The United Nations has authorized 72 peacekeeping operations as of April 2018. These do not include interventions authorized by the UN like the Korean War and the Gulf War. The 1990s saw the most UN peacekeeping operations to date. Peacekeeping operations are overseen by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and share some common characteristics, namely the inclusion of a military or police component, often with an authorization for use of force under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. Peacekeeping operations are distinct from special political missions (SPMs), which are overseen by the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). SPMs are not included in the table below.
1940s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment1948OngoingUN Truce Supervision OrganizationUNTSOTo monitor ceasefire in the Arab-Israeli conflict.Authorized in June 1948 after the First Arab-Israeli War. The first UN peacekeeping mission.1949OngoingUN Military Observer Group in India and PakistanUNMOGIPTo monitor India-Pakistan ceasefire in the Kashmir conflict.Authorized after the First Indo-Pakistani War.
1950s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment19561967UN Emergency Force IUNEF ITo supervise withdrawal of Egyptian and Israeli troops from Suez Crisis.First armed peacekeepers. Ended June 1967 during the buildup to the Six-Day War. 19581958UN Observation Group in LebanonUNOGIL To prevent troops and weapons entering Lebanon during crisis.Ended December 1958
1960s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment19601964UN Operation in the CongoONUC To prevent foreign intervention in and preserve territory of the Congo during the Congo Crisis. Ended June 196419621963UN Security Force and UN Temporary Executive Authority UNSF / UNTEA West New GuineaMonitor ceasefire during transition of Western New Guinea from Dutch to Indonesian rule.Ended April 196319631964UN Yemen Observation MissionUNYOMSupervise disengagement of Saudi Arabia and Egypt from the North Yemeni Civil War.Ended September 19641964OngoingUN Peacekeeping Force in CyprusUNFICYPPrevent conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. 19651966Mission of the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Dominican RepublicDOMREPMonitor situation caused by rival governments in Dominican Republic.Ended October 196619651966UN India-Pakistan Observation MissionUNIPOMSupervise India-Pakistan ceasefire outside of Kashmir after the Second Indo-Pakistani War.Ended March 1966
1970s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment19731979UN Emergency Force IIUNEF IISupervise withdrawal of forces from the Sinai Peninsula after Egypt, Syria and Israel fought in the Yom Kippur War.Ended July 19791974OngoingUN Disengagement Observer ForceUNDOFGolan Heights (disputed between and )Maintain ceasefire between Syria and Israel on the Golan Heights. 1978OngoingUN Interim Force in LebanonUNIFILSupervise Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Keep the international peace and security, and help the Lebanese Government restore its effective authority in the area.
1980s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment19881990UN Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and PakistanUNGOMAP AfghanistanEnforce Afghanistan and Pakistan from mutual non-interference. Ended March 199019881991UN Iran-Iraq Military Observer GroupUNIIMOGSupervise ceasefire after the Iran-Iraq War.Ended February 199119891991UN Angola Verification Mission IUNAVEM ISupervise withdrawal of Cuban troops from the Angolan Civil War.Ended June 199119891990UN Transition Assistance GroupUNTAG ( after 1990)Supervise Namibia's elections and transition to independence from South Africa.Ended March 199019891992UN Observer Group in Central AmericaONUCAMonitor ceasefire in the Nicaraguan Civil War.Ended January 1992
1990s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment19912003UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation MissionUNIKOMEnforce Kuwait-Iraq border after Gulf War.Ended 200319911995UN Angola Verification Mission IIUNAVEM IIEnforce ceasefire in the Angolan Civil War.Ended February 199519911995UN Observer Mission in El SalvadorONUSALEnforce ceasefire in the Salvadoran Civil War.Ended April 19951991OngoingUN Mission for the Referendum in Western SaharaMINURSO (independence disputed by )Implement ceasefire and help promote referendum on area's future after the Western Sahara War. 19911992UN Advance Mission in CambodiaUNAMICPrepare way for UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia after the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Ended March 199219921995UN Protection ForceUNPROFOR and UNPREDEP- not counted as separate missions by the UN DPKO, linked belowProtect area of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia during the Yugoslav Wars.restructured December 199519921993UN Transitional Authority in CambodiaUNTAC CambodiaAssist reorganization of Cambodia.Ended September 199319921993UN Operation in Somalia IUNOSOM IEnforce ceasefire during the Somali Civil War, reorganized as Unified Task Force (UNITAF- not counted as separate missions by the UN DPKO, linked below)Replaced March 1993 by UNOSOM II19921993UN Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in EritreaUNOVER EthiopiaMonitor referendum for independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia.Ended April 199319921994UN Operation in MozambiqueONUMOZMonitor ceasefire in the Mozambican Civil War. Ended December 199419931995UN Operation in Somalia IIUNOSOM IIStabilize Somalia and assist humanitarian efforts during the Somali Civil War.Ended March 199519931994UN Observer Mission Uganda-RwandaUNOMURTo enforce ceasefire between Rwanda and the rebel group based in Uganda during the Rwandan Civil War.Ended September 199419932009UN Observer Mission in GeorgiaUNOMIG (independence from Georgia not recognized by international community)Enforce ceasefire between Georgia and Abkhaz separatists after the Abkhaz War.Russia vetoed extension in June 200919931996UN Observer Mission in LiberiaUNOMILMonitor ceasefire and elections