United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UN PKF) and UNIFIL

Table of Contents

About UN PKF

It is a global partnership that helps countries transition from conflict to lasting peace.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) plays a major role in deployment of peacekeeping forces.
Purpose: The UN peacekeeping force helps countries prevent disputes from escalating into war, restore peace after armed conflict, and promote lasting peace.
Personnel: The force includes civilian, police, and military personnel from over 120 countries. They are often called “Blue Berets” or “Blue Helmets” because of their light blue berets or helmets.
History: The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in May 1948 to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
The UN PKF is guided by three principles:
- Consent of the parties
- Impartiality
- Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Facts

India is the third largest contributor to the UN Peacekeeping Force as of June 2023, with 6,073 personnel. (1st – Nepal , 2nd – Bangladesh)
India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, having sent over 250,000 personnel since 1948.
Current deployment: As of January 2024, around 5,900 Indian troops are deployed across 12 UN peacekeeping missions

It was established in 1978 by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) through Resolution 425. (HQ: Naqoura, southern Lebanon)
It comprises of more than 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 nations.
Purpose: It was created in response to the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, primarily to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and restore peace and security.
Mandate:
- Restoring peace and security
- Supporting the Lebanese government to regain authority in the area.
- Monitoring hostilities.
Area of Operation: Southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel (Blue Line)
- Blue Line is a 120km (75-mile) “border” drawn up by the UN between Lebanon and Israel. It was established in 2000.