ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the extent to which United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations can use force in self-defense. It gives an overview of UN peacekeeping operations and the legal principles governing these operations. The chapter examines the history and development of the use of force by UN peacekeeping operations. It details some recent examples of Security Council resolutions which authorized, either explicitly or implicitly, the use of force in a way that arguably expands this concept of self-defense even further. The chapter discusses the legal and practical implications this development has for the future of peacekeeping. In military terms there is a vast difference between a peacekeeping operation and peace-enforcement measures. This is particularly true of the military conduct and command structure of the operation and how it is equipped. The chapter gives a broad overview and some background to UN peacekeeping operations, their legal underpinnings and core characteristics.
