At a time when the UN was struggling to find the resources to cope with a rising tide of regional conflict and rapidly growing demand for its peacekeeping services, this paper examined the advantages and limitations of putting greater stress on regional organizations as peacekeepers. It concluded that, outside of NATO, the ability of regional organizations to assume such a burden was limited not only by a lack of money and equipment, but by a lack of political willpower. Their contributions may be most useful on the civilian side of peace operations, providing, for example, election or human monitors, in cooperation with the UN.