Building peace, democracy and human rights: International civilian missions at the end of the millennium

Abstract

Despite the increasing academic interest in peacekeeping operations, the evolution of international civilian missions has not yet attracted much systematic research. Civilian missions, formerly restricted to electoral monitoring or ‘passive observation’, have extended their mandate to completely new areas during the last few years. Four cases are important for the study of this evolution: UNTAC in Cambodia, ONUSAL in El Salvador, MICIVIH and UNMIH in Haiti, and the more recently established United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA). This article explores the mandate, the methods of work and the results of these new civilian missions in order to stimulate academic interest and reflection, and contribute to the evolution of similar missions in the future. It develops empirically‐based arguments in favour of the rising interdependence between democracy, human rights and peacebuilding, particularly in cases of deeply rooted internal strife. Finally, a special emphasis is given to the multifaceted interaction between the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations and civil society in general in the case studies concerned.

Alexandra Kamarotos is a consultant in international relations, international organization and human rights in Geneva.