Unpacking the ‘unintended consequences’ of peace operations

According to scholars studying UN-led peace operations, the missions generate a wide range of ‘unintended consequences’ that affect their ability to fulfil their mandate, the host societies in which they are deployed, and even the societies of states that contribute troops. While studying the ‘unintended consequences’ of peace operations usefully draws attention to their multifaceted effects, the concept raises both analytical and normative issues. Analytically, the concept centres the intentions of interveners as a key variable and posits that we can clearly disentangle the intended effects of peace operations from their unintended ones. But ‘unintended’ effects are rarely unanticipated and can instead be productively conceptualised as the results of choices or trade-offs, raising questions of responsibility and accountability. This is apparent in cases of UN missions enabling authoritarian practices by the host state and increasing the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. While the ‘unintended consequences’ concept is analytically thin, it performs significant normative work and ultimately reproduces the idea that peace operations are inherently good. Unpacking the concept makes visible structures and power relations involved in the peacekeeping project.