Blue Helmets

Blue Helmets is the popular term for military personnel serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The nickname comes from the light-blue helmets and berets worn by troops to distinguish them as neutral UN forces rather than combatants of any national army. The color was reportedly chosen because it was unlikely to be confused with the uniform of any national military.

Blue Helmets are contributed by UN member states on a voluntary basis and remain under national command for disciplinary matters, but operate under the operational control of a UN Force Commander appointed by the Secretary-General. They are deployed pursuant to a mandate authorized by the UN Security Council, typically under Chapter VI (consent-based peacekeeping) or Chapter VII (enforcement) of the UN Charter. The UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO), restructured from the former DPKO in 2019, oversees these missions.

The first armed UN peacekeeping force, UNEF I, was deployed to the Sinai in 1956 following the Suez Crisis, an initiative associated with Canadian diplomat Lester B. Pearson, who won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for the idea. UN Peacekeeping Forces collectively received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.

Blue Helmets are guided by three core principles:

• Consent of the main parties to the conflict
• Impartiality between the parties
• Non-use of force except in self-defense or defense of the mandate

Major ongoing or recent deployments have included MINUSMA in Mali (2013–2023), MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, and UNMISS in South Sudan. The top troop contributors in recent years have typically included Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Rwanda, and Pakistan.

The Blue Helmets are distinct from UN Police (UNPOL), who wear blue berets but are civilian police, and from unarmed UN military observers.