Better peacekeepers, better protection? Troop quality of United Nations peace operations and violence against civilians
Haass, Felix, and Nadine Ansorg. Journal of Peace Research 55, no. 6 (2018): 742–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48567947.
Using statistical analyses, the study finds that higher quality and better equipped troops are better able to protect civilians from harm in internal conflict, and one-sided violence. This is due to a range of factors including better training, equipment, intelligence and diplomatic support. Protecting civilians requires monitoring whether peace agreements are being followed and holding persecutors accountable. Also, the strength of UN troops helps to prevent and deter violence against civilians more effectively. This study shows that troop quality, as well as troop diversity and size, contribute to mission success and should be a key consideration in mission planning. Furthermore, troop quality and mission success will likely create the optimum environment from which local people and initiatives can then build peace. Overall, this study shows that if we are to include a military component in a peace operation, we must ensure the troops are of the highest quality and training.