List of United Nations peacekeeping missions

UN refugee camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
UN peacekeeping missions, dark blue = current, light blue = former.

This is a list of UN peacekeeping missions since the United Nations was founded in 1945, with the dates of deployment, the name of the related conflict, and the name of the UN operation. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. UN peacekeepers—soldiers and military officers, civilian police officers and civilian personnel from many countries—monitor and observe peace processes that emerge in post-conflict situations and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. All operations must include the resolution of conflicts through the use of force to be considered valid under the charter of the United Nations.

IDP camp in Sudan resulting from the Darfur conflict.

The Charter of the United Nations gives the Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations. Most of these operations are established and implemented by the United Nations itself with troops serving under UN operational command. In other cases, where direct UN involvement is not considered appropriate or feasible, the Council authorizes regional organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Economic Community of West African States or coalitions of willing countries to implement certain peacekeeping or peace enforcement functions. In modern times, peacekeeping operations have evolved into many different functions, including diplomatic relations with other countries, international bodies of justice (such as the International Criminal Court), and eliminating problems such as landmines that can lead to new incidents of fighting.

Contents

Completed missions

Africa

Dates of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1960–1964 United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo Congo Crisis [1]
1988–1991 United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I) Flag of Angola Angola Angolan Civil War [2]
1989–1990 United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) Flag of Namibia Namibia Namibian War of Independence [3]
1991–1995 United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II) Flag of Angola Angola Angolan Civil War [4]
1992–1994 United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) Flag of Mozambique Mozambique Mozambican Civil War [5]
1992–1993 United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) Flag of Somalia Somalia Somali Civil War [6]
1993–1997 United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) Flag of Liberia Liberia First Liberian Civil War [7]
1993–1994 United Nations Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR) Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Rwandan Civil War [8]
Flag of Uganda Uganda
1993–1996 United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Rwandan Civil War [9]
1993–1995 United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) Flag of Somalia Somalia Somali Civil War [10]
1994 United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group (UNASOG) Flag of Chad Chad Aouzou Strip dispute [11]
Flag of Libya Libya
1995–1997 United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III) Flag of Angola Angola Angolan Civil War [12]
1997–1999 United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) Flag of Angola Angola Angolan Civil War [13]
1998–1999 United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) Flag of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Sierra Leone civil war [14]
1998–2000 United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) Flag of the Central African Republic Central African Republic Central African Republic mutinies [15]
1999–2005 United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) Flag of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Sierra Leone civil war [16]
2000–2008 United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Flag of Eritrea Eritrea Eritrean-Ethiopian War [17]
Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia
2004–2007 United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) Flag of Burundi Burundi Burundi Civil War [18]

Americas

Dates of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1965–1966 Mission of the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Dominican Republic (DOMREP) Flag of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Operation Power Pack [19]
1989–1992 United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) Flag of Costa Rica1 Central America Nicaraguan Civil War [20]
Flag of El Salvador
Flag of Guatemala
Flag of Honduras
Flag of Nicaragua
1991–1995 United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) Flag of El Salvador El Salvador El Salvador Civil War [21]
1993–1996 United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) Flag of Haiti Haiti 1991 coup and military rule in Haiti [22]
1996–1997 United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) Flag of Haiti Haiti Stabilizing Haiti's new democracy [23]
1997 United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) Flag of Guatemala Guatemala Guatemalan Civil War [24]
1997 United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH) Flag of Haiti Haiti Training of the Haitian National Police [25]
1997–2000 United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) Flag of Haiti Haiti Training of the Haitian National Police [26]
2000–2001 United Nations General Assembly International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH) Flag of Haiti Haiti Training of the Haitian National Police [27]

1  Shown are the flags of the five countries in which ONUCA operated. They are in this order (sorted alphabetically): Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Asia

Dates of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1962–1963 United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea (UNSF) Flag of Republic of West Papua1 West New Guinea Indonesian takeover of West New Guinea [28]
Flag of the Netherlands
Flag of Indonesia
1965–1966 United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM) Flag of India India Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 [29]
Flag of Pakistan Pakistan
1988–1990 United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGOMAP) Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan Soviet invasion of Afghanistan [30]
Flag of Pakistan Pakistan
1991–1992 United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) Flag of Cambodia Cambodia Vietnamese Occupation of Cambodia [31]
1992–1993 United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) Flag of Cambodia Cambodia Vietnamese Occupation of Cambodia [32]
1994–2000 United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) Flag of Tajikistan Tajikistan Tajikistan Civil War [33]
1999 United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) Flag of East Timor2 East Timor Indonesian invasion and occupation [34]
Flag of Indonesia
1999–2002 The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) Flag of East Timor2 East Timor Indonesian invasion and occupation [35]
Flag of Indonesia
2002–2005 United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) Flag of East Timor East Timor Indonesian invasion and occupation [36]

1  The first flag shown is that of the West Papua (West New Guinea), the country that had been arranged to succeed the Dutch colony. However, the Netherlands, whose flag is the second shown, was later forced to hand over the territory to Indonesia, whose flag is last.

