Pacific Settlement of Disputes as per the Charter

of the United Nations

The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and
ecurity, shall first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial
stt1ement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or uthur peaceful means of their own choice. The Security
Council of the UN, when it deem necessary call upon the prties to settle their dispute by such means. (Article 33).
The Security Council thay investigate any dispute, or any Mituution which might lead to international friction or
give rise to a dispute., in order to determine whether the entinuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger
the maintenance of international peace and security. (Art. 34).
Any member of the U.N. may bring any dispute or any iltuation to the attention of the Security Council or of the
(4eiwral Assembly. A state which is not a Member of the UN mny bring to the attention of the Security Council
or of the Oencral Assembly any dispute to which it a party if it accepts hi udvance for the purposes of the dispute,
the obligations of peciflc cettlement. (Art.. 35).
The Security Council may, at any stage of a dispute or of a situation, of like nature, recommend appropriate
procedures or methods of adjustment. The Security Council should tako into consideration any. procedures for, a
settlement of tho
dlispute which have already been adopted by the parties. In making recommendations, the Security Council should
also take into consideration that legal dispute should as a general rule be referred by the parties to the International
Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court. (Art. 36).
The parties to a dispute, which failed to settle it by the means of peaceful settlement as indicated above, shall refer it
to the Security CounàiL If the Security Council deems that the continuance of the “dispute is in fact likely to
endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, it shall decide whether to refer to the International
Court of Justice or to recommend such terms of sttlement as it may consider appropriate, (Art. 37). ,.

The Security Council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a
view to a pacific settlement of the dispute. (Art. 38). Thus, the U.N. Charter clearly specifies the methods of
amicable or peaceful settlement of disputes.

United Nations peace-keeping Forces VVVV

The U.N. Peace-keeping forces originated in 1948 when the U.N.

Security Council sent observers to monitor a truce in Palestine between
Israel and the surrounding Arab States. Since that time the U.N.
peace-keeping forces have been involved in numerous operations around the
world, helping to maintain or re-establish peace in areas that have been the
V

scene of armed conflicts. The successful completion of the largest peace-keeping operation in the history of the
United Nations—the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)—and the establishment of five
new peace-keeping missions in response to situations in Haiti, Georgia, Liberia and Rwanda, highlighted the
Security Council’s precedent-setting year of 1993.
In 1988, the United Nations had five peace-keeping operations.
deployed. In 1992 the number was eleven. In March, 1995 it was sixteen.
Over the same period, the number of military personnel deployed has
risen from 9,570 to 62,333. The number of civilian police deployed has risen
from 35 to 1169.
VThe number of countries contributing military and police personnel has risen from 26 to 74 ; and the United
Nations’ Annual budget for peace-keeping has risen from $ 230 million to approximately $ 3.6 billion today.
Beyond quantitative changes, there have been qualitative changes of
even greater significance.
Most of today’s conflicts take place within States. They are fought not only by Armies but also by irregular forces.
Civilians are the main victims. Humanitarian emergencies are common places. State institutions often have
collapsed. V

The demands go beyond traditional peace-keeping. Recent operations

have demobilized troops, promoted national reconciliation, restored effective
government and organised and monitored elections.
Civil operations are as important as military operations.
United Nations peace efforts have become more expensive, more
complex and more dangerous.

The U N peace-keeping forces intervene in a conflict, according to the guidelines of the U.N. Secretary-General Dag
Hammarskjold issued in 1956, in a conflict with the permission of the disputing parties, achieve its goals by means
of negotiation and persuasion rather than violence and taken orders only from the U N Security Council Further, the
peace-keeping forces may use arms only in self-defense The forces have to be supported financially by all the
member nations of the United Nations These principles still hold good today
With the introduction of U N peace-keeping forces, both observer groups and military troops despite regional
conflicts in many parts of the world, the United Nations has played a significant role in preventing serious
confrontations between East and West.
Functions of Peace-keeping Forces
Peace-keeping forces perform a non-coercive mission. They are not designed to restore orderNto stop the fighting
between rival enemies but are deployed following a cease-fire agreement They have no offensive role in the conflict
and act as a buffer between hostile forces They carry out observations tasks, viz, detecting violations of cease-fires
and supervising troop withdrawal They also perform humanitarian activities, such as
medical facilities, assisting with electricity and water and providing transportation
CURRENT U N PEACE-KEEPING OPERATIONS
UNTSO June, 1948 to present
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
Current strength 218 Fatalities 28
Rough annual cost to the UN $ 28 6 million
UNMOGIP January; 1949 to present
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and
Pakistan
Current strength 39 Fatalities : 6
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 7.2 million
UNFICYP March, 1964 to present
United Nations Peace-Keepmg Force in Cyprus
Current strength 1,183 Fatalities 163
Rough annual cost to the UN $ 42 3 million
UNDOF June, 1974 to present
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
Current strength 1,030 Fatalities 37
Rough annual cost to the UN $ 32 2 million
UNIFIL March, 1978 to present
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
Current strength 5,146 Fatalities 200
Rough annual cost to the UN $ 142 3 million

UNIKOM April, 1991 to present

United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission
Current strength: 1,142 Fatalities : 3
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 63.1 million
UNAVEM II June, 1991 to present
.

United Nations Angola Verification Mission II

Current strength: 135 Fatalities : 4
Rought annual cost to the UN.: $ 25.5 million
ONUSAL July, 1991 to present
.

United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador

Current strength : 34 Fatalities : 3
Rough annual cost to the UN : $28.9 million
MINURSO September, 1991 to present
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara
Current strength : 334 Fatalities : 4
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 40.5 million
UNPROFOR March, 1993 to present
United Nations Protection Force
Current strength: 39,789 Fatalities : 131
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 1.6 billion
ONUMOZ December, 1992 to December, 1994
United Nations Operation in Mozambique
Current strength 5,063 Fatalities : 18
Rough annual cost to the UN: $. 295 million.
UNOSOM II May, 1993 to present•
United Nations Operation in SomaIM JJ
Current strength: 9,412 Fatalities: 134
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 942, 4 million
UNOMIG August, 1993 to present
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
Current strength: 134
Rough annual cost to. the UN : $ 10.9 million
UNOMIL September, 1993 to present
.

United Nations Observer Mission in Libetia

Current strength: 84.

Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 1.1 million

UNMJH . . . September, 1993 to present
United Nations Mission in Haiti
Authorized strength: 6,567
Current strength: 74
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 1.1 million

UNAMIR October, 1993 to present

United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
Current strength : 5,522 Fatalities : 16
Rough annual cost to the UN : $ 193.5 million
[includes cost of UN Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda]
UNMOT December, 1994 to present
United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
Authorized strength: 40
Current strength: 17
Rough annual cost to the UN $ 1.1 million
PERSONNEL las at 31 December, 1994]
Military personnel served 1948 to present Over 7,20,000
Fatalities 1948 to present 1,194
Military and civilian police currently serving 69,356
Countries currently contributing military and
civilian personnel 77
FINANCIAL ASPECTS las at 31 December, 1994]
Total cost to the UN of all operations
1948 to present About $ 12.5 billion
Annualized cost to the UN to current operations About $ 3.5 billion
Outstanding contributions to peace-keeping
operations About $ 1.2 billion