What is Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping has unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy and sustain troops and police from around the globe, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to advance multidimensional mandates.
UN Peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
- Consent of the parties;
- Impartiality;
- Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.
Peacekeeping is flexible and over the past two decades has been deployed in many configurations. There are currently 16 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on four continents.
Today's multidimensional peacekeeping operations are called upon not only to maintain peace and security, but also to facilitate the political process, protect civilians, assist in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants; support the organization of elections, protect and promote human rights and assist in restoring the rule of law.
UN Mission in Haiti ( MINUSTAH)
United Nations involvement in Haiti started in 1990, when, at the request of the provisional Government, the United Nations Observer Group for the Verification of the Elections in Haiti (ONUVEH) observed the preparation and holding of elections in that country. Following the 1991 coup and the overthrow of the legitimate President, the situation worsened. In response, a joint United Nations- OAS International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH)was deployed in February 1993. In September 1993, the Security Council set up the first United Nations peacekeeping operation in the country—theUnited Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)owever, due to non-cooperation of the Haitian military authorities, UNMIH could not be fully deployed at that time and carry out its mandate.
Establishment and activities
On 30 April 2004, acting on the recommendations of the Secretary-General, the Security Council adopted resolution 1542 
of 30 April 2004, establishing the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which took over from the MIF on 1 June 2004.
MINUSTAH was originally set up to support the Transitional Government in ensuring a secure and stable environment; to assist in monitoring, restructuring and reforming the Haitian National Police; to help with comprehensive and sustainable Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes; to assist with the restoration and maintenance of the rule of law, public safety and public order in Haiti; to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence; to support the constitutional and political processes; to assist in organizing, monitoring, and carrying out free and fair municipal, parliamentary and presidential elections; to support the Transitional Government as well as Haitian human rights institutions and groups in their efforts to promote and protect human rights; and to monitor and report on the human rights situation in the country.