Regulating the Use of Force by United Nations Peace Support Operations: Balancing Promises and Outcomes by Charuka Ekanayake

The United Nations Peace Support Operations (PSOs), originally envisaged for simple missions like monitoring ceasefires and facilitating negotiations during international armed conflicts, underwent a massive transformation after the end of the Cold War when the UN found itself involved in complex military operations embedded in violent intra-state conflicts. As civilians are increasingly subjected to brutality and atrocity in such conflicts, the use of force by the UN has become necessary for fulfilling its mandate for Protection of Civilians (POC) and Responsible to Protect (R2P).