Leveraging for Success in United Nations Peace Operations - by Benjamin C Feinberg (Hardcover)

About the Book

Peacekeeping has become one of the most important tasks of the United Nations, with more than 55 missions created since 1948. Peacekeeping is one of the only multilateral tools that the member states have to address conflicts in all parts of the world. Over 44,000 troops from 90 countries are deployed today. Drawing on first-hand accounts of participants in past peacekeeping successes and failures, this study focuses on how better to ensure success through the use of leverage as a central tool.

While the threat of military force can be used to compel compliance, other sources of leverage, such as the threat of sanctions or the withdrawal of loans, can also be effective. Economic incentives also provide vital leverage. Moral suasion and leadership skills are critical as well. The choice of key personnel, particularly in the role of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, as in the utilization of Jacques Kline in Eastern Slavonia, has also proved be key. These case studies carefully examine how a confluence of tools have been brought to bear in circumstances ranging from East Timor and Namibia.

Book Synopsis

Peacekeeping has become one of the most important tasks of the United Nations, with more than 55 missions created since 1948. Peacekeeping is one of the only multilateral tools that the member states have to address conflicts in all parts of the world. Over 44,000 troops from 90 countries are deployed today. Drawing on first-hand accounts of participants in past peacekeeping successes and failures, this study focuses on how better to ensure success through the use of leverage as a central tool.

While the threat of military force can be used to compel compliance, other sources of leverage, such as the threat of sanctions or the withdrawal of loans, can also be effective. Economic incentives also provide vital leverage. Moral suasion and leadership skills are critical as well. The choice of key personnel, particularly in the role of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, as in the utilization of Jacques Kline in Eastern Slavonia, has also proved be key. These case studies carefully examine how a confluence of tools have been brought to bear in circumstances ranging from East Timor and Namibia.

Review Quotes

"This book fills an important gap in the abundant literature about the UN's post-Cold War peace operations....[it] fruitfully combines scholarly analysis of these and related concepts with lively case studies of six UN operations. It is a must for all those interested in the evolution of UN peacekeeping and the path that it is likely to take in the future."-Sir Marrack Goulding St Antony's College Oxford

"This fascinating and well-written book is a history and analysis of arguably the United Nation's most interesting and, at times, most powerful agency. The book is based on a wide range of original sources many heretofore unavailable and provides a careful and balanced history of UNSCOM, its leaders, successes, failures, and relevance for today's war on terrorism."-Thomas R. Pickering U.S. Representative to the United Nations, 1989-1992, and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, 1997-2000

"Without downplaying the terrible failures of the recent past, Leveraging Succes in Peace Operations shows that actions by the United Nations and member states in peace operations have given hope to millions of people around the world. The book underscores the important role of the UN in providing legitimacy and technical capacity in peace operations, and suggests a framework for coordination among member states and other actors to most effectively exercise leverage."-Eric Schwartz Senior Fellow Council on Foreign Relations and former Senor Director and Special Assistant to the President for Multilateral and Humanitarian Affairs, National Security Council

About the Author

JEAN KRASNO is Fellow of International Security Studies at Yale University.

BRADD C. HAYES is Milton E. Miles Professor of International Relations at the U.S. Naval War College.

DONALD C. F. DANIEL is Professor at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.