United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual - the United Nations

principles, policies and framework
that process. The consent of the main parties provides with the necessary
freedom of action, both political and physical, to carry out mandated tasks.
In the absence of such consent, a UN peacekeeping operation risks becoming
a party to the conflict; and being drawn towards enforcement action,
and away from its intrinsic role of keeping the peace. In the implementation
of its mandate, a UN peacekeeping operation should work continuously
to ensure that it does not lose the consent of the main parties, while
ensuring that the political process moves forward.
This requires that all peacekeeping personnel have a thorough understanding
of the history and prevailing customs and culture in the mission area,
as well as the capacity to assess the evolving interests and motivation of
the parties. The absence of trust between the parties in a post-conflict environment
can, at times, make consent uncertain and unreliable. The peacekeeping
operation should continuously analyze its operating environment
to detect and forestall any wavering of consent. A peacekeeping operation
should have the political and analytical skills, the operational resources, and
be able to take the necessary action to manage situations where there is an
absence or breakdown of local consent. In some cases this may require, as a
last resort, the use of force.
2.5.2 : Impartiality. UN peacekeeping operations must implement their
mandate without favour or prejudice to any party. Impartiality is crucial to
maintaining the consent and cooperation of the main parties, and should
not be confused with neutrality or inactivity. UN peacekeepers should be
impartial and even-handed in their dealings with the parties to the conflict,
but not neutral in the execution of their mandate. Notwithstanding
the need to establish and maintain good relations with the parties,
a peacekeeping operation must scrupulously avoid activities that might
compromise its image of impartiality.
The need for even-handedness towards the parties should not become
an excuse for inaction in the face of behaviour that clearly works against
the peace process. Just as a good referee is impartial, but will penalize
infractions, a peacekeeping operation should not condone actions by the
parties that violate the undertakings of the peace process or the international
norms and principles that a United Nations peacekeeping operation
upholds.
A mission should not shy away from a rigorous application of the principle
of impartiality for fear of misinterpretation or retaliation, but before acting it
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