Wing Commander (Dr) UC Jha (Retd)

This Occasional Paper examines how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies to contemporary UN peacekeeping operations and the dilemmas this creates for troops in the field. It traces the legal framework governing peacekeepers—from the UN Charter and Status of Forces Agreements to the Secretary-General’s 1999 Bulletin—and explains when and how UN forces become parties to armed conflict. The paper highlights key challenges: classifying complex conflicts, robust mandates under Chapter VII, blurred lines between peacekeeping and enforcement, increased casualties, sexual exploitation and abuse, urban warfare, environmental impact, and accountability gaps. It also explores opportunities to strengthen protection of civilians through better compliance with IHL, more precise mandates, technological enablers (drones, non-lethal weapons, information operations), and clearer responsibility of troop-contributing countries and the UN. Overall, it offers a nuanced assessment of how peacekeeping can remain effective, legitimate, and law-compliant in increasingly dangerous theatres.