The operational activities of the United Nations are very diverse. Generally they are carried out via a specific organization of UNO (like HCR, UNDP, PNUE, etc). They have a preventive goal: their action is regarded as a factor of stability and development.

The problem is that the efforts of these actions are often eclipsed by the multiplication of the urgent crises which will mobilize means. UNO often points out the nongovernmental importance of the organizations (ONG) in this case.

For example the control of the regularity of the electoral elections, as in Namibia and Nicaragua in 1989, with the Kosovo in 1999, or with the Eastern Timor in 2002.

Capacity of sanction

The original intention of the Charte of the United Nations is the maintenance of peace and of safety international and vis-a-vis a crisis threatening them, she proposes a series of measured reactions (chapters 6 and 7).

Chapter 6: noncoercive measurements

Pacific regulation of different by means of economic sanctions, diplomatic, even both.

Examples:

• the resolution 661 of 1990, on the installation of a complete embargo against the Iraq, softened in 1995 by the operation “Oil against food”
• 1992: sanction against the Libya because of the Attack S: reduction of the diplomatic relations and suspensions of the air relations. These sanctions were removed in 2003 following the agreement between Libya and the families of the victims.

These measurements multipant itself, there has been an innovation for a few years: The committee of the sanctions, which follows the application of the sanctions. This committee always submits the same report/ratio: the sanctions have not very convincing effects, with sometimes dramatic consequences on the humane level (cf Iraq) and in the field of criminality with the development of black-markets with large scales.

An work group was set up to think of these sanctions. The idea is to propose sanctions “intelligent”, more targeted, for example the freezing of the financial affairs of the political elites, or the fight against the illicit diamond traffic.

Chapter 7: coercive measures

They are the actions in the event of threat against peace, of rupture of peace and acts of aggression:

Artice 42 known as “the safety advice can undertake, by means of air forces, naval or terrestrial, any action which he considers necessary for the maintenance and the re-establishment of peace and international safety. ”

The main issue is that there does not exist international army independent of the Member States since in fact the States place at the disposal of the safety advice the forces necessary. These forces are coordinated by the council with at their head a committee of Staff made up of the chiefs of Staff of the 5 permanent members of the Safety advice.

This provision was implemented 2 times:

• In 1950: Invasion of the South Korea by the North Korea; on the base of article 42, the Safety advice invited the Member States to bring to South Korea the required assistance to push back the attackers and to place their military quota under the supervision of the United States (what was allowed by the policy of the empty chair practiced by the USSR, which returned then and paralyzed the council during 30 years.)
• In 1990: Business Iraq/Kuwait. By the resolution 660, the council recognizes that there was rupture of peace and international safety. The August 9th, the annexation of Kuwait by Iraq is declared null and not avenue, on January 15th an ultimatum is launched to Iraq, the January 17th the multilateral force is operational in Iraq and the Cessez-le-feu is signed the April 3rd.

The development of the operations of maintenance of peace

The idea of origin was to set up a force of interposition between the involved force to make it possible the parts to negotiate and find a diplomatic solution. This measurement is consensual very extremely: the parts must agree. These operations were to be temporary, neutral and noncoercive.

One distinguishes 3 kinds of operations from maintenance of peace:

• the operation of maintenance of peace stricto sensus , or peace keeping (e.g. business of Suez in 1956, creation of the FUNU)
• the operation of re-establishment of peace or peace making (1960 in Congo; Ex-Yugoslavia; Rwanda)
• the operation of recontruction of peace or peace building (1999 Kosovo: MINUK + military force KFOR)