When conflict strikes, lives are always at risk. Civilians are forced from their homes into bandit-infested streets and countryside. Courts, often fragile before the fighting broke out, can cease to function altogether. Prisoners escape, adding to the havoc. Arms are everywhere and no one feels safe. Instead of being ruled by law, societies are plunged into lawlessness. The injustices that can follow are too numerous to count and too grave to ignore.

The deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission can offer hope for a transition from chaos to calm. But for true security to take root, peacekeepers must do more than separate warring parties and disarm combatants. They must strengthen the institutions responsible for security and justice – the police, the courts and the correctional institutions – with full respect for the rule of law and human rights.

This is an excerpt of the official information provided by the United Nations. To view the full text, click here.