This is the full list of United Nations peacekeeping missions since the United Nations was founded in 1945, organized by region, with the dates of deployment, the name of the related conflict, and the name of the UN operation.
Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. UN peacekeepers—soldiers, military officers, police officers and civilian personnel from many countries—monitor and observe peace processes that emerge in post-conflict situations and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development.
The Charter of the United Nations gives the Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations. Most of these operations are established and implemented by the United Nations itself with troops serving under UN operational command. In other cases, where direct UN involvement is not considered appropriate or feasible, the Council authorises regional organisations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Economic Community of West African States or coalitions of willing countries to implement certain peacekeeping or peace enforcement functions. In modern times, peacekeeping operations have evolved into many different functions, including diplomatic relations with other countries, international bodies of justice (such as the International Criminal Court), and eliminating problems such as landmines that can lead to new incidents of fighting.
Current missions (11)
Africa Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1991United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)Western Sahara conflict2010United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)Kivu conflict2011United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA)Abyei conflict2011United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS)Ethnic violence in South SudanSouth Sudanese Civil War2014United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)Central African Republic Civil War
Asia Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1949United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)Kashmir conflict
Europe Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1964United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)Cyprus dispute1999United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)Kosovo War
West Asia Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1948United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO)Middle East(Monitors the various ceasefires and assists UNDOF and UNIFIL)1974United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)Agreed withdrawal by Syrian and Israeli forces following the Yom Kippur War.1978United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)Israeli invasion of Lebanon and 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
1. The United Nations and all foreign governments but Turkey recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, whose flag is shown first, over the whole island of Cyprus. The second flag is that of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a de facto state, by virtue of controlling the northern third of the island, which is recognised only by Turkey.
2. The first flag is the flag of Serbia, used by Republic of Serbia which claims sovereignty over Kosovo. The second is the flag of the Republic of Kosovo which is in de facto control over the territory. UN member countries. For more information see Kosovo.
Completed missions (63)
Africa Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1960–1964United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC)Congo Crisis1988–1991United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I)Angolan Civil War1989–1990United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) ( after 1990)Namibian War of Independence1991–1995United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II)Angolan Civil War1992–1994United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ)Mozambican Civil War1992–1993United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I)Somali Civil War1993–1997United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL)First Liberian Civil War1993–1994United Nations Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR)Rwandan Civil War1993–1996United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR)Rwandan Civil War1993–1995United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II)Somali Civil War1994United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group (UNASOG)Aouzou Strip dispute1995–1997United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III)Angolan Civil War1997–1999United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA)Angolan Civil War1998–1999United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL)Sierra Leone Civil War1998–2000United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA)Central African Republic mutinies1999–2005United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)Sierra Leone Civil War2000–2008United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)Eritrean–Ethiopian War2004–2007United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB)Burundi Civil War1999–2010United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)Second Congo War2007–2010 United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)Darfur Conflict, Civil war in Chad (2005–2010)2005–2011United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)Second Sudanese Civil War2003–2004United Nations Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (MINUCI)First Ivorian Civil War2004–2017United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI)First Ivorian Civil War2003–2018United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)Second Liberian Civil War2007–2020United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)War in Darfur2013–2023Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)Northern Mali conflict
Americas Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1965–1966Mission of the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Dominican Republic (DOMREP)Operation Power Pack1989–1992United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA)Central American crisisNicaraguan Civil War 1991–1995United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL)El Salvador Civil War1993–1996United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)1991 coup and military rule in Haiti1996–1997United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH)Stabilizing Haiti's new democracy1997United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA)Guatemalan Civil War1997United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH)Training of the Haitian National Police1997–2000United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH)Training of the Haitian National Police2000–2001United Nations General Assembly International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH)Training of the Haitian National Police2004–2017United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)2004 Haitian coup d'état2017–2019United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH)2004 Haitian coup d'état 1. Shown are the flags of the five countries in which ONUCA operated. They are in this order (sorted alphabetically): Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Asia-Oceania Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1947–1950United Nations Commission for Indonesia (UNCI)Transfer of sovereignty over Dutch East Indies1962–1963United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea (UNSF) West New GuineaTransfer of sovereignty over Dutch New Guinea1965–1966United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM)Indo-Pakistani War of 19651988–1990United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGOMAP) AfghanistanSoviet–Afghan War1991–1992United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC)Conflict in Cambodia1992–1993United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) CambodiaConflict in Cambodia1994–2000United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT)Tajikistan Civil War1999United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)Indonesian invasion of East Timor1999–2002The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)Indonesian invasion of East Timor2002–2005 United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET)Indonesian invasion of East Timor2006–2012United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)2006 East Timorese crisis
1. Shown are the flags of the newly independent East Timor and its former occupier, Indonesia (in that order).
Europe Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1992–1995United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR)Yugoslav Wars1993–2009United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)Abkhazian War1994–1996United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO)Croatian War of Independence1995–2002United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)Bosnian War1995–1999United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP)Aftermath of the Yugoslav wars1996–1998United Nations Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES)Croatian War of Independence1996–2002United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP)Prevlaka territorial dispute1998United Nations Civilian Police Support Group (UNPSG)Croatian War of Independence
1. This mission operated within former Yugoslav successor states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The flags are shown in this order.
2. Prevlaka Peninsula was claimed by both Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and the flags are shown in this order. Upon resolution, all parties accepted Croatia's claim to the territory.
West Asia Dates of operation Name of operation Location Conflict Website1956–1967First United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF I)Suez Crisis1958United Nations Observation Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL)1958 Lebanon crisis1963–1964United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (UNYOM)Yemen Civil War1973–1979Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II)Yom Kippur War1988–1991United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG)Iran–Iraq War1991–2003United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM)Gulf War2012United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)Syrian civil war
See also List of non-UN peacekeeping missions Peacekeeping Timeline of UN peacekeeping missions
Notes
References
See individual mission websites with their listing. UN peacekeeping website Further reading Tudor, Margot. Blue Helmet Bureaucrats: United Nations Peacekeeping and the Reinvention of Colonialism, 1945–1971 (Cambridge University Press, 2023) https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009264952 online review of this book