Over the last twenty years, the protection of civilians (POC) has become central to the mandates of multidimensional peacekeeping operations, elevated as a core issue on the Security Council’s agenda, and designated as a priority among mandated tasks. This prioritization is based in part on assumptions that POC is a critical enabling factor to achieve peace and that it contributes to the durability of peace. However, the truth of these assumptions remains untested.

In this illuminating study, Jenna Russo explores the relationship between violence against civilians and peace, including whether such violence lengthens conflict duration or undermines the prospects for longer-term peacebuilding. Using a mixed-methods approach, including case studies on South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she then examines the extent to which UN POC activities are able to protect civilians from violence and mitigate the potential negative impact it has on peace. This book contributes to both academic and policy debates around the effectiveness of peacekeeping and the protection of civilians, as well as academic research related to conflict duration and the effects of violence.

Jenna Russo is the Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute in New York. Dr. Russo completed her PhD in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, with a focus on the protection of civilians in armed conflict settings.