ABSTRACT
As an influential international organization, the United Nations (UN) has the legal mandate to maintain international peace and security. It does this through various means including peace operations. The fluidity and exigencies of wars and violent conflicts; and the need for the use of appropriate strategies and fallouts of peace operations have led to various reforms. This dissertation examines the key factors and reports that necessitated UN’s peacekeeping reforms in the 21st century and its implications on the conduct of some peacekeeping operations particularly in Africa since 2000 till date. The study is hinge on the theory of collective security, which explains how UN peacekeeping operations evolved as a strategy for the maintenance of international peace and security. The study employs the qualitative method of research using semi-structured interviews to collect relevant primary data from the respondents who were selected through purposive sampling technique. The study revealed that, cotemporary security challenges, coupled with changing prevailing security dynamics as well as experiences and difficulties faced by UN peacekeepers during peacekeeping missions are the major factors that necessitated UN peacekeeping reforms in the 21st century. The study also found out that, although the UN had instituted many reforms on peacekeeping operations in the 21st century, the Brahimi Report in 2000 and the HIPPO report in 2015 are the most prominent peacekeeping reforms. These two reforms are the landmark reforms and currently cover every aspect of the UN peacekeeping architecture. The study proved that current peacekeeping reforms has help put the protection of civilians at the forefront of current peace operation in Africa, and has ushered in more robust and multidimensional peacekeeping operations on the continent, while improving cooperation between the UN and AU in tackling Africa’s security challenges. The dissertation concludes by recommending that, the UN should clearly define its POC doctrine, and provide adequate resources for peace operations in Africa. Also, there is the need for more consultative and inclusive decision making between the UN and AU when drafting peacekeeping mandate.