after the First Liberian Civil War.Ended September 199719931996UN Mission in HaitiUNMIHStabilize Haiti after coup overturned.Ended June 199619931996UN Assistance Mission for RwandaUNAMIRMonitor ceasefire, and after the Rwandan Genocide to promote relief efforts.Ended March 199619941994UN Aouzou Strip Observer GroupUNASOGMonitor Libya's withdrawal from disputed territory given by International Court of Justice to Chad.Ended June 199419942002UN Mission of Observers in TajikistanUNMOTMonitor ceasefire in the Tajikistani Civil War. Ended May 200019951997UN Angola Verification Mission IIIUNAVEM IIIMonitor ceasefire and disarmament.Ended June 1997, but follow-up mission MONUA19951996UN Confidence Restoration Operation in CroatiaUNCROAttempts to implement ceasefire in the Croatian War.Ended January 199619951999UN Preventive Deployment ForceUNPREDEPReplaced UNPROFOR in the Republic of Macedonia and monitored border with Albania.Ended February 199919952002UN Mission in Bosnia and HerzegovinaUNMIBHMonitor human rights, demining, relief after the Bosnian War.Ended 31 December 200219961998UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western SirmiumUNTAES Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western SyrmiaSupervises integration of region into Croatia.Ended January 199819962002UN Mission of Observers in PrevlakaUNMOPMonitor demilitarization of the Prevlaka peninsula, Croatia.Ended December 200219961997UN Support Mission in HaitiUNSMIHModernize police and army of Haiti.Ended July 199719971997UN Verification Mission in GuatemalaMINUGUAMonitor ceasefire in the Guatemalan Civil War.Ended May 199719971999UN Observer Mission in AngolaMONUAMonitoring ceasefire and disarmament.Ended February 199919971997UN Transition Mission in HaitiUNTMIHHelp stabilize Haiti.Ended November 199719972000UN Civilian Police Mission in HaitiMIPONUHModernize Haiti's police forces.Ended March 200019981998UN Civilian Police Support GroupUNPSGMonitor Croatian policeEnded October 199819982000UN Mission in the Central African RepublicMINURCAMaintaining security and stability in Central African RepublicEnded February 200019981999UN Observer Mission in Sierra LeoneUNOMSILMonitor disarmament and demobilization in the Sierra Leone Civil War. Ended October 19991999OngoingUN Interim Administration Mission in KosovoUNMIK Kosovo (later , claimed by ) Exercise administrative authority, including administration of justice in Kosovo 19992005UN Mission in Sierra LeoneUNAMSILHelp stabilize and disarm Sierra LeoneEnded December 200519991999UN Mission in East TimorUNAMET Indonesian Occupied East TimorTo oversee popular consultation on political relation to IndonesiaEnded 1999, See UNTAET the follow-up mission. 19992002UN Transitional Administration in East TimorUNTAET East Timor
(later independent ) Transition East Timor to independenceEnded May 2002. See UNMISET the follow-up mission.19992010UN Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the CongoMONUCMonitor ceasefire in Democratic Republic of the CongoEnded June 2010. See MONUSCO the follow-up mission.
2000s StartEndNameAcronymLocationPurposeComment20002008UN Mission in Ethiopia and EritreaUNMEEEnforce ceasefire after the Eritrean–Ethiopian War. Ended July 2008 after both Eritrea (forced out UN troops) and Ethiopia (refused to accept ICJ ruling on the border) refused to cooperate20022005United Nations Mission of Support in East TimorUNMISETTo ensure security and stabilise the nascent state during the post-independence period.Ended May 200520032018United Nations Mission in LiberiaUNMILOversee ceasefire and train national police after the Second Liberian Civil War. 20042017United Nations Operation in Côte d'IvoireUNOCIFacilitate implementation of peace process after the First Ivorian Civil War 20042017United Nations Stabilization Mission in HaitiMINUSTAHReturn stability to HaitiLater Coordinated security response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake20042006United Nations Operation in BurundiONUBTo help implement the Arusha accordsended December 2006, replaced by BINUB20052011United Nations Mission in the SudanUNMISTo support implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement after the Second Sudanese Civil War, perform certain functions relating to humanitarian assistance, and protection and promotion of human rightsended in July 2011, succeeded by UNMISS.20062012United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-LesteUNMITTo support the Government in consolidating stability, enhancing a culture of democratic governance, and facilitating political dialogue among Timorese stakeholders, in their efforts to bring about a process of national reconciliation and to foster social cohesion 20072020United Nations African Union Mission in DarfurUNAMIDTo monitor arms trade and shipping, to cause and keep a ceasefire during the War in Darfur. 20072010United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and ChadMINURCATEstablished due to refugee crisis from the Darfur genocide in Sudan. ended December 2010 due to opposition by Chadian government
2010s StartEndNameAcronym PurposeComment2010OngoingUN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the CongoMONUSCOMonitor ceasefire in Democratic Republic of the Congo 2011OngoingUN Interim Security Force for AbyeiUNISFA Abyei Area (disputed by and )Monitor ceasefire in Abyei 2011OngoingUN Mission in the Republic of South SudanUNMISSAssist the new state of South Sudan 20122012UN Support Mission in SyriaUNSMISMonitor the ceasefire agreement in the Syrian Civil War. 20132023UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in MaliMINUSMAStabilize the country after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion 2014OngoingUN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African RepublicMINUSCAProtect civilians during Central African Republic Civil War 20172019UN Mission for Justice Support in HaitiMINUJUSTHAssist the Government to further develop the Haitian National Police (HNP); to strengthen Haiti's rule of law institutions, including the justice and prisons; and to promote and protect human rights in Haiti
See also