officers were deployed in one of the most difficult peacekeeping operations far, evaluation of their experiences may also be relevant for less complicated future operations. The analysis is based mainly on questionnaire interviews of officers who served in UN-led United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Most UNPROFOR peacekeepers say that they want to and can intervene against grave violations of human rights, and see the possibility of preventing atrocities. The chapter looks at the central challenges related to the adequacy and applicability of general UN peacekeeping principles, as well as the education and training of officers sent to the field to implement them. It shows how the officers in the field perceive the principles and the possibilities for applying them in the peacekeepers' day-to-day reality.
