The Evolution of UN Peace Operations

Abstract

The Uppsala Conflict Data Program defines an armed conflict as “contested incompatibility that concerns government or territory or both where the use of armed force between two parties results in at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year” (PCR 2007, p. 25). The conflicts are divided in two different ways. The first focuses on battle-related deaths in a year and is referred to as category of conflict. There are two categories of armed conflicts. Minor armed conflicts are defined as an armed conflict with between 25 and 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year while a major armed conflict is defined as an armed conflict with more than 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year. The second focuses on actors involved in the conflict and is referred to as type of conflict. There are three types of armed conflicts. An interstate armed conflict is defined as a type of conflict which occurs between two or more states. An internal armed conflict is defined as a type of conflict which occurs between the government of a state and one or several internal opposition groups. A third and final type of armed conflict is an internationalized internal armed conflict. This type is an internal armed conflict with a military intervention by one or several other states.