This year marks the 75th anniversary of what the UN itself understands to be its first peacekeeping operation. It is therefore an appropriate time to reflect on the track record of UN peacekeeping in its efforts to try to maintain and realize peace and security. Moreover, this milestone invites us to ponder what lies ahead in the realm of peacekeeping. For this reason, this forum article brings together both academics and UN officials to assess the achievements and challenges of UN peacekeeping over the past 75 years. Through a dialogue among peacekeeping scholars and practitioners, we hope to identify current trends and developments in UN peacekeeping, as well as explore priorities for the future to improve the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations in terms of achieving their mandate objectives, such as maintaining peace, protecting civilians, promoting human rights, and facilitating reconciliation. This forum article is structured into six thematic sections, each shedding light on various aspects of UN peacekeeping: (1) foundational principles of UN peacekeeping - namely, consent, impartiality, and the (non-)use of force; (2) protection of civilians; (3) the primacy of politics; (4) early warning; (5) cooperation with regional organizations; and (6) the changing geopolitical landscape in which UN peacekeeping operates.
Despite their different experiences during the Second World War Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are often looked upon as similar Scandinavian welfare states in many ways. However, their approach to the European Union and Nato in matters of security and defence politics, differs and this indicates that they might not be that similar after all. On the other hand they have all been active contributors to the efforts of conflict management by the international community. Providing military units to peace support operations all over the globe is consequently yet another similarity. In this book the strategic decision making procedures of the four states are explored and compared. The question whether the states are alike or different regarding the use of military force is hence in focus.
This article seeks to theorize the transformation of the armed forces in Northern Europe by examining its drivers during previous NATO enlargements in the region. The exploration includes the German reunification in 1990, the Polish entry in 1999, and the joining of the three Baltic States, i.e., Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in 2004. Based on these experiences, the article identifies some theoretical considerations for transformation in conjunction with the current accession process of Finland and Sweden. Based on a realist logic, we conclude that the ongoing transformation should be underpinned by a new operational design, hence considering the need for flexibility and for managing potential new expeditionary shocks. To this end, we argue that the focus must initially be internally within the Alliance, i.e., to proceed with novel operational planning for northern Europe before turning the attention to the transformation of the armed forces of the new members.
This article revisits the twenty-three Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)-missions launched before the economic crisis hit the EU and its Member States to generate conclusions that could assist in the strategy process in Brussels. Six questions anchored in the field of Strategic Studies are operationalized in an analytical framework. Extant EU policies are utilized to identify plausible answers. The analysis suggests that the EU must close the gap between words and deeds to become a more credible actor. It would help the EU to operationalize its ambitions by exploiting its broad portfolio of policy options and to vanguard the post-modern society in crisis management.
This study aims to increase the understanding on the strategic logic behind the un-led military non-force missions. Six out of 25 missions are evaluated to determine how strategy is elaborated within the un-system. The cases include observer missions, liaison missions and advisory missions. The analysis illuminates the interaction between the political and military strategic levels as well as the strategic awareness displayed by the un regarding non-force missions. Also the potential added value of non-force missions in peacekeeping is discussed. The authors conclude that there is an imbalance between the strategic preferences of the unsc and the unsg. The strategic awareness as well as the mission character is shown to differ between types of non-force missions. Their purpose seems to be keeping peace by observing war. It is up to the unsc and the unsg to judge whether passive oversight of the ongoing crisis is sufficient or if more active measures are justified.
Att utforma en försvarsdoktrin betyder att inom en given ekonomisk ram balansera förmågan att hantera hot och risker som ligger nära i tiden med behovet av att skapa långsiktig handlingsfrihet genom att utveckla kapacitet mot möjliga framtida hot och risker. Trots att flera argumenterat för vikten av balans finns få exempel på hur detta realiseras. Denna bok förklarar utvecklingen av svensk försvarsdoktrin sedan kalla krigets slut, och stödjer sig främst på officiella tryck från de politiska beslutsprocesserna.
Using primary sources from four Nordic countries, (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), this volume explores how small states have adjusted their military strategies in response to external shocks of the 21st century. The 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Russian interventions in Georgia and Ukraine, and the rise of the Islamic State have all forced the Nordic states to adopt new strategies. While the responses have not been uniform, their differing relations to the EU and NATO have not prevented these countries from behaving similarly in military affairs. Limitations in military capacity has led all four countries to pursue strategies that include cooperation with more resourceful partners. It is necessary for them to cooperate with others to protect and promote their national interests. Moreover, the Nordic cosmopolitan outlook expresses milieu-shaping ambitions that we generally would not expect small states to pursue against a potential great power aggressor.
This book will be of much interest to students of military strategy, defense studies, security studies, and international relations.
Dans un contexte politique tendu, l’opération Barkhane joue un rôle essentiel et trop méconnu pour la stabilisation du Mali. La Minusma coopère de façon étroite et les résultats sont réels pour stabiliser le pays, au prix d’efforts importants de la communauté internationale inscrits dans la durée.