Published on: 2026-07-01
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
June 30, 2026 UN
When it comes to the work of the UN, peacekeepers in blue helmets are most often recalled. However, there is another, much less visible tool for maintaining peace—special political missions. They do not have armored vehicles or armed units. Their main weapons are negotiations, mediation, and diplomacy.
It is to these missions that the first-ever comprehensive review, prepared by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, is dedicated. The document covers eight decades of work – from 1948 to 2025 – and shows how the role of the Organization has evolved alongside the changing world.
“Special political missions are at the very center of the United Nations’ efforts to unite countries in the pursuit of peace,” writes Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, in the foreword. According to her, they embody the Organization’s original promise — to prevent conflicts and maintain international peace and security.
From Palestine to the present day
The first such mission appeared almost immediately after the creation of the UN. In May 1948, the General Assembly appointed Swedish diplomat Count Folke Bernadotte as the UN mediator in Palestine. This was the first official instance in which the Organization sent a special mediator to resolve an armed conflict. From this point on, diplomatic mediation became one of the UN’s most important tools.
Today, special political missions operate in completely different ways. Some assist in conducting peace negotiations, others monitor the implementation of ceasefire agreements, while others are engaged in border demarcation, investigating serious violations, or supporting political reforms. What unites them is one thing: they are all civilian missions and operate primarily through dialogue.
To help the country become a state
An impressive example of political missions is Libya’s assistance on the path to independence.
At the end of the 1940s, the country that had been an Italian colony from 1911 to 1942, and before that was part of the Ottoman Empire, was divided, used different currencies and administrative systems. A UN commission helped overcome political disagreements, prepare a constitution, form a provisional government, create a unified financial system, and train civil servants.
Two years later, Libya became the first country to gain independence with the direct support of the UN.
Photo UN Voters in former French Togoland celebrate the election of the new House of Deputies in 1958.
Similar missions accompanied the decolonization process in other regions of the world. UN representatives organized plebiscites and referendums in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Togoland, consulted with the population of Bahrain, and helped young states create their own institutions of power.
Diplomacy during the Cold War years
During the Cold War, the capabilities of the Security Council were limited by the confrontation between the superpowers. Therefore, instead of major UN operations, special representatives of the Secretary-General were increasingly appointed.
UN Photo/K. Whelan UN Mission Headquarters in Kabul.
Thus, in the 1980s, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General conducted long-term negotiations on Afghanistan, which culminated in the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1988. During the same period, a Special Representative was appointed to help maintain negotiations between Iran and Iraq during one of the most devastating conflicts of the 20th century.
After the Cold War – new challenges
The collapse of the bipolar system led to an escalation of previously contained tensions and a sharp increase in the number of political missions. Whereas before they primarily focused on mediation, since the 1990s they have begun to help countries conduct elections, draft new constitutions, reform state institutions, and restore trust after civil wars.
Missions operated in El Salvador, Guatemala, Burundi, Somalia, Nepal, Angola, Haiti, and many other countries. At the same time, expert groups appeared to monitor the implementation of Security Council sanctions.
Not only negotiators
Over time, the mandates of missions became increasingly flexible and diverse.
After the Suez Crisis of 1956, the UN organized a special operation to clear the Suez Canal: an international team raised 44 sunken objects from the bottom, which made it possible to reopen this vital global transport artery.
In 2002, the UN mission helped Cameroon and Nigeria carry out border demarcation following the International Court’s decision.
And in 2013, by a decision of the Security Council, a joint mission of the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was established to oversee the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons program.
UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region Juan Xiao during a visit to the DRC in 2019.
Branches in West Africa and the Sahel, Central Africa, and Central Asia, as well as envoys in the African Horn and Great Lakes regions, provide platforms for cooperation and the implementation of coordinated efforts at the regional level.
In some cases, the Security Council established special political missions for fact-finding and investigation of situations.
In addition to mandates concerning specific countries, a number of missions were established to carry out tasks of a global nature. An example of such a political mission is the mandate of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
Work that rarely makes the headlines
As of the end of 2025, there were 40 dedicated UN Special Political Missions worldwide. Today, they are increasingly focused on specific political tasks: conflict prevention, mediation, regional diplomacy, and supporting peace processes in particular contexts.
Rosemary DiCarlo believes that the history of these missions is especially relevant today.
“They helped states overcome disagreements, reduce tensions, build trust, and strive for peace even when world politics was deeply polarized. They demonstrated – in both big and small matters – the power of diplomacy,” she writes.
That is precisely why they remain one of the most important and at the same time most inconspicuous tools of the UN in conflict prevention – where success is often measured not by the number of signed documents, but by the wars that were avoided.
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