Research Paper on:
Military's Peacekeeping Role

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
II, there was a need to address international conflicts (Cox, 1999). Article I of the UN charter states that one of the purposes of the United Nations is to "maintain  international peace and security" (Cox, 1999, p. 239). This Article then represents the constitutional basis for peacekeeping (Cox, 1999). Chapters VI and VII of the United Nations Charter addressed conflicts  but did not provide a means to ending disputes (Cox, 1999). Chapter VI commented on conflicts but it was inadequate; Chapter VII addressed enforcement but because of the profound  ideological differences among nations, the means could not be agreed upon by the Members of Security Council (Cox, 1999). Peacekeeping finally emerged as the means by which to intervene  in international conflicts that the Members could accept (Cox, 1999). First, peacekeeping is defined as: [O]peration[s] involving military personnel, but without enforcement powers, undertaken by the United Nations to  help maintain or restore international peace and security in areas of conflict. These operations are voluntary and are based on consent and cooperation. While they involve the use of military  personnel, they achieve their objectives not by force of arms, thus contrasting them with the enforcement action of the United Nations under Article 42 (Cox, 1999, p. 239). Peacekeeping operations  take the form of one of two models" 1. Unarmed observer missions (Cox, 1999, p. 239). 2. Forces which have the function of sustaining peacemaking efforts by helping to create  conditions in which negotiation between warring parties can take place (Cox, 1999, p. 239).This model is armed and force may be used in certain situations (Cox, 1999). The United Nations  developed some basic legal principles as peacekeeping evolved (Cox, 1999). There are a number of documents in which these principles are outlined, including the Status of Forces Agreements and rules