Peacekeeping in Lebanon: Reminiscences of the First Indian Battalion Group Commander

This couplet from an old Iranian poem, inscribed at the entrance gate of United Nations (UN) Headquarters (HQ), conveys a message signifying the purpose of the UN. The principal aim of the UN is to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, including actions for suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of peace. The UN peacekeeping attempts to help countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. Chapter VI of the UN Charter deals with peace-making by way of ‘negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlements or other peaceful means’.