When a peacekeeping mission transitions out of a country, it’s often the culmination of years of planning and negotiation. Indeed, modern peacekeeping doctrine requires that a peace operation include withdrawal conditions in its initial deployment plan. But at a time of financial crisis and free-falling budgets across the UN, several missions are now being forced to draw down without a transition plan in place – leaving countries without the critical protections and support they’ll need as UN peacekeepers depart.
Defaulting into transition: How financial cuts are affecting peacekeeping realities
As South Sudan appears on the verge of civil war, a growing mandate-resource gap is weakening UN mission effectiveness and risking lives.