The main task for every United Nations peacekeeper is to carry out his or her mission mandate as authorized by the Security Council, to separate warring factions and to do the best possible to bring about peace between hostile parties. At the same time, it is crucial that UN peacekeepers stay neutral and impartial to remain credible and respected. We do our best to alleviate the suffering of people caught in the middle of strife and to restore peace and build confidence without taking sides. We do our utmost to not have our personal opinion cloud our judgment. Just as the UN Security Council adopts resolutions aimed at restraining perpetrators of violence, unjust aggression or war crimes, on the ground it is very hard for UN peacekeepers to be silent spectators while seeing blatant aggression by the stronger against the weaker.
Neutrality is a crucial principle.
Some would say it is the essence of UN peacekeeping, but a neutral stance may confront a peacekeepers with a dilemma when dealing with situations in which civilians are victimized or when the UN peacekeeping soldiers, or civilian UN personnel themselves are ambushed, injured or even killed. The situation is not as good as one would wish. At its establishment in 1978, it was assumed that all parties would fully cooperate in the implementation of its mandate spelled out by the Security Council Resolution 425. This was never the case. Israel has not fully withdrawn its forces.