Timeline of UN peacekeeping missions

The UN has authorized 55 peacekeeping missions. These do not include interventions authorized by the UN like the Korean War and the Gulf War. The 1990s saw the most UN peacekeeping operations to date.

Table of contents

1 1940s
2 1950s
3 1960s
4 1970s
5 1980's
6 1990s
7 2000s
8 External link

1940s

1948 UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) authorized in June 1948 is the first UN peacekeeping mission.
- Purpose: To monitor Arab-Israeli ceasefire
  - Status: Ongoing
1949 UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
- Purpose: To monitor India-Pakistan ceasefire in Kashmir
  - Status: Ongoing

1950s

1956 UN Emergency Force I (UNEF I), first armed peacekeepers
- Purpose: To supervise withdrawal of troops from Suez Crisis
  - Status: Ended June 1967
1958 UN Observation Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL)
- Purpose: To prevent troops and weapons entering Lebanon during crisis
  - Status: Ended December 1958

1960s

1960 UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC)
- Purpose: To prevent foreign intervention in and preserve territory of the Congo
  - Status: Ended June 1964
1962 UN Security Force in West New Guinea (West Irian) (UNSF)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire during transition of West Irian from Dutch rule to Indonesian
  - Status: Ended April 1963
1963 UN Yemen Observation Mission (UNYOM)
- Purpose: Supervise disengagement of Saudi Arabia and Egypt from Yemen's civil war
  - Status: Ended September 1964
1964 UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
- Purpose: Prevent conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots
  - Status: Ongoing
1965 Mission of the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Dominican Republic (DOMREP)
- Purpose: Monitor situation caused by rival governments in Dominican Republic
  - Status: Ended October 1966
1965 UN India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM)
- Purpose: Supervise India-Pakistan ceasefire outside of Kashmir
  - Status: Ended March 1966

1970s

1973 UN Emergency Force II (UNEF II)
- Purpose: Supervise withdrawal of forces from Sinai after Egypt, Syria and Israel battle.
  - Status: Ended July 1979
1974 UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)
- Purpose: Maintain ceasefire between Syria and Israel in Golan Heights
  - Status: Ongoing
1978 UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
- Purpose: Supervise Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon
  - Status: Ongoing

1980's

1988 UN Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGOMAP)
- Purpose: Enforce Afghanistan and Pakistan from mutual non-interference
  - Status: Ended March 1990
1988 UN Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG)
- Purpose: Supervise Iran-Iraq ceasefire
  - Status: Ended February 1991
1989 UN Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I)
- Purpose: Supervise withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola
  - Status: Ended June 1991
1989 UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG)
- Purpose: Supervise Namibia's elections and transition to independence
  - Status: Ended March 1990
1989 UN Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire in Nicaragua
  - Status: Ended January 1992

1990s

1991 UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM)
- Purpose: Enforce Kuwait-Iraqi border after Gulf War
  - Status: Ended 2003
1991 UN Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II)
- Purpose: Enforce ceasefire in Angolan civil war
  - Status: Ended February 1995
1991 UN Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL)
- Purpose: Enforce ceasefire in El Salvador civil war
  - Status: Ended April 1995
1991 UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
- Purpose: Implement ceasefire and help promote referendum on area's future
  - Status: Ongoing
1991 UN Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC)
- Purpose: Prepare way for UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia
  - Status: Ended March 1992
1992 UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and (UNPRODEP)
- Purpose: Protect area of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovnia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
  - Status: restructured December 1995
1992 UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)
- Purpose: Assist reorganization of Cambodia
  - Status: September 1993
1992 UN Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I)
- Purpose: Enforce ceasefire, reorganized as Unified Task Force (UNITAF)
  - Status: Replaced March 1993 by UNOSOM II
1992 UN Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire in Mozambique's civil war
  - Status: Ended December 1994
1993 UN Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II)
- Purpose: Stabilize Somalia and assist humanitarian efforts
  - Status: Ended March 1995
1993 UN Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR)
- Purpose: To enforce ceasefire between Rwanda and rebel group based in Uganda
  - Status: Ended September 1994
1993 UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
- Purpose: Enforce ceasefire between Georgia and Abkhaz separatists
  - Status: Ongoing
1993 UN Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire and elections in Liberia
  - Status: Ended September 1997
1993 UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)
- Purpose: Stabilize Haiti after coup overturned
  - Status: Ended June 1996
1993 UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire, and after Rwanda genocide, to promote relief efforts
  - Status: Ended March 1996
1994 UN Aouzou Strip Observer Group (UNASOG)
- Purpose: Monitor Libya's withdrawal from disputed territory given by International Court of Justice to Chad
  - Status: Ended June 1994
1994 UN Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire in Tajikistan civil war
  - Status: Ended May 2000
1995 UN Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire and disarmament
  - Status: Ends June 1997, but follow-up mission MONUA
1995 UN Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO)
- Purpose: Attempts to implement ceasefire
  - Status: Ended January 1996
1995 UN Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP)
- Purpose: Replaced UNPROFOR in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and monitored border with Albania.
  - Status: Ended February 1999
1995 UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)
- Purpose: Monitor human rights, demining, relief
  - Status: Ongoing
1996 UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES)
- Purpose: Supervises integration of region into Croatia
  - Status: Ended January 1998
1996 UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP)
- Purpose: Monitor demilitarization of Prevlaka peninsula, Croatia
  - Status: Ongoing
1996 UN Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH)
- Purpose: Modernize police and army of Haiti
  - Status: Ended July 1997
1997 UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire in Guatemala's civil war
  - Status: Ended May 1997
1997 UN Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA)
- Purpose: Monitoring ceasefire and disarmament
  - Status: Ended February 1999
1997 UN Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH)
- Purpose: Help stabilize Haiti
  - Status: Ended November 1997
1997 UN Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH)
- Purpose: Modernize Haiti's police forces
  - Status: Ended March 2000
1998 UN Civilian Police Support Group
- Purpose: Monitor Croatian police
  - Status: Ended October 1998
1998 UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA)
- Purpose: Maintaining security and stability in Central African Republic
  - Status: Ended February 2000
1998 UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL)
- Purpose: Monitor disarmament and demobilization in Sierra Leone
  - Status: Ended October 1999
1999 UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
- Purpose: Exercise administrative authority, including administration of justice in Kosovo
  - Status: Ongoing
1999 UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
- Purpose: Help stabilize and disarm Sierra Leone
  - Status: Ongoing
1999 UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)
- Purpose: Transition East Timor to independence
  - Status: Ended May 2002
1999 UN Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
- Purpose: Monitor ceasefire in Democratic Republic of the Congo
  - Status: Ongoing

2000s

2000 UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
- Purpose: Enforce ceasefire between Ethiopia and Eritrea
  - Status: Ongoing
2002 United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET)
- Purpose: Two-year mission while East Timor develops government
  - Status: Ongoing
2003 United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
- Purpose: Oversee ceasefire and train national police.
  - Status: Ongoing

External link

UN peacekeping website