2  Shown are the flags of the newly independent East Timor and its former occupier, Indonesia (in that order).

Europe

Dates of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1992–1995 United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina1 Former Yugoslavia Yugoslav wars [37]
Flag of Croatia
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia
Flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
1994–1996 United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) Flag of Croatia Croatia Croatian War [38]
1995–2002 United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian War [39]
1995–1999 United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Aftermath of the Yugoslav wars [40]
1996–1998 United Nations Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) Flag of Croatia Croatia Croatian War [41]
1996–2002 United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) Flag of Croatia2 Prevlaka Peninsula Prevlaka territorial dispute [42]
Flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
1998 United Nations Civilian Police Support Group (UNPSG) Flag of Croatia Croatia Croatian War [43]

1  This mission operated within the current successor states to the Former Yugoslavia of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The flags are shown in this order.

2  Prevlaka Peninsula was claimed by both Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and the flags are shown in this order. Upon resolution, all parties accepted Croatia's claim to the territory.

Middle East

Dates of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1956–1967 First United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF I) Flag of Egypt Egypt Suez Crisis, Six-Day War [44]
Flag of Israel Israel
1958 United Nations Observation Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL) Flag of Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon crisis of 1958 [45]
1962–1964 United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (UNYOM) Flag of Yemen Arab Republic Yemen Yemen Civil War (See also Yemen Arab Republic) [46]
1973–1979 Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) Flag of Egypt Egypt Yom Kippur War [47]
Flag of Israel Israel
1988–1991 United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) Flag of Iran Iran Iran–Iraq War [48]
Flag of Iraq Iraq
1991–2003 United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) Flag of Iraq Iraq Gulf War [49]
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait

Current deployment

Africa

Start of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1991 United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Flag of Western Sahara Western Sahara Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara [50]
1999 United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Second Congo War [51]
2003 United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Flag of Liberia Liberia Second Liberian Civil War [52]
2004 United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire [53]
2005 United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) Flag of Sudan Sudan Second Sudanese Civil War [54]
2007 United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Flag of Sudan Sudan Darfur Conflict [55]
2007 United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) Flag of ChadFlag of the Central African Republic Chad, Central African Republic Darfur Conflict, War in Chad (2005–present) [56]

Americas

Start of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
2004 United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) Flag of Haiti Haiti 2004 Haiti rebellion [57]

Asia

Start of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1949 United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) Flag of India India Indo-Pakistani Wars [58]
Flag of Pakistan Pakistan
2006 United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) Flag of East Timor East Timor 2006 East Timor crisis [59]

Europe

Start of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1964 United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Flag of Cyprus1 Cyprus Cyprus dispute [60]
Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
1993 United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia Abkhazian War [61]
1999 United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Flag of Kosovo2 Kosovo Kosovo War [62]
Flag of Serbia

1  The United Nations and all foreign governments but Turkey recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, whose flag is shown first, over the whole island of Cyprus. The second flag is that of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a de facto state, by virtue of controlling the northern third of the island, which is recognized only by Turkey and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

2  The top flag is the flag of Kosovo. The bottom flag is the flag of Serbia, used by Republic of Serbia which claims sovereignty over Kosovo. For more see Kosovo.

Middle East

Start of operation Name of Operation Location Conflict Website
1948 United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) MiddleEast.png1 Middle East (Monitors the various ceasefires and assists UNDOF and UNIFIL) [63]
1974 United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Flag of Israel Golan Heights Agreed withdrawal by Syrian and Israeli forces following the Yom Kippur War. [64]
Flag of Lebanon
Flag of Syria2
1978 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Flag of Lebanon Lebanon Israeli invasion of Lebanon and 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict [65]

1  There is no officially recognized flag of the entire region of the Middle East. Shown is a map of the Middle East.

2  Various regions of the Golan Heights have been claimed by Israel, Lebanon, and Syria; all three flags are shown, in alphabetical order.

See also

References

See individual mission websites with their listing.