UN Peacekeeping and Ambiguity in Normative UN Norms When UN peacekeeping missions get deployed, adherence to the UN norms helps the missions get legitimacy, earn credibility, and find better acceptance in society. The UN norms namely the three principles of peacekeeping, which were conceptualised in 1958 have further evolved with different interpretations making the norms ambiguous impacting the performance of the UN peacekeeping operations. A.K. Bardalai | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Turkmenistan’s Neutrality-Based Foreign Policy: Issues and Challenges The fluid geopolitical situation arising out of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine has added to the challenges of Turkmenistan’s leadership in implementing their stated neutrality-based foreign policy doctrine. Jason Wahlang | July 20, 2022 | Issue Brief
Iran’s Central Asia Policy Gains Momentum amid Russia–Ukraine War Iran has seen a sudden rise in its importance as a transit and transport hub connecting China and Central Asia to Europe, and also Russia with India. Deepika Saraswat | July 19, 2022 | Issue Brief
Political Impasse in Lebanon Lebanon is yet to witness the formation of a new stable government, two months after parliamentary elections. Jatin Kumar | July 18, 2022 | IDSA Comments
Technology as a Force Multiplier in Contemporary UN PKO Recent years have witnessed pronounced militarization and spread of global conflicts, throwing up new challenges to the UN on managing and resolving new conflicts. With the operating environment undergoing constant transformation, UN peace operations are experiencing a paradigm shift in their entire spectrum of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Climate security and COVID-19 pandemic have aggravated international tensions escalating political violence, social distress and economic decline. J.S. Lidder | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Understanding the Perspective of Women in UN Peacekeeping Missions Women in conflict throughout the world are taking significant risks to contribute to peace and security and their participation in peacekeeping operations has enhanced their role in peacebuilding and defending the rights of women. Women peacekeepers have proven themselves equal of their male counterparts in the execution of jobs under tough circumstances in all disciplines of peacekeeping. Pintu Kumar Mahla | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
India’s Contribution to Peacekeeping The United Nations (UN) was established post-Second World War in 1945 to prevent another catastrophe of that magnitude and to promote international peace and cooperation.1 The UN Charter aims to maintain international peace and security and to that end, take collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace and for the suppression of acts of aggression. Of all the activities undertaken by the UN, peacekeeping missions have attracted the greatest public attention. The concept of peacekeeping evolved in 1950. P.K. Chakravorty | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Role of Women in Terrorism in Africa Women play active roles in sustaining and facilitating extremist activities on the African continent. Saman Ayesha Kidwai , Sindhu Dinesh | July 15, 2022 | IDSA Comments
Air Power in UN Peacekeeping Air power has made its presence felt ever since the Wright Flyer took to the air in 1903. The air domain, over the years and in all conflicts, has established itself as a pivotal tool in the hands of the politician and of course, the military exponent. Its attributes of speed, reach, mobility and flexibility along with the ability to be employed in a logistics, humanitarian and/or an offensive role positions it as an ideal tool to be used in all aspects of peace operations. Indeed, India has been at the forefront of such missions for bringing-in peace in troubled lands far and wide. Manmohan Bahadur | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Regulating the Use of Force by United Nations Peace Support Operations: Balancing Promises and Outcomes by Charuka Ekanayake The United Nations Peace Support Operations (PSOs), originally envisaged for simple missions like monitoring ceasefires and facilitating negotiations during international armed conflicts, underwent a massive transformation after the end of the Cold War when the UN found itself involved in complex military operations embedded in violent intra-state conflicts. As civilians are increasingly subjected to brutality and atrocity in such conflicts, the use of force by the UN has become necessary for fulfilling its mandate for Protection of Civilians (POC) and Responsible to Protect (R2P). R. Vignesh | July-September 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
