a guide to peace support operations - The Watson Institute for ...

Part I, paragraphs 12-13
d. Loss of Impartiality
If the military element of a response group exceeds the impartial policing of a
mandate and targets a faction or its leader in a way that seeks to alter the tactical
balance of forces, they may lose their impartial status and become a factor in the
conflict. Once the military force is irretrievably perceived to have taken sides, and
the consequence of this can be measured effectively in a changed tactical balance,
its impartial status will be hard to restore. Furthermore, relief agencies and civil
elements associated with that mission also may be compromised.
OPERATIONAL RESPONSES
13. Response Elements
The international community responds to complex emergencies by deploying assets
to the crisis zones that have multiple capabilities. Although collectively we refer to them
in this document as the “response group,” most of its elements are individually
established and controlled.
a. International Structures
After the Cold War, the larger and more powerful military operations continue to
be authorized by the UN Security Council, but the necessary military assets may
be provided from security organizations and ad hoc coalitions. The military
command structures and staff are usually provided from the same source. This
development is significant in mid-level and high-level operations (see paragraph
16) where there may be a separation of authority between the mandating body,
which is usually the UN Security Council, and the military force structure that
may be directly under the control of the ad hoc coalition or regional structure. For
example, a coalition of NATO and Eastern European forces may combine to
operate with the authority of a UN mandate but under the military direction of
NATO headquarters.
b. Civilian Organizations
Some development and relief agencies will have been operating in the host
country for several years before the crisis. Usually, elements of the response
group will not arrive as part of an orchestrated plan. In each complex emergency,
they will develop focal points from which their conduct of operations will be
managed. These are described in greater detail in Part II. The modus operandi and
the organization of the coordinating committees are ad hoc procedures that will
develop with the crisis. In some operations, the civilian elements have worked
successfully together toward the same objectives, but in other cases, civilian and
military operations have not been successfully coordinated. Each crisis therefore
takes on individual characteristics and its own organizational dynamic. The
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