Download This PaperThe Use of Force Beyond Self-Defence by UN Peacekeepers: Justifications and Implications for the Future of UN Peacekeeping
The Irish Yearbook of International Law (2025), Volume 16 (2021-2022), Pp. 7-34 <https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-yearbook-of-international-law-volume-16-20212022-9781509984329/>
39 Pages Posted: 19 May 2025 Last revised: 24 May 2025
Date Written: July 25, 2023
Abstract
Over the past seven decades, UN peacekeeping has evolved into a complex operation with the authority to use force beyond self-defence under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to carry out mandates such as the protection of civilians. This shift has numerous implications, including an apparent conflict with the core tenets of UN peacekeeping: consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defence, putting the very essence of UN peacekeeping at risk. This article examines the rationale for authorising such an excessive amount of force for UN peacekeeping operations, as well as the associated implications, in order to assess the future of UN peacekeeping.
Keywords: United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs), enforcement action, use of force, self-defence, protection of civilians.
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
The Use of Force Beyond Self-Defence by UN Peacekeepers: Justifications and Implications for the Future of UN Peacekeeping
(July 25, 2023). The Irish Yearbook of International Law (2025), Volume 16 (2021-2022), Pp. 7-34 <https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-yearbook-of-international-law-volume-16-20212022-9781509984329/>, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5260262 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5260262