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The UN doctrine for Peacekeeping operations is based on three fundamental principles for obtaining legitimacy for military operations. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the change in the UN Security Council's view of legitimacy and the use of force in the context of the UN Peacekeeping Operation in Mali between 2013 -2016, and how this has been demonstrated in the robust mandate authorized by the UN Security Council. Using Fairclough´s Critical Discourse Analysis Model, together with the resolutions and debates from the Security Council that constitutes the MINUSMA mandate and is the basis for this analysis.

The analytical results identify two significant changes in the Security Council's view regarding legitimacy and methods, including the use of force applied in the field to defend the integrity of the mandate. Firstly, the view of legitimacy changes from extending support to host-nation authorities, to instead supporting the implementation of the peace agreements. Secondly, the Security Council's view on the use of legitimate force switches from defensive operations to preventive measures. This study fills a research gap on robust mandates, and how the UN's highest decision-making body is evolving its view on legitimacy in peacekeeping operations.