United Nations Peacekeeping Challenge: The Importance of the Integrated Approach, by Anna Powles et al.

The nature of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations has evolved considerably since 1948. Most contemporary conflict zones are full of violence, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties. So much so, that even the peacekeepers have now become major targets of violence and asymmetric threats. The complex environment in which these operations are conducted today is far more varied than ever before, and therefore to cope with it, peacekeeping organisations bring together disparate configurations of civilians, troops from armed forces and police under a unified political leadership. Military components, drawn from different countries, bring to the table a wide range of experience, capabilities and capacities.