PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR UN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

CHAPTER
Maintaining Support for the
9 Mission

United Nations
peacekeeping missions
exist within the context of
the political environments
of the host country.

UN Photo #170399 by Shereen Zorba.

In this chapter » Chapter Objectives »

Section 9.1 Managing Mission Impact • Explain why it is important to consider how a United

Nations peacekeeping mission will be perceived in the

Section 9.2 Communications and Outreach
host country and community.

• Explain why it is important for peacekeepers to be

mindful of the unforeseen consequences of their

actions.

• Understand how effective communications and

outreach can enhance the mission’s ability to achieve

its mandate.

PEACE OPERATIONS TRAINING INSTITUTE

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 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

Military personnel of the Chinese engineering company of MONUC operate a tractor to rehabilitate a 1.8-kilometre-long road to allow
greater access to the Ruzizi One Dam Power Plant, the only source of electricity for the east of the country. 10 April 2008. UN Photo
#185627 by Marie Frechon.

Introduction

United Nations peacekeeping missions exist within the

context of the political environments of the host country,

and the realistic management of public awareness and

public perceptions about the mission are essential for the

maintenance of consent for the mission, as well as the

achievement of the mission’s success. The existence of the

UN mission and the presence of mission military, police,

View a video introduction of this chapter
and civilian personnel can have profound social, economic,
at <http://www.peaceopstraining.org/
and environmental impacts — both positive and negative. videos/19/chapter-9-maintaining-support-

Perceptions of the mission will be impacted by the culture and for-the-mission/>.

traditions of the local population. Mission personnel must be

cognizant of the unintended consequences of their presence,

behaviour, and actions, which, if not managed appropriately,

can affect the legitimacy of the mission.

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 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

Adolf Ogi (centre), Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, leads a
3,000-metre run, with participants from all of Liberia's 15 counties, to mark the start of the “Sport for Peace” soccer
tournament, that began with the lighting of an Olympic style torch, in Monrovia, Liberia. 2 March 2007. UN Photo
#140231 by Eric Kanalstein.

Public communications and mission outreach should not be left to chance. Effective public information is a

political and operational necessity. It is important that the mission staff ensure that the mandate and objectives of

the mission are fully understood by the host population and other key actors.

Section 9.1 Managing Mission Impact

United Nations peacekeeping operations must be aware of and proactively manage their impact, both real

and perceived, in the host country and community. United Nations peacekeeping operations are highly visible and

generate high expectations. Accordingly, United Nations peacekeeping personnel should be careful to mitigate the

possible negative consequences of the mission’s presence. United Nations peacekeeping personnel must adhere to

national laws, where these do not violate fundamental human rights standards, respect local culture, and maintain

the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

Personnel serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations should be alert to any potential, unforeseen or

damaging consequences of their actions and manage these as quickly and effectively as possible. Poor driving and

vehicle accidents and lax waste management practices are just some of the negative impacts that may seriously

undermine the perceived legitimacy and credibility of a mission and erode its popular support. The size of a United

Nations peacekeeping operation’s human and material footprint is likely to have a direct bearing on its impact,

or perceived impact, in the community. Missions should be aware of the possible side effects they may generate,

including:

• Social impact (for example, in the conduct and behaviour of staff);

• Economic impact (for example, on housing and staple foods and materials); and

• Environmental impact (for example, waste management or water usage).

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 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

Further Reading »
Students who wish to learn more about the possible social, economic, and environmental
impacts of UN Peacekeeping Missions are referred to as Unintended Consequences of
Peacekeeping Operations by United Nations University, Chiyuki Aoi, Cedric De Coning, and
Ramesh Thakur.

Social impacts such as different cultural norms of mission staff and host country customs may create friction

(e.g. employment of women in non-traditional gender roles, mixing and socialization amongst genders, drinking,

gambling, inappropriate behaviour, etc.). United Nations peacekeeping operations also have a major impact on the

host economy, by pushing up the price of local housing and accommodation or placing demands on local producers

for staple foods and materials, placing such items out of reach of the local community. All of these have the potential

for creating friction and discontent within the local population and they should be continuously monitored and

managed by the mission’s leadership.

In assessing mission impact and devising strategies to address it, the mission should be careful to ensure that

the differential impacts on men and women, as well as children and vulnerable groups, are considered. Although no

mission can control all of the side effects of its presence, it must undertake due diligence in managing its own impact.

Where problems do arise, they should be addressed swiftly and honestly. At the same time, rumours and vexatious

or erroneous accusations against the mission must be countered with vigour to maintain the good reputation of the

international presence.

Consequences of War: Ruins of a house left behind by the military clashes. 7 July 2008. UN Photo #183443
by Tim McKulka.

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 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

Section 9.2 Communications and Outreach

Effective public information is a political and operational

necessity. Its overall objective in United Nations peacekeeping

operations is to enhance the ability of the mission to carry out

its mandate successfully. Key strategic goals are to maintain

the cooperation of the parties to the peace process, manage

expectations and garner support for the operation among the local

population, and secure broad international support, especially

among TCCs/PCCs and major donors. Public information should

be thoroughly integrated into a United Nations peacekeeping

operation at all stages of planning and deployment. The mission’s

Chief of Public Information should be a key actor in the senior

leadership’s decision-making process.

From the moment a peacekeeping operation is authorized,

the United Nations must be able to ensure that the host population

and other key actors fully understand the mandate and objectives

of the mission. Consideration of the role that public information

will play in the future peacekeeping operation, as well as the

structures and resources that will be required to support that role,

Electrical technicians of the Communications
must begin at the earliest possible stage. A public information Information Technology Section of UNMIL works
assessment gauging the most effective ways of reaching the on the radio tower in the Bomi County. 3 February
2009. UN Photo #325801 by Christopher Herwig.
population should, thus, be conducted prior to the launch of any

field mission.

Effective communications and outreach will enhance the mission’s ability to achieve its mandate and contribute

to the security of mission personnel. A well designed and skilfully implemented communications strategy will

increase confidence in the peace process, build trust among parties to a conflict, and generate support for national

reconciliation. It will establish the mission as a trusted source of information and help counter the negative effects

of irresponsible, hostile, and controlled media. If the parameters of United Nations activity are clearly laid out

and explained to the local population and other target audiences, fear and misunderstanding will be minimized,

The Role of Public Information: To Inform, To Influence, and To

Protect »
• Informs and builds public support for the peacekeeping mandate and the peace process
and, thereby, contributes to consent;

• Informs mission personnel, UNHQ, donor governments, and TCCs/PCCs of the mission’s
progress;

• Influences target audiences by designing and implementing communications strategies in

support of the mission’s mandated tasks; and

• Protects the image of the mission by managing media relations.

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 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under Secretary-General for

Communication and Public Information, addresses
the opening of the thirty first session of the
Committee on Information. 4 May 2009. UN Photo
#394370 by Eskinder Debebe.

disinformation will be corrected, and the impact of those who wish to damage the peace process through rumour

and untruth will be minimized. In addition, mission public information activities should be geared towards helping

establish an environment that promotes the development of free and independent media, and the adherence to the

highest journalistic ethics and standards.

The mission’s public information campaign provides an opportunity to reach out to key groups within society,

whose voices may not otherwise be heard, and to promote consensus around the peace process. Use should be

made of local public radio and television, if available, as well as traditional forms of public information dissemination,

such as the local community and religious groups. Where no local dissemination capacity exists, a United Nations

capability should be deployed at the earliest stages, while helping concurrently to build local capacities.

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End-of-Chapter Quiz »
1. When deployed, UN peacekeeping
operations are highly visible and
generate high expectations both
within the local population and the
international community. Therefore, it is
important that peacekeeping operations
_____.
A. endeavour to implement their mandate as
quickly as possible
B. proactively manage their impact in the host
country and community
C. try to control and manage local
infrastructure
D. create a dependence of the local population
on the UN mission
2. Effective public information on a UN
peacekeeping mission is a political and
operational necessity. Which of the
following is considered a key strategic
goal of public information within a
mission?
A. Creating a situation of instability for spoilers
B. Managing expectations and garnering
support for the operation among the local
population
C. Building a network of support for any and all
future UN missions in the region
D. Establishing the UN as a vital part of the
host country’s political system
For the following set of questions, match the mission impact from the left column to the
example in the right column.
5. Social impact
6. Economic impact
7. Environmental impact
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3. List three of the possible causes of social
impacts and frictions that may arise due
to differences between cultural norms of
mission staff and host country customs.
4. Effective communications and outreach
will enhance the mission’s ability to
achieve its mandate and contribute to
the security of mission personnel. A
well designed and skilfully implemented
communications strategy is principally
designed to do which of the following?
A. Provide the mission with a revenue source
as it sells advertising opportunities to local
businesses
B. Provide mission HQ with an easily available
means of communicating with mission
personnel
C. Serve as a morale booster as it provides
mission staff with news and entertainment
from their home countries
D. Increase confidence in the peace process and
generate support for national reconciliation
A. Waste management or water usage
B. The conduct and behaviour of staff
C. Housing and staple foods and materials
Answer Key provided on the next page.
 CHAPTER 9 | Maintaining Support for the Mission

End-of-Chapter Quiz »

Answer Key »
1. B — This question speaks to the principle of national ownership while attempting to manage public expectations and respect
cultural sensitivities

2. B

3. There are many, and all, if ignored, contribute to the perceived loss of legitimacy of the mission. Examples might include:
insensitive mixing and socialization amongst genders; public drinking and gambling; acts of sexual exploitation and abuse
(SEA) and other forms of serious misconduct; arrogant and reckless driving; price inflation; and the cornering of markets
for scare products to the detriment of the local community

4. D — The answer to this question lies within the key roles of public information to inform, influence, and protect

5. B

6. C

7. A

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