UN Peacekeeping Operations

Abstract

Multilateral cooperation, particularly on the world stage, grows increasingly important as the relationships between countries, international bodies, and policing organizations have a broader impact on international security. As a result of globalization, events such as conflicts, government instability, terrorist incidents, and transnational crime are having a significantly greater impact on the world stage. This chapter focuses on the long and complex history and rationale of peacekeeping in Haiti. Haiti has evolved into a country with significant criminal and gang violence, and little democratic progress or economic reform. The country is still rife with corruption. It has been further compounded by repeated natural disasters. The most infamous of these is the January 2010 Earthquake in which over 230,000 people were killed and 1,300,000 displaced (Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada 2013). It seems impossible to achieve ‘rule of law’ in a failed state.

The United Nations has had to act swiftly and strongly in relation to the rule of law in Haiti. Canada has always played a lead role in these UN missions and the reasons why are clear.

Under the constant scrutiny of the international media and the Haitian population, the United Nations police were often faulted for many situations over which they had no control, or rarely given credit for their operational successes. The Haitian National Police were often reluctant to accept the United Nations mandate, and were willing to turn a blind eye to corruption issues in both the police and the government. The challenges of any peacekeeping mission are immense.