Peace operations and peace building, conducted by a variety of international actors like the UN, EU, NATO, and the AU, have in recent decades become a major feature of international peace and security policy. About 200,000 international military, police, and civilians are presently working in over forty missions, most led by the UN. However, these missions are struggling with enormous difficulties: doctrinal confusion about the proper use of force, lack of clarity about the application of basic principles like consent, impartiality and credibility, overstretch and dissatisfaction with peace-building regarding its impact, costs and ability to achieve sustainable peace. The course will address these and related issues by exploring in particular the development UN-Peacekeeping from the Blue Helmets to the present robust, multidimensional peace operations, either in a general matter or by case studies. (Crossed listed International Relations/International Development/African Studies) (CM)