Peacekeeping is one of the cornerstones of the United Nations and was, is and will be an essential tool for creating lasting peace in war-torn societies. The international system has changed in many ways since the first deployment of peacekeepers in 1948; new actors and challenges have emerged and mandates have evolved. The 21st Century brings enormous challenges to the international community’s peace and security – and peacekeeping will have to address many of these challenges. This series, culminating on International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 29 May, will bring innovative analysis and offer solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing peacekeeping today.

The seventieth anniversary of the United Nations made 2015 a watershed year for international efforts to renew and strengthen two of the world body’s most high profile sets of activities: peacekeeping and peacebuilding. As detailed in the forward-leaning reports of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO), the Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture (2015 Peacebuilding Review), and UN Women’s Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (1325 Global Study), peacekeeping and peacebuilding also represent some of the UN’s most costly, complex and politically intrusive endeavours — endeavours in need of both rethinking and retooling.

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