Democratization and UN Peacebuilding
Democratization and UN Peacebuilding
  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Methodology
  • Publications
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • More
    • Home
    • About
    • Team
    • Methodology
    • Publications
    • Events
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Methodology
  • Publications
  • Events
  • Contact Us

ABOUT the project

Do UN peacekeeping operations inadvertently enable authoritarianism in countries where they are deployed? 


This is the question we are seeking to answer in a research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) from Novemeber 2018 - October 2022.

 

Most peacekeeping missions take place in authoritarian or semi-authoritarian contexts, and seek to overcome the legacies of conflict by overseeing transitions to democracy. However, many countries hosting peacekeeping operations still retain some elements of authoritarian rule. 


We argue that UN peacekeeping missions can inadvertently enable authoritarian practices even when their stated aims involve the promotion of democracy.  We identify two mechanisms through which this enabling occurs: 

  • by building the capacity of incumbent elites
  • by signalling a permissive environment for authoritarian behaviour.


First, the UN’s assistance to the host government – for example, in the form of increasing military or police effectiveness – can enhance autocratic leaders’ capacity for repression. 


Second, UN’s muted criticism of authoritarian practices – for example, of electoral malpractice of political repression – can send a signal that such behaviour is tolerated, further emboldening autocratic elites.  


We investigate UN peacekeeping officials’ decision-making as they formulate responses to authoritarian behaviour. We argue that the responses fall on a spectrum from robust enforcement of democratic norms to ignoring, downplaying, or even concealing violations. Individual characteristics, organizational culture of their unit, and the relations with the rest of the UN system shape how UN peacekeeping officials respond to democratic norm violations by the host government.  


We test our argument by analysing four UN peacekeeping operations:   


  • United Nations Organization Mission and Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC / MONUSCO) 
  • United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
  • United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) 
  • United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)


Discover more

Team

Publications

Methodology

Meet the researchers leading this project

Methodology

Publications

Methodology

Discover our research approaches and data sources

Publications

Publications

Publications

Explore our recent publications and forthcoming book

Events

Publications

Publications

View the events in which we have participated and future plans

Subscribe

Sign up to hear about updates and events

Copyright © 2022 Democratization and UN Peacebuilding - All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Contact Us

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

DeclineAccept