Peacekeeping is a complex business, and there is no one-size-fits-all model for the deployment of armed troops. Missions vary in size and scope, from a handful of experts to tens of thousands of soldiers. They also vary in their mandates, ranging from limited tasks like ceasefire monitoring to broad and ambitious undertakings such as overhauling a national government.
In the field of peacekeeping, scholars are still trying to understand what makes a particular mission successful. Research generally suggests that it is a combination of factors: a commitment by the warring parties to a peace process; a fitting mandate; adequate funding for the operation and its related activities; and international support for the effort.
Among the many tasks that peacekeeping missions can take on, one of the most important is providing deterrence to would-be spoilers. This often involves military force, but it can include other actions such as monitoring a situation, making it more difficult to launch a surprise attack or make war more costly.
The United Nations is the largest multilateral provider of peace operations, but regional and other international organisations sometimes also have their own peacekeeping missions, either in partnership with the UN or as independent actors. This can quickly lead to the existence of a multitude of different programmes, with their own approaches and priorities, all seeking to contribute to peacebuilding efforts. As a result, coordination of such diverse initiatives can be difficult. A number of initiatives, including those set up by the UN high representative, seek to help guide and co-ordinate these diverse peacekeeping efforts.
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