Greening the Blue Helmets: Environment, Natural Resources and UN Peacekeeping Operations

Publisher: UNEP

Author(s): David Jensen, Silja Halle

Date: 2012

Topics: Peace and Security Operations

This report is a result of UNEP’s ongoing collaboration with the UN Department of Field Support (DFS) and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to increase the consideration given to natural resources and broader environmental issues in UN peacekeeping efforts. Financed by the Government of Finland, this two-year analysis is based on desk research, field visits and consultations with 10 UN peacekeeping missions. Part 1 reviews the environmental management of peacekeeping operations, showcases good practices and identifies the main constraints affecting the systematic adoption of the DFS/DPKO Environmental Policy. Part 2 examines the role of peacekeeping operations in stabilizing countries where conflicts have been financed by natural resources or driven by grievances over their use. It also considers how peacekeepers can capitalize on the peacebuilding potential of natural resources through employment, economic recovery and reconciliation.