Peacekeeping
Ireland has a proud tradition of participation in UN and UN-supported peacekeeping missions, both civilian and military.
Ireland has a proud tradition of participation in UN and UN-supported peacekeeping missions, including military, police and civilians.
Ireland is proud of being the only nation to have a continuous presence on UN and UN-mandated peace support operations since 1958, with Irish peacekeepers highly respected internationally.
Traditional peacekeeping
The Government decides on a case-by-case basis whether, when and how to commit personnel to peacekeeping operations. The 'triple lock' of UN authorisation, Government approval, and Dáil (the Irish parliament) approval must be satisfied before the Defence Forces can deploy.
Our largest military deployment currently is with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Since 1978, a number of Defence Forces officers have also served in different positions at UNHQ, New York.
In the past 20 years, members of the Defence Forces have served with several missions which have been authorised by the UN and led by the EU or NATO. Currently personnel are serving in EU led missions including EUFOR - Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) mission in the Mediterranean - Operation Irini. Personnel are also deployed to the UN authorised, NATO led, KFOR mission in Kosovo.
Read more about the involvement of our Defence Forces in overseas missions.
An Garda Síochána (the Irish Police Force) have proudly deployed police officers to UN and UN supported missions since 1989, when members were deployed to the UN Transition Assistance Group Mission in Namibia (UNTAG).
Gardaí (Irish police officers) are currently serving in the UN Mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP), with Ireland being the largest police contributing country to that mission. Gardaí are also deployed to the UN mandated, EU-led mission EULEX in Kosovo.
Civilian Peace Operations
Ireland is also increasingly involved in civilian peacekeeping. Strong civil institutions play an important role in preventing conflict from starting or reoccurring, and civilian peace operations help fragile states to rebuild institutions so they have the capacity to provide for the local population.
These operations can have short-term aims to improve peace and security, as well as longer-term objectives such as:
- strengthening the rule of law, democracy and human rights;
- building capacity within civil societies and state institutions;
- bringing about stable conditions necessary for sustainable development.
Where are Irish troops currently stationed? See our list of current deployments
UN Security Council Resolution 2594 – the first ever Resolution on UN Peacekeeping transitions
Building on decades of excellence in peacekeeping and our own experience of peacebuilding, Ireland negotiated a first-of-its-kind Security Council Resolution on Peacekeeping transitions. The resolution was adopted during Ireland’s Security Council Presidency in September 2021.
The Resolution aimed to ensure that when UN peacekeepers leave, peace is sustained. Resolution 2594 – supported by all 15 Council members – is ground-breaking in its integration of protection of civilians, civil society inclusion, and ensuring that the Council learns lessons from previous transitions such as Liberia and Sudan.
This resolution defines transitions in a way that moves beyond past conceptions of simple exit or drawdown. Work is now focused on implementation of the Resolution, to deliver a more sustainable, inclusive peace after the departure of peacekeeping troops